Evening star., 1940-04-21
Women S Federation
Marks 50 Years
OF Service
CIimox Of Program
Will Be Reached at
TriennioI Convention

a climax at the triennial conven-
ton next year in Atlantic City.
With the date of its anniversary
falling on Wednesday, however. a
radio program at pm. that day
from New York will re-enact the
federation's first meeting. Mrs.
Sadie Orr Dunbar, president, will
join the first vice president, Mrs.
John L. Whitehurst of Baltimore,
for the broadcast, which will in
clude Home, Sweet Home" sung
by Nine. Frieda Hempel, inper-
sonating Jenny Lind.
The General Federation of Wom-
ems Clubs has been defined by a
past president, Mrs. Thomas G..
Winter, as group OF organized
women in every community who
can be depended upon to promote
all movements looking toward the
betterment of life"
Indirectly, and innocently, Charles
Dickens was involved in the fedora
tion's founding.
Visiting New York in 1868, Dickens
was to be honored at dinner and
one j. j. Croly was among those
making reservations. When it was
brought to light that J. j. Croly
was Jennie June Croly, a woman,
and, incidentally. newspaper wom-
an. she was refused reservation on
the ground that no women were to
be admitted.
Indignantly Miss Croly and some
OF her friends decided to fight
such discrimination and chose the
organization of a club as a step
In this direction.
The club was named "SoroSis"
and was to become the mother"
OF a much greater organization for
on its 21st birthday, members Is
sued call to all women's clubs
to meet in New York. Sixty-five
responded and organized the Gen.
eral Federation. The following year,
April "a, 1890, the ratification con-
vention was held, and Mrs. Char
lotte Emerson Brown of New Jersey
was elected first president.
SAAsy HI DAESASAtys
The motto. Unity in Diversity"
was adopted at the first meeting
The same slogan is indicative OF
the character of the federation to-
day. for it is composed of as diverse
groups of women as could be
brought together under single
leadership.
Some of the clubs are small-only
a half dozen members comprise at
least one of the groups-while the
largest federated club, the House.
wives Progressive Association in
Sidney, Australia, has 10000 men,
bers.
Their activities, as might be ex-
pected, run the scale of women's
interests today, from recipes to leg
islation, particularly legislation af-
fecting homes and communities.
Unity in Diversity" however, has
enabled the 100000 women to claim
credit for accomplishment of many
objectives looking toward improved
conditions for children, mothers and
general family life, as we'll as health,
education and conservation fields.
If their efforts toward world peace
and these have been persistent
have not yet borne fruit, the women,
at least, may claim credit for hav-
ing established bonds of friendship
between individuals in many ma
tions. This has been accomplished,
not only by federation, but also
throught friendship tours sponsored
since 1898.
Keynote of Program.
Under Mrs. Dunbars administra-
tion the keynote of the federation
program has been "Adjusting
Democracy for Human Welfare" !"
One recognition of her leadership
was Mrs. Dunbar's appointment last
winter as chairman of the Follow
up Committee of President Roose-
velt's White House Conference on
Children in a Democracy.
Realizing that only through the
translation of resolutions into laws
will they become effective, the fed
Grafton works both through its own
groups and through the Joint Con-
gressional Committee, which repre-
sents approximately 100000 wom-
en- belonging to 20 national organi-
cations. In addition to initiating
legislation, the federation supports
the principles of bills which have
been Endorsed by the body.
While it has long list of achieve
ments over the last so years, officials
consider its greatest contribution the
development of leadership and the
moloing of public opinion for "all
movements looking toward the bet
terment of life"
The federation worked ardently
for establishment of the Children's
Bureau and the Womens Bureau
in the Department of Labor 1t took
an active part in introduction of the
Child Labor Amendment and has
supported it since.
Aided Pure Food Act.
The late DR.. Harvey w. Wiley is
reported to have said the General
Federation, more than any other one
organization, was responsible for
passage of the Pure Food and Drug
Act in 1906.
1t claims the credit for being the
first lay organization to indorse
openly the Nationwide fight against
syphilis. 1t opposed reorganization
of the United States Supreme Court.
It has long worked for conservation
of natural resources.
Truth in fabrics" or fibre identi-
flcation, calendar reform. uniform
marriage and divorce laws and the
right of women to contract for en-
ployment are demanded in bills it
supports.
The federation indorsed the OBJ
jectives of the National Health pro-
gram, and one of its principal aims
at present is to improve the status
Of community health by bringing to
the attention of the women of the
country health problems and facili-