The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-04-11
(5y VIRGINIA TERHuNE VAN DE
WATER Of the ViaiIantes-)

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A good woman was discussing the
rules OF the food administration.
I am doing a lot for my country"
she said, but there are certain trifies
that do not intend to give up. Such
as white bread and bacon"
No." she said In response to my
astonished look, II mean to have white
bread when 1 want it. Why should
eat corn bread and other substitutes7
L like white bread just as much as
the soldiers and sailors do. And, any
way, what difference can ii make If I
use little white -four and a few
slices OF bacon every day7 1 am only
one person"
Only one OF miIlionsI Suppose they
all took that attitudeI
Il am no Stacker" she added 81
work at the Red Cross four afternoons
OF each week, and I have made dozens
OF knitted things for the soldiers. But
1 draw the line at bacon and white
bread and rolls"
Is this patriotism? I remembered
the text: These things ought ye TO
have done, and not TO have left the
other undone."
Another good woman was talking OF
the next Liberty Loan drive.
Well" she declared, they need not
come to me for heIpI am a business
woman, and I have lost money on
heatless Mondays, and since the gov
eminent has made me do that I do not
propose to help with their Liberty loan.
L love my country, and 1 am a Red
Gross worker, and all that-but there
| is a limit"
Should Be No Limit.
a limit Is there any limit to what
| she would do II her nearest and dear
| est were fighting for his life? Would
she stop to argue that she had given
| the suffered expensive wooden under
wear. but that she drew the line at the
remuneration of certain comforts so
/ that he might have them7 Would she
be considered a good wife or mother
or daughter If she held this attitude
towards husband, child or parent?
Let US stop all these ridiculous res
ervations, these talks of what we viii
do and won't do. Let US hold back
nothing. Do the women who are send
ing their sons abroad hold back any
thing? Do these sons grudge risking
their beautiful youth, their lives, for
their country? Yet some people hest
tate at white bread and bacon. and
refuse to buy Liberty bondsI
The Iast-named hesitation is not only
unpatriotic. but 1t is absurd. Later
we will know the meaning OF the ex-
preston. What 1 give 1 have" The
money we invest In Liberty bonds will
be ours when other money that we
now have is gone
All such talk as I have quoted is
wickedly unpatriotic- Let US give as
our sons -ungrudginglys proudly,
because we are counted worthy TO
make sacrifices for the greatest cru
SADIE against evil that tie world has
ever known.
Make Ii An Honorable Service
What would the Son of Righteous
ness say to our hesitation about trifiing
luxuries? He died for his cause We
women are not called upon to do that.
(Some OF US may wish that we were.)
But we are called to sacrifice our
selfishness for 1t.
am not making light Of the wonder
full work done by those women who
toll at Red Cross stations; am not
forgetting the noble and vast army OF
wives, mothers, sisters and sweet
hearts who stop at nothing in their de-
sire to help end the war honorably.
But I hope that such sentences as ]
have quoted 20 no further than the tip
OF the tongue. II they do, shame TO
the speakers And shame TO US who
let such speech pass unreproved.
His very Hving-such was Christs
giving"
We women ''have not yet resisted
unto blood" But some OF our men
have. and-GOd help us many more
may have TO. Can we then endure the
ignominy OF remembering that even in
our inner hearts we have paused 10
consider what delicacies we may user
Shall we not-in the language Of our
dear fighting boys-''cut OUT ali
doubtful articles? And let us make OF
the trifling duty an honorable service.
The cause ennobIes all that it touches.
/