New-York tribune., 1919-08-10
Eleanor Robson Belmont
Says War Has Shown That
Real Flame of Patriotism
Burns in Hearts Of Sex
Peace Problems Grave
Service of Battlefield, Home
and Hospital Must Be
Carried On by Americans
BY Eleanor Robson Belmont

By Eleanor Robson Belmont
Member of the New York County Chap
ter Executive Committee and Chair
man Of the National Bureau of Chap
ter Activities Of the American Red
Cross
Looking backward is sometimes nee
essary in order that a people may move
forward with clear thought and high
heart. Just now we women Of Amer
lea are busy counting up our mercies,
and contrasting them with the trag-
edies suffered by the women OF Eu-
rope. We look back to an imm mediate
rast Of hard work and loving service
tempered by the knowledge that, in
countries just over the sea, women like
ourselves have worked and served and
suffered to an extent that is far be-
yond our conception. With new tasks
facing ue. we see IN our recent work
and service a symbol for the future
Nothing that we have done shall 20
to waste; each days task is woven
ground for tomorrow and the days
after.
The millions of women throughout
America who consecratcd the last two
years to Red Cross work have learned
the spiritual meaning Of patriotism
and IN so doing have created for them
selves a new form of citizenship.
Patriotism Covered Country
This is true not only OF the women
in the large cities and towns, but of
those of our many scattered villages
and farms. Did the spirit of America
seem slow to awake? | think not! 1t
the fame of the spirit spread from
community to community, from home
to home, to see 1t follow the putting
up of the little service star in the
window. 1t was as though that star,
like the star Of Bethlehem, pointed
the way. and it was inspirational to
feel and to watch the onward march of
our women.
Given this marvellous background of
work accomplished, of effort sustained
under almost insurmountable Difficult
ties, are these millions of workers 60
ing to let their hands fall idle and their
lives drop back into the former paths
of ease? From all parts of the coun-
try, from each of our great division
centres, comes the message that the
women of America want the work of
the Red Cross, their own work for
humanity, to continue. The heritage of
these days of fervent outgivings is not
to be lightly lost.
That carefully selected group Of can
teen workers, who were permitted to
enter the docks during those momen-
tous hours of sailing, who were the last
American women to speak to our mill
ions Of fighters rs they marched aboard
ship on their way to battle, will carry
memories of those hours all their lives.
These women were bound by the most
solemn promises to keep their lips
sealed before and after the transports
sailed down the bay Their orders may
have come for midnight or for that
dark hour before dawn, but when the
youth of America marched solemnly
and quietly through the gates leading
to the great camoufaged transports
the women of America were there.
Waved Farewell to Boys
who thought that in breaking camp
they had looked their last on any
women of their own country. Many a
man whose thoughts were fixed on the
mother, wife or sweetheart back home
saw in the blue clad canteen worker
the very woman he was thinking Of
Thousands of them were so young, and
they were beginning a Journey which
was to bring them face to face with
death in foreign land. A curious
psychological change was apparent in
them, as, after months Of training, they
found themselves at last confronting
the unknown. Their eyes told the
story. Every woman felt the sacred
ness of the moment and took away
with her an ndefnable impulse that
must make impossible for the future
any petty outlook on life.
Over in France many of those SOL
dlers went under in the fighting that
began at Chateau Thierry and ended
when the enemy sued for peace. SO
overwhelming were the casualties
that at once time great numbers had
to be sent to French hospitals, where
no American nurses or doctors were
stationed. 1t was impossible for
nurses and patients to understand each
other, and General Pershing asked the
Paris office of the Anne rican Red Cross
to help solve the problem. Miss Ruth
Morgan, the present president Of the
Colony Club and at that time, head of
the Woman's Overseas Division, Or
ganlzed flying squadrons" of nurses
and nurses aids. who were sent to
every hospital where Americans were
placed. These young women-2O0 in all
covered the entire war zone, travel
ling all night, if necessary, and over
roads constantly under shell fire. When
our boys came out from the ether or
awoke from their first uneasy slumber
they found an American nurse within
call. These nurses could not remain
eonstantly-there were too many other
soldiers to be visited--but at least
once every day our wounded men were
able to get in touch with an American
woman.
Loyal Workers at Homo
The material production of our WON
en-, exemplitied by the thousands of
pajamas, the millions of knitted ar
ticles and the more than half billion
bandages and surgical dressings made
by willing workers, was one of the
things expected. Women have always
been the producers along such lines.
But the soldierly manner in which all
this was accomplished WAS a continual
surprise and delight. Aladdin's lamp
wrought no greater miracles than our
women. The frequent and perplexng
changes in patterns and measurements
developments in war surgery, did not
dismay. but only seemed to spur them
to greater effort. When relief ship
carrying 1000 n00 bandages to our
army in France was torpedoed, Red
Cross workers Immediately buckled to
and produced twice that number of