Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1919-06-20

II WN FA n ana D0n0uCldl SERVICE WOulU open y
that the war is over may very easily
find the signpost pointing out the road
- in the program set for itself by the
mNN6EH National League for Women's Service.
HIKRQluM This organization was formed in 1917,
==SXRC MNI and naturally at that time found its
ENkMNNE particular field in war activities. It
&aRRMAW now sees before it a broadening of its
activities and 9 scope of real helpful
ness that will go even beyond what it found to do
iwhileI the country was waging conflict.
1t is the spirit of service learned better than ever
before in time of national stress that is the watch
word for this nationwide organization of women.
Its purpose, as set forth in the constitution and
bylaws, is to provide organized trained groups of
women in every community to meet existing needs
along social and economic lines.
The earnest women who make up the motor
division of the league might have thought that the
end of the war would curtail the scope of their
activities. Nothing of the sort. The work of trans
porting the sick and wounded and the convalescent
soldiers, sailors and marines will be continued as
long as the need for this work exists. The motor
division has demonstrated the vital necessity of
continuing its work as an organized, trained serv-
Ice in peace times to meet emergencies. There is
so much work to be done in the way of social
welfare and health and industrial helpfulness that
rhe motor corps, instead of diminishing, sees before
lit growth and expansion.
Especial attention is being given by the motor
division to the opportunities found in service for
the afflicted. One Of the concrete examples OF this
lis to be seen in the work being accomplished by
}the women Of the city Of Jamaica, who formed a
motor corps in that city. These women motorists
have already been of great service to the city IN
transporting crippled children to the hospital for
treatment. Not all of these children are per-
manently crippled, but many of them have lost the
use of an arm or a leg after having suffered from
infantile paralysis. Sometimes there is only one
diving parent, who is away from home all day, SO
there is no one in the family to take the suffering
little ones to the hospital for treatment. The
workers in the motor corps bring the children from
their homes for treatment and then take them
back again as soon as they are fit to be moved.
Helping the Helpless.
One Of the most pathetic cases of this sort is
that of little Gertrude, only three and a half years
lof age. She was taken to the hospital and a plas-
ter cast was put on. There are six children in her
family and her father is unable to work owing to
a severe attack of influenza. The Oldest child in
the family suffers from epileptic fits. Another
child had broken her arm last November and it
had never been set. The driver of the ambulance
took this child also to the hospital S. that her
crippled arm could be rebrOken by the doctor and
properly set. So much suffering in one family
was relieved and a great deal of future tragedy
was averted by the helpfulness Of the motor corps.
One little boy, whose poor little legs were abso-
tlutely useless, came near to being the cause of an
OA O4N ~ NAS
Putting his head out of the front of the ambulance
he jerked the arm of the driver and said: "See
that guy that passed riding that bicycle! Gee, I'm
going to be like him soon, and how will ride when
my paddles work again."
A three-year-old Italian girl had been very shy
on her trips to the hospital and at first had re-
scented being taken by the driver. Finally after
her fourth trip she ~snuggled up against the lieu
tenant on the homeward trip and said something
which the officer could not understand. One of
the older girls explained.
''She says that her mother is dead and her
father. doesn't want her and you can keep her if
you want to"
Only three years old and yet that baby realized
that there wasn't a soul in the world who wanted
her.
These children, whose cases are duplicated times
without number throughout the country, are in a
dire need of friendly service. The parents have
the greatest struggle in most cases to provide a
living for them, and when any of the children are
helpless they are not wanted.
Such cases are not infrequent, and although the
work of driving a car all day from house to house
i'm the poorest parts of the city, over broken and
rough roads, is nerve racking, the members of the
motor corps have never thought of stopping. The
vital need of continuing their work is measured by
the amount Of good done hundreds of children.
The faith of the children accustomed to walk
;and run about is much shaken when they are