The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-02-02
Working Women and Next War
(Continued)

Not the least important of the
activities Of the Women's Commit
tee was a patriotic education
campaign carried on chiefly among
foreign-born women. In this the
/ Women's Committee cooperated with
the Division of immigration Educa-
ton of the u. S. Dept. of Educa-
ton in gigantic nationwide
america First" campaign begun on
Sept. 1, 1917. Mrs. Carrie Chapman
Gait was the chairman of the wom-
ems committee on education.
1--WE propose" she stated, "to
begin a vast educational move
ment with lantern slides, movies,
lectures and literature which will
carry to the women of the nation
the graphic story of the war.
When the women understand, all
will be fervently enlisted to push
the war to victory as rapidly as
possible"
WOmen's Bodies Special Work.
Besides the national apparatus
built up by the Women's Committee
of the National Council of Defense,
there were other organizations of
women created especially for the
war. In January, 1917 (three
months before war was declared)
there took place in Washington a
Congress for Constructive Patriots.
A women's session was held in which
500 women from all parts of the
country took part. Here was organ
lied the National League for
Women's Service with the jingoistic
slogan, "For God, for Country, for
Home" This organization became
a part of the general women's war
apparatus, its president being a
member of the National Women's
Committee. The Red Cross had its
Women's Bureau organized in July,
1917, with Miss Florence Marshall
as its director. This Women'5 Bu-
reau divided the country for work
into Is Fields, with a 14th field for
the American Red Cross in China,
South America, Alaska and Persia.
The Red Cross modified the women
so well for its work that in six
weeks in the fall of 1912 women
furnished 3,6S1.S95 surgical dress
ings, 1,517,076 pieces of hospital
linen, 424,550 articles of patients
clothing, 301, 1858 articles of miscel-
laneous supplies and 240,621 knitted
articles. The American Red Cross
also formed Women's War Relief
Corps in France. In April, 1917,
was organized the National Con-
gress of Mothers to do work among
the soldiers in camps, later the
Women's Auxiliary of the Army and
Navy League, which established a
service school, and the Women's
Naval Auxiliary of the Red Cross.
Bourgeois Women's Activities.
The apparatus of the Women's
Committee was a federated one,
based chiefly on the existing wom-
ems organizations, and also draw
ing into it's local activities the I'M
organized women. The bourgeois
women's organizations were also
active on their own account through
special wartime committees or bu-
reaus. Their activities were all di-
rected by the central clearing house
of the Women's Committee. In
June, 1917, the Women's Committee
called conference, inviting heads
of 200 women's organizations. Over
so responded to the call and took
part in the conference. These or
CARNATIONS had already been active
in relief work for the war in Eur
ope and were now drawn into work
for the American imperialists. The
General Federation of Women's
Clubs Claiming a membership OF
3,0O0,OO0) opened Service Office
in Washington and flung itself full
force into the war. The Daughters
of the American Revolution (claim-
ing 100000 members) had their
War Relief Service Commission, the
YMCA had it's War Work Council
the National Women's Christian
Temperance Union had its Commit
tee on Patriotic Service, the League
Of American Pen Women had its
National Aid and Defense Commit
tee, the Woodcraft Girls had their
'Potato Clubs" with the motto "The
Hoe Behind the Flag" the Asso-
ciate Collegiate Alumnae had their
War Service Commission and SO on.
Besides all these organizations
there were relief organizations too
numerous to mention, formed for
different sorts of relief, many OF
them directed by women and all OF
them depending upon women for
their chief support.
Drew In Working Women.
Let us be clear just how the work
ing women were drawn into all
these organized activities. The men,
bers of the Women's Committee and
most CT the membership of the
women's organizations mentioned
above are wealthy or lower middle
class women. But they drew in with
them also the fraternal and reli-
gious orders which have a working
class as well as middle class mem
bership. Besides, all propaganda