Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-02-15
Idealism Implies
a Vision in Work
Says w. G.. Knoelk

THE civic problem of today is
much different from that OF a few
years ago." said W. c. Knock, as
sociate organizer of the war camp
community service, speaking before
the city welfare department of the
Rock Island WOman's club yester-
day afternoon at Masonic temple.
Mir. Knock. who substituted for
Pew. Caroline Bartlett-Crane OF
Kalamazoo, Mich, who was unable
to fill her appointment here because
OF illness in her family, gave q
splendid talk on In the Wake OF
:he War"
I'VE must in civic work keep pace
with the changing community SEN
tlment, but We must not get so fan
tastic in dreams that our commu-
nifty considers il idealistic. OF
course this idealism is largely the
Launt thrown out by those who
want to stop the work, yet We have
to be careful To me idealism
seems to be the art of seeing things
as they can be made with little
DIT of effort. 1t is up to the woman
20 bring about the necessary
change to the after-the-war cOndi-
tions. The women must see that
Women's intuition must work with
masculine business sense.
The sum total of all social prog
ress consists in the aggregate of the
small things we think are not worth
while. Social work is one Of the
most easily criticised and the most
thankless of efforts. There is No
group so much censored as the civic
department of wOman's club.
THE war has not merely left the
fertile fields of France unusuable
for years, but has left its mark in
the physical breakdown of our men.
This will be one of the biggest civic
problems in the future, for these
boys who have been through al
they have experienced, are bound
to have distorted ideas of life,
which will have an influence on
tile community"
Mr.. Knoelk upheld the Y. NJ. c.
A and what it has accomplished
and discredited the statements
made against this institution. He
cited instances of boys who had
Censured the association and what
It had done
THE returning soldier may be a
hero, but he will not be level-head-
ed in civic matters. The soldier
wants to be actively for good rather
than negatively so. He doesn't
want to be told don't do this or
that He wants to be told what
u do. The talk against the govern
,uent must be stopped. This is our
duty. Parties in industry are not
merely the employer and the en-
L!Oyes, but the community enters
into the consideration. Wee should
stand for industrial fairness. Toll
Grafton must be changed to kindli-
ness. At least let us be anti-selfish.
do MT think that the war is over.
1t is not Only the killing part is
through. If you want the things
for which we fought in this war, we
must now do our part think Col
onel McRea meant more than what
most people read in his In Elan
dors Ffeld'-'If you break faith with
US who died We must see that
we don't break faith.'
In concluding Mr. Knoelk paid a
high tribute to the WOmanhOOd of
America and to the ideals for which
they stand, and the work which the
women are doing in lettering con-
ditions.
The Indictment weather of yester-
cay afternoon somewhat interfered
with the attendance at the meeting
The report of the special commit
tee, consisting of the department
chairman, Mrs. K. T. Anderson, Mrs
G.. X. Mixter and Mrs s. c. Taylor,
reported that Rock Island may soon
have a policewoman in Rock Island
as a result of a conference held
Thursday with Mayor McConochie.
The policewoman will assist in the
work among the girls in the city.
Mrs. c. f. Sharpe gave a splendid
report of the work done by the sol
Giers' welfare committee, which
was most gratifying.
, 1t was announced that in all
probability Rev. Caroline Crane
will be able TO appear at the next
meeting of the department
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