The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1920-10-23
MRS. GEORGE M. WRICHT'S
REPORT NATIONAL BIENNIAL
FEDERATION WOMEN'S CLUBS
Continued from Page H.

tue convention began and all dele
gates were requested to he in their
appointed sections of the big Coliseum
promptly at nine o'clock, Mrs, Josiah
Evans Cowles and Miss Bacon pre-
siding. AS the gavel sounded the en-
tire assembly sang America" as l
am sure it has never been sung be-
fore. Reports of convention commit
tees and officers occupied the morn
ing session and the important feature
OF the afternoon was discussion and
action on revision-meaning re-or
ganlzation of the federation. Mrs.
Robert Burdette Of California, headed
the committee favoring revision. At
ter much discussion the plan to alter
the present system was defeated
"Americanism' was the keynote OF
three addresses heard at the evening
session, DR.. Charles s. Medbury,
University Place Church, Des Moines.
delivered most wonderful address
on 'Mobilizing the Mind of America"
DR. Medbury's plea was to mobilize
re mind of America against the ma
terialIsm that seeks to destroy de-
mocracy, THE mobilization of tho
mind of America in war times was
not seen alone in the marshalled
hosts of land and sea and air that
rallied to the colors.' said Dr. Med
bury. The sudden transformation Of
our community life-the leap to un
Selfshness, the amazing cooperation
in giant financial tasks was like tri-
1l,e to the power of a great ideal.
The building Of great cantonments in
& dry and successfully housing OF
vast numbers of soldiers in them, was
NO; so wonderful as the growth Of
sentiment, supporting the unprece-
denied expense involved and gladly
enduring the utmost of personal sac
rifce The mechanical operation Of
! the selective draft was as nothing
compared to the leap Of sentiment to
sustain it when once the need for
| il. and its essential democracy were
discerned In fact there was no mar
vel of the wars history so great as
the complete mastery of widely diver
gent views about the war and our
part in it, by the legitimately
stressed ideal of great humanity
service. We have seen what was &C
complshed in a day of war by the
mobilization of the mind of America
Is there call for efforts now as then,
t0 marshal the forces of our thinking
to stress the altruistic, to attain a
common passion that will say as We
said of the defeat of Germany, this
one thing shall be done?" Suspicion
is everywhere and few live above the
questioning Of their motives. Yes
terday we were knit together by bonds
of steel. We were giving suffering
diving together and our Americanism
was a holy thing. We cherished 1t
only second to our faith in God We
met in great groups and cheered and
laughed and cried and prayed and
laid our common gifts of means and
life upon affairs of serving. No one
asked the party, the position, or OF
the wealth or poverty of another VIC
struck hands with those whom We
had never seen before, 1t was
enough that we were fellow Ameri
cans. And this triumphant spirit
rooted and grounded in love and hon
or and justice and genuine human
concern and crowned by the recog
milton of God in His world, must be
brought back to our land, or we, as
civilizations before us, will be
weighed in the balance and founC
wanting. AS the one issue OF the
war pressed all else aside, so the
one issue of national worth and o.
righteousness must now be granted
the right of way We must refuse t.
he led afield We must not go to wal
among ourselves as to methods an'
isms. A thousand things may be true
or false. wise or unwise, and 1t does
J not matter much. But there must De
i, we are to live the eXaltati0n o
nersonal worth-there must be tn
spirit of sacrificial service. Ther'
must be the growth of real brother
hood. There must be an understand
ing that America has a world mission
. somehow to discharge. There must b
reverence toward Almighty God. Fo
these basic things the mind Of Amer
= lea must again be modified. !"
Following this powerful and schol
ar:y address came DR.. Andrew =
Mclaughlin. University Of Chicago