Evening star., 1932-10-22
FIRST LADY HEADS
RELIEF MOVEMENT
Becomes Honorary Chair
man of W0men'S Branch
of Baker Group.

Assuming the honorary chairmanship
of the National Womens Committee OF
the Welfare and Relief Mobilization
yesterday, Mrs. Hoover declared VIC
Tins of the depression must not feel 1t
a disgrace to accept necessities"
The ceremony marked the launching
Of the woman's branch OF the group
headed by Newton D. Baker.
Mrs. Hoover and Mrs Nicholas F..
Brady, chairman of the movement, is
sued invitations to 73 women to act as
vice chairmen. From this nucleus was
to be built, the organizers said, a work.
ing machine of from 500 to 1000 women
leaders in welfare work.
Mrs. Roosevelt Invited
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt. wife Of
the Democratic candidate for President.
and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, widow of the
wartime Democratic President, were
asked to be vice chairmen.
Mrs. Hoover, in a formal statement
issued when she assumed the honorary
chairmanship said:
The full title, National Women s
Committee of the Welfare and Relief
Mobiliza tiCn. sounds very ponderous and
involved. AS matter of fact. its duties
are very simp.e and straight forward
Newton Baker, chairman Of the
great Mobilization Committee, of which
We form but one part, tells us that our
duties do not include money raising nor
the obtaining nor actual distribution OF
supplies. These are the duties of other
Subcommittees Our duties will deal
primarily with matters of co-ordina-
lion and the maintaining of morale.
One Of the greatest problems of this
Winter will be to see that the absolute
destitution in the families of hundreds
Of thousands Of men and women, who
want to earn their own living and can
not find work. is relieved by means of
the large quantities of food clothing
and fuel. and abundant hospital care
in the country.
There are going to be some millions
in want. through no fault of their own.
who must not feel it disgrace under
these conditions to accept of such neces-
stiles from their fellow citizens, whom
chance alone has made more fortunate
this year. Many Of these sufferers have
not been in need before and will not
know how to go about relieving their
own distress. Many Of their neighbors
Will not know they are in distress.
Sources Of Supply.
1nnumeTaDle cOmmltteeS and sources
OF supplies will be established, some
supported by taxes, some by voluntary
contributions. To see that these are
sufficient to meet the demands of the
area they are supposed to cover and
that every urprovided man, woman and
child in the country knows how to
reach his source Of supply, is one of
the most important undertakings of q
committee such as ours.
But food and warmth and health are
not enough to satisfy the desires of life
Occupation and recreation are as vital
to those harassed by trouble as to the
carefree. Therefore We should redouble
our efforts to supply educational and
avocational occupation, recreational op-
portunities and the activities given by
what we call character building organ
izations. The morale of the people. both
of the sufferers and of their aides
should be maintained, that they may
be ready to take their usual place with
full strength and zest when the current
of their local life is re-established.
If we have enough capable branches
Of our committee to help meet ade-
quately these phases of the great prob
lem all over the country we will ac-
complish what We are hoping to do"