Evening star., 1927-09-29

dent made 10 mention of his own
great loss when his son. Rufus f..
Dawes. was drowned iii 1872, just as
he reached manhood, hut he might
have been giving the war mothers
peep into his own heart when he com
miserated with them in these words:
THE n.eaning Of n loss from
family OF a youth in the prime OF MS
life, with his high hopes and those Oh
his parents Centered upon his future,
cannot he understood except by those
who have experienced it. When that
loss comes the sun is darkened. and
from brightness the future turns to
gloom. The map of life is changed in
the twinkling of an eye. To mother
it seems hardly worth the living.
Effects of Death.
1.-The planning of years and the
aspirations of ii lifetime for her son,
in an instant, have been blOtted out.
The effects upon parents Of such be-
reavement are always profound. with
some it induces hopelessness and lack
of purpose, sometimes lasting inde-
finitely. With others it means the
birth of sympathy for the suffering
and the beginning Of constructively
useful life. But with all the reaction
has a lasting influence. This is true
always when young men die.
The reaction of the American war
mothers. pledge to a life Of service
for the country for which their sons
gave their all, the Vice President
termed 'the noblest of ALL"
Underlying its great dedication,
Gen. Dawes said, was the unstated
sensing by each mother of the fact that
the life of her son was complete life
complete, because it was given for
a purpose of surprising Importance
to his fellow men and because
that purpose, through his sacrifice
only, was consummated; complete be-
cause through his death the world
was bettered and the principles OF
higher civilization and a higher ma
tional existence were observed.
Women i'm Public Life.
"In the public life Of the American
people, women have a unique power
for good, because Of what President
Wilson called the moral advantage of
disinterestedness," said the Vice PreSi.
dent 1.-THE purpose Of a woman in
engaging in public effort is, as rule,
not primarily for the seeking OF office
or personal emolument. Her work.
whether it be in a ncG-partisan or
partisan effort, is almost always In
spired by an impersonal desire for
better things.
Possessed of higher fntuitive facul-
ties than her masculine co-WorkerS she
the quicker senses the nature OF the
doubts and perplexities upon any pub
lie question which trouble the indi-
viduals she meets.
"And. sensing them, she knows how
to most effectively resolve them.
Again, she speaks first from the stand
point of the American home, and the
American home is the real basis OF
the American Nation.
1.-THE organization Of American war
mothers stands, too, for fundamental
things. They stand for the safeguard
ing Of the home and those tnalienable
rights Of the individual upon which no
government or other individual can
Justly encroach. They stand for
strong notion and an upright nation.
Tribute to Mothers.
"They stand as a unit in support OF
the American Constitution. the Arm
guarantee Of the perpetuity OF otr
free nation. @ g.. -
Because of their purposes, carried
out with the devotion and unselfish
effort inspired by the death of loved
ones, for their country, this organiza-:
tion Is enshrined in the hearts and
hopes Of their countrymen."