The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-16
Rx DOLLY nALRYMPLE

l TIT isn't a difficult matter to find some | who knows all about the things that S you are interested in, but it is the
 rarest thing in the world to find one who
 can hold your attention when he sets
 out to share his thoughts with the world. l This idea came to me very forciply when I reviewed the Knowing how 10 ] tell itp power of pr. Stockton Axson' the able general secretary of the Amer 1 ican Red Cross, yesterday as listened to his beautiful tribute to the woman power of this big, busy war-scourgea world.
 "Why not make him confess now ne does it?" I asked myself the question: of this popular representative to the l sociological congress now convened m Birmingham for the purpose of moeiiiz- l ing lhe leadership of the south TOT d win the war" campaign, and who nseos | no introduction to the cultured ioVlhs and cultured going element of this com munity, which has heard him on Nafl- ous topics with which he is conversant' and so I emphaszed the fact in my own
 mind that I would ascertain from him
 
 by the sheer magic of words.
 I need not say to Birmingham people that pr Axson's manner is genial, nus smile affable, his magnetism lnsisteht. At a glance he gives the impression oA one who has his brain in excellent work ing order, and there is twinkle Tn ms bright eyes that leads you to 1eei quile at home in his presence and makes you realize instantly that all you have to uo is inst to make a suggestive tnougnt as +o what your mission is and watch IL grow into full speaking form or express sion. thus solving quickly his 'knoWlns how to tell it' power, anu SD "ehe boldly to the attack. of is of the woman power of the world and the great part played py women in this present war that WISH vou to speak and more especially or their work in the Red Cross, l sus gested. .,
 "The suggestion comes at a particu- larly opportune time," said Dr. A1son promptly, flor I have only this morning been visiting the camps at one of your Ia rga industrial plants, where welfare work is being done and the thought comes yividly to my mind that such work can ha done by women and women alone. Tbis ia only one of many in which man,s aelp. of course Is needed, but which only a woman's touch can make perfect.
 l q believe I may say that in this war of all the wars of the World' Dr. AAson na continued, "women have come to pc recognized as fundamental factors. Formerly they have done work i'll vari- ous ways, but today the woman power | of the world is mobilized and not alone III
 Red Cross work but in all other agencies pertaining to war work.
 ",The romance of war work for women,
 not the sentiment, mind you, has gone, pr. Axson said, land today women are taking their work seriously, as seri- olsly. may say, as they would take I factory work. In fact, many Of them | are working by factory hours, by tac l tory rules, but without factory pay. II l is estimated that over 100000 women to- day are engaged in war work in various branches, and that is a great power III 1 this war, and none of it gets remunera- tion. The thing back of everything IT this war is the morale of our army, the spirit. the feeling of the men at the front that they are not separated from their women kind, but held close to then by the impregnable threads which con l meet the work of women in the war wltf those who are actually in the trenches lighting. Two things sustain the morale of our men apoVe every thinS oioc. liiS first is that they know that their fami- lilies are being cared for while they are Iaway. and second, that they themselves
 are thought of while they are battling in the greatest of all battles for freedom
 and democracy"
 What the Red Cross has done-not
 alone in surgical dressings, canteen
 work, knitting and providing comforts
 for our soldiers and myriads of other
 ramifications, in which they are en-
 gagged" Dr.. Axson said, "could not
 be done by the government, but grant
 ling that it could-the main point is
 left out--the heart of the thing itself l-which is the woman heart-and that
 is what has been such a marvellous