Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-31
URGE WOMEN TO
| RENEWED EFFORT.
Miss Ina Taft and Mrs, ], Gordon VIII.
son, Both Of Chicago, Make Ap.
peals for Red Cross Work.

That American women do not yet
seem to understand that this country
is actually engaged in the fiercest
combat in history and that they have
not begun to make the sacrifices which
they should make in order to insure
the Sammies in the trenches of the
support they need to fight a winning
battle, was the message that Miss Ina
Taft, Chicago, director of the wom-
ems bureau of the central division of
the Red Cross, brought to the men,
bers Of the Moline chapter at the first
annual meeting of the organization
last evening. The gathering was held
In Recreation hall and attracted q
large attendance. The feature Of the
business session was the selection of
nominated and after spirited contest
the following six were elected: Mrs.
Josephine Barnhardt, M. J. Duryea, A.
T. Foster, r. B. Lourie, Mollie McEniry
and c. w. Ross.
Miss Taft said that more than 100,.
900 sweaters had been sent to Europe
and that if all the work which the Red
Cross has done since the war started
had been paid for, it would have cost
sS5 100000 to hire persons to do the
knitting and sewing.
Don't stop knitting because warmer
weather is coming" urged Miss Taft.
1--WE don't want to face another win
ter like this one. Summer time is the
time to prepare for winter. 1t doesn't
make any difference if it does get
warm and you are uncomfortable and
| would rather not knit. You must think
of the soldiers in France, the men who
are in the trenches, who are suffering
untold hardships and discomforts and
who are dying for you.
IF every woman in America knitted
| during all her spare time she could not
knit enough to supply all the soldiers
with the garments needed We can
send and send and send to France be-
fore we will really feel it.
Red Cross work is women's arms
service. Women must stand side by
side with the men in fighting this war.
American women must hold the homes
of French soldiers together. - The
American Red Cross must feed the
| families of these soldiers in France
and Belgium.
THE American Red Cross stands be-
! tween the children of France and Bel
GUM and want and starvation. Red
Cross women are doing magnificent
work. But they are beginning to tire
in some parts of the country. They
must not grow lax or careless in their
efforts. We have had only few
months of war; Europe has had four
winters. We haven't made any sacri-
flee; we know nothing of casualty
Lists, of the hours of anguish and the
days of impatient waiting"
| Eye Witness Speaks.
Another interesting speaker was
Mrs. .. Gordon Wilson, Chicago, who
recently returned from France where
she was in the supply department OF
the Red Cross She told in graphic
manner of the great need for Red
Cross work there and her descriptions
of the horrors Of German warfare
and especially the desolation which
Prussian militarism has wrought II
Belgium, were striking.
Praise for what has been accomp-
lished by the loyal women of Moline
and the upper end Of Rock Island
county in boosting the work Of tht
Red Cross was given by William But
terworth, president Of the chapter
who presided.