AMERICAN WOMEN AND THE WAR

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 58, 6 September 1917, Page 9

AMERICAN WOMEN AND THE WAR

' A despatch from Washington to the Now York Times on 14th July stated : —Women artists of New York City have asked the Women's Committee. of the Council of National Defence to permit them to participate in war work. At a recent meeting of the Pen and Brush Club the members of that organisation offered their services to the committee through a letter to Miss. Ida M. Tarbell. ' .

The artists suggested that their bit should be the making''of posters visualising the work of the Woman's Committee They have planned a campaign to portray women in agricultural work, cooking, and social science. The Woman's Committee has determined to encourage competition among the artists in a contest for the best poster showing the constructive war-work, being "carried on by women. According to the committee, the movement bids fair to become national in scope.

Mrs. Joseph Damar, of Georgia, who is identified with the work of. the Woman's Committee, to-day pointed out another way iv which women could do their bit in the. war.

"Do not put. yourselves into khaki to the exclusion of more usual feminine things," said Mrs. Damar, "under the mistaken impression that you arc thereby serving the nation. So many women write to the Woman's Committee asking 'what to do.' Here is one definite thing they ought to do : Buy present styles already made up. Do not refuse to buy a gown on the ground that there is too much material in it. That may sound well Ay theory, but practically it is wrong. "Do not demand a 'simpler style' because you are ashamed to look 'dressy' during war time. Let tho unenlightened find fault with you. They will join the enlightened themselves, sometime, perhaps, when they learn that the Commercial Economy Board recommended this practice. \ They recommended it on the ground that not only styles,of garments now being sold have already been made up, but also those to be sold this Fall. To refuse to wear these garments would therefore not only turn back the too-full or too-intricate frock: before you, but would also necessitate making others to take its place. "Think what that means: Men designing, cutting, selling, men in the textile mills, men in the dye works, men in the transportation lines. Men released from fripperies mean men released for ammunition, for shipbuilding, for steelmaking, men released for war. "Again, do not rush away from fripperies to khaki. You.will be competing with the Government in "khaki dye and other necessary materials. Moreover, do not rush to any uniform. "Uniform wearing is not necessarily good economy. This does not mean such a uniform as Mr. Hoover's for ■housework, but general street wear. It -is inadvisable to concentrate ;on aiiy one colour or material, because various factories are equipped in varying ways. It is wiser to keep them running evenly than to suddenly expand in one line. "On the other hand, do not discard perfectly good clothing on the ground that it is out of style. Hero again, use your good sense. Hake use of what you have. That releases men for other work. Do not draw on the labour market to create useless things. It is poor political economy and poor patriotism. In this women will have the co-opera-tion pt the producers, the Woman's Committee is advised.

"The spirit of the women of the country is one of whole-hearted devotion a lid a desire to serve in- every possible way. All they ask is to be shown ■ how. In" the first place every woman should have a clear understanding of the fact that every time she buys a ready-to-wear dress or a pair' of shoes, or a set of furs, or any other sort of clothing, she is taking a hand in the machinery of war to a greater or less extent, as much as if she were purchasing ammunition. For tho success of the war means the successful prosecution of industry, and that in turn /means the utilisation- of man-power and resourcepower of the whole nation at 100 per cent."