Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-06-05
WOMEN AND THE WAR.
Sadie M. Carlson, Valedictorian.

Sadie M. Carlson, Valedictorian.
Standing in the radiant morning of
the present century, we turn back
ward the wheels of time and lift the
veil from the shadows Of the past.
The pages of history are filled with
the woman Of the past. Scores of
women in various lines of work could
be mentioned, but let it be said of
Florence Nightingale, that she hewed
the path of mercy in the trackess
desert and with her little band Of help
ers, she gave to those armies of the
Crimean War the new gospel of SYM
pathy and love. The woman of to-
day is the heroine of the future. 1t
was Sergeant Ruth Farnum who fired
the first shot for America in the pres
ent war. Looking out over the Bull
garian trenches, she raised her clench-
ed right hand to fire, saying, I'm the
name of American womanhOod, for
all that the tortured women in Europe
have from YOU" But she echoed the
thought of every American woman
when she further said, II like to think
that l, an American woman, struck
my country's first blow in the war,
and believe that the war will be de-
cided by American women. If neces-
sary, they must give their last penny,
their last man for the defeat Of Ger
many"
Every man, woman and child must
realize that our country now has need
of the cooperation of all it's people.
We are battling against the forces of
tyranny, for the liberation of all peo-
pies, for the rights of mankind, of
nations large and small, so that the
world may be made safe for demo-
cracy and peace. President Wilson
in his memorable war message says,
"We can dedicate cur lives and our
fortunes, everything that we are, and
everything that we have, with the
pride of those who know that the day
to spend her blood and her might for
the principles that gave her birth and
happiness and the peace which she
has treasured. God helping her, she
can do no other"
Our struggle is not merely war of
peoples, but is a war of ideals, the
splendid ideals which cur nation has
cherished since. it's formation, and it
is those principles that we must keep
alive in ourselves as true Americans.
We have considered our land of lib
erty, justice and freedom, as a mat
ter Of fact. Now when that country
calls for our support, are we going
to prove unappreciative, are we going
tC fail her in this hour of need? No.
No one will shirk his duty. It may
not mean active service, lover the
top" but within our capacity will
we be found ready and willing.
1t has been said by several of the
greatest men of our nation that it is
our women who will make it possible
Of America rise to meet the great re-
spCnsibility that rests upon them
Already the three years of war across
the seas have scared away whatever
of vanity, egotism and selfishness
their lives contained. Women have
been brought to self-consciousness
have intensified their power and min
imized their weakness. She never
counts the cost, she gives the best she
has, service, unremitting and ungrud-
ging, service with money, with work,
| with mind and with body. Women
| stepped Immediately into their places,
but the work faces us all. Not a girl
or woman who calls herself an Ameri
can, can put herself apart.
| Fields of opportunity stretch them.
selves before us on every side, and we
must seize our own. The first thing
for women to do, it seems tc' me, is
to face the question of what is the
most important thing to do? Natur
ally we turn to the Red Cross. These
nurses are women, self-sacrifcing
capable, serene, working arduously
needless of toll, CT hours of day OF
night, resolute and unafraid. Unques
tionably they are doing their share
and their duty. But, much as W.
should like to, all Of us cannot become
Red Cross nurses. Then what cal
we do? If we wish to train for spe
cial service, there are the secretaries
clerks, chemists and innumerabl,
other positions. All are helping th,
great cause. The telephone operators
whose only thought is duty, must b,
the best trained and the most capable
for they hold, as it were, thousand
of lives in their hands.
The industrial world also is calm,
for employees. In England and Franc,
the women have found their creates
need there. By January list, Englan,
was employing $4,000 women in he
industries alone. Probably in Amer
ca, the women will never be called t,
such an extent into this service, bu
nevertheless the vacancy due to tn
departure of the men neccessitate
greater woman force. An industria
bureau of New York while investiga1
ing labor conditions, reports that en-
ployers are finding women so salts
factory that they are planning to en-
: ploy an even greater proportion tina
> the present labor scarcity demand.
because women workers have advan
age over the men in work reQuirin
dexterity, quickness of hand, eye an
: brain.
Is woman efficient in her position
| Every woman should ask herself tn
question, what is my che talent
) The most injurious and harmful thin
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