Slow Children Have Responded to Call of War WASHINGTON, D. t _ WHEN President Wilson said in his April proclamation: 'The supreme test of ths nation has come; we must all speak, act and serve together," ho did not realize perhaps how great a response his words would call forth from the children of the country. Boys and girls of America have proved themselves worthy to be Included in his word- "we." The children havs taken advantage of every possibility for service. The war. In Its biggest significance Is being fought by the United States and the allies for the benefit of ths boys and girls of these countries. An English writer, In a book recently pub lished on this Idea and addressed to tho children, said: "In all your study of tho war make this your first and foremost thought, that the war Is for you. It is you who will enjoy the now order of things when <he war Is done. Your countrymen are giving their lives for their country; it Is your country and In It you will pass your life. Our ■lead have died for you. It is you who will find this world better than they found it. You will live in peace be cause the y li 1 in war; you will go safe and a use they went under discipline to danger up to the moment -ru ieatli. You will have a good tim iso they suffered. To you, who gui (heir loss and whose lifo Is made i tot'table by their lives laid down, eoii'.cs the question from countless little wooden crosses over graves in France and Belgium and from all the unmarked graves of the sea. Is it nothing to you? * * * "Why, the war is your war. You will enter Into all that It achieves and In herit all that It earns, and all the mis eries of It will be tho making of your happiness. There are many good rea sons why a man should fight for his country, but they come to this one rea son, that he Is fighting for the future of his country. And you are the fu i OR. HENRY N. MACCRACKEN, lllrector of the Junior Red Cross. (Photo by Harris & Ewing.) ture. We older people will be soon gone; you will stay here, you, for whom today your countrymen are In the tolls of war. You are the future; we are tho past. We have lived In a world which you never saw, and you will live in a world which we shall never see." These words apply with equal force to the children of the United States, and It would seem that they have already realized. If tho seriousness of their ef fort and the extent of their achieve ments are a test, that the blood of the soldiers, the workings of munitions plants and the expenditure of billions of dollars are for their protection. At least, the work of the past sum mer and the possibilities for further service which are suggested by new plans set forth dally show that while their youthful tnlnd9 may not have analyzed tho situation In these most solemn aspects, their hands have grasp ed the nearest task In their willingness to help. Tanning clubs, gardens, pig clubs, poultry clubs, knitting, bandage making, all such kindred activities which assist the work of food conser vation, food production and aid for the soldiers, show a record for activity which surpasses our fondest hopes for juvenile co-operation. And no\ comes another means for enlisting their aid, a means which because of its timeliness and far-reaching influence will carry the field of patriotic service right into tho heart of the schoolroom, thereby making it possible for children to at tend to their education and fulfill their obligation to their country at the same time throughout the coming winter. The Junior Rod Cross Is a new or ganization of tho parent body, which hopes to become a channel for patri otic service and interest to the 22,- | Tlhub If ©wag WWIEIMII IHlMidfes ©f & | Special Correspondence . WASHINGTON, D. HMPRESSIONS are tenacious as well as valuable things, and a young woman who has labored sedulously in one or other of the offices of the woman's committee of the Council of National Defense since that body was created six months ago, and who yield ed a definite Impression of ability, sin cerity and seriousness of purpose, has fulfilled this Impression of efficiency, as witnesses her recent appointment to membership in that committee, the lat est and youngest member of this Im portant group of women, whose wisdom and understanding are to great extent guiding the war work of the women of the nation. The young woman is Miss Hannah J. Patterson, and her ability In handling the details of the work of the woman's committee during the six months of its existence led to her appointment as a member, with the distinctive and dis tinguishing title of "resident director." Accordingly. Miss Patterson is always to be found at the Washington head quarters of the woman's committee of the Council of National Defense, the little "Playhouse" of old, on N street. It was on a day very shortly after her appointment to membership in the woman's committee that an interviewer nalied upon Miss Patterson for a tc.lk STATE ANI> I.OCAI. LEADER TBAINrVG TANNING Cirß MEMBERS OF A COUNTRY SrilOOl IN FOOD CON SERVATION. 000,000 boys and girls of school age In the United States. In discussing the launching of this junior movement. Dr. Henry N. MacCracken, who has been president of Vassar College since 1915, and who. because of his qualifications as an educator, was chosen for the po sition of director of tho Junior Red Cross, exhibited a rumpled letter, writ ten in pencil, which, he says, Is re sponsible for the new work. Here Is the letter: Dcnr Sir: I was very gahl to see your letter. I nin savelng my pennies two buy some more towels. We have arc red cross meeting here. It is every Friday and I go. Hut now I am goln? to school, then I cunnot go an 1 do the work at linni" when I have time. 1 like to wrk on it. I work on It when I come home from school and my teachers' name In Miss vsde Dwn and I save all the letters I got and sometime I read them over when I have time so 1 will tryed to get all I can to save there rnnics and buy some towel's and send them, like to get letters and road them and then answer hack to them. I think this Is all for this time. Your frend truely, From Milas Doleeet, Answer baek. The meat of this letter, expressed In the few words, "but now I am going to school, then I cannot go to the meeting," set the Red Cross officials to thinking, and from this little mis spelled outburst a presidential proc lamation was born. In the words of President Wllsbn, who, as president of the Red Cross, made the official an nouncement, the activities and Influence of the Junior membership are best de scribed. He said: "The American Red Cross has Just prepared a Junior membership with school activities in which every pupil in the United States can find a chance to serve our country. Our Junior Red Cross will bring you opportunities for service to your community and to other communities all over the world and guide your service with high and re ligious ideals. It will teach you how to save in order that suffering children elsewhere may have the chance to live. It will teach you how to prepare some of the supplies which wounded soldiers and homeless families lack. It will send you, through the Red Cross bul letins, the thrilling stories of relief and rescue. And, best of all, more per fectly than through any of our other school lessons, you will learn by doing those kind things under your teacher's direction to be the future good citi zens of this great country, which we all love." Membership for this new division will be gained through the schools; In fact, it will bo gained through the state boards of education. Whenever there has been placed in the local school fund an amount equal to 25 cents for every pupil the school becomes an auxiliary to the Red Cross. At the same time each pupil becomes a Junior member and is entitled to wear the junior button. The fund will be expended upon ma terials which the children will make ui> Into Red Cross supplies, and for other Uses in which the children will have a personal share. The extent of the possibilities for training the child s mind and hand, and at the same time giving him a definite object for which to enthusiastically continue such train ing are limitless. In the sewing classes, for instance, the little girls will be more interested In learning to sew a fine seam if later they can apply their knowledge to the making of articles for a soldier's comfort kit, and the boys will be more eager to learn to construct uninteresting square boxes if they know these boxes will be used for carrying supplies to the battloflelds. Such spirit, it is evident, will be the means of benefiting the children about the new work she has under taken. It would seem that this young lady who presides over the destinies of things at headquarters is expected to be able to place her hand on the exact location of any of the members of the woman's committee, with an Intimate knowledge of the work on which each one is engaged, so that she may either fully and definitely answer every ques tion that Is asked regarding the work of the committee or refer It to the authority on the subject. In other words, her desk will be the clearing, house of information on all matters concerning the work of the woman's committee. She must know to the last detail what is planned and what Is going on, and she must be able to dis seminate that knowledge and informa tion, to impart counsel and advice, to cheer and encourage with the wisdom and sympathy of a Portia. But work is a hobby with Miss Patter son. "If it will help women and chil dren, so much the better," she says, and she knows that by helping the country to fight Its present war of righteousness she Is doing her noblest present part In help ing the women and children of this and other lands. This Is how Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, chairman of the woman's committee, introduced Miss Patterson: "The wom an's committee is very happy to an nounce the appointment to the Council of National Defense of Miss Hannah J. Patterson as a member of the wom an's committee. All correspondence Issued by her will have been author ized /by the woman's committee and A PIG CLUB BOY WITH HIS PRIZE WINNER. by supplying them with an Impetus for action In the right direction. Dr. MacCracken has worked out all the details oS organization which have been made known to the schools and is at present perfecting the co-ordina tion of school activities with Red Cross activities so that every channel for service may be utilized. The voca tional classes throughout the country will undoubtedly render an Incal culable service, for their ability can be turned at once to the making of Red Cross articles. The movement has met with uni versal praise. Philander Claxton, com missioner of education, says that he Is willing to indorse it because it does not interfere with school work, and Mrs. Mary C. C. Bradford, president of the National Educational Associa tion, expresses tho sentiment that she considers it a vital part of every school program at this time. Looking forward then. It would seem that through this medium for Junior Red Cross work the activities of American children will be of great benefit to the country at a time when every effort and every sacrifice to serve are encouraged. Lookng back ward, there Is proof to demonstrate hoi* well they can acquit themselves of the war tasks that are set before them. • Throughout the past summer the widespread movement to conserve food by planting more gardens and by can ning vegetables and fruits for winter had no more enthusiastic adherents than the children. The campaign of the Department of Agriculture through Its ! , ° > n S^ and ,? ,rls ' canning clubs resulted in 200 to 400 per cent more work than had ever been done in one year before, she will be very glad to be of service i to the various state divisions In giving 1 counsel and assistance whenever It Is desired. The addition to the head-' quarters staff of a woman of such ! marked ability greatly increases the ] efficiency of the committee's work, and j we are to be congratulated upon her ' appointment." "The women of no country are or- I ganlzed as are the women of America," I said Misa Patterson, "and this splendid i co-ordination made the task of the 1 woman's committee In organizing for .^' ork s ' m P'y a readjustment of club ideas and efforts from state, coun- ; ty and local activities to concentration 1 upon the most vital national Interests the women of America have ever been called upon to aid. "It has taken only a matter of five months to create a splendid, unified general organization of the women of j the entire country for co-operation In i war work under the direction of the woman's committee of the Council of National Defense. This body acts as the central committee of the entire or ganization. The state committees with their own chosen officers, and again the county committees and even smaller organized units, each with its own officers and individual working machinery, decentralize the women's war work of the nation as widely as the states themselves. "Now, with the organization of the states complete and ready for definite work, it has behooved the woman's I committee to have Its members spe- I ciallze on some line of war work, and each, and the enrollment Jumped to four times Its normal size. Some 800,000 boys antl girls were list- | od. providing labor force which hereto fore has never been fully utilized. Their j work in food conservation consisted of canning and drying- fruits, vegetables I and meats, canning field corn for break- j fast food as one substitute for wheat, ] preparing potato starch out of parings, culls and small potatoes to be used as a i substitute for wheat in the making of custards, pies and cakes and for 20 per | cent of flour in bread baking. In addition to this vital work, the children's clubs were taught many kinds of cooking with a view of en abling them-to make use of their home grown products raised in the food sav ing campaign, the killing, picking and canning of cockerels, and the working out of an economic balanced ration for school luncheons. Such a curriculum called for a care fully prepared system of instruction. The Department of Agriculture ex ecuted this work through its office of extension and by means of the co-oper ation of state agricultural colleges. State leaders and corps of assistants trained district and county leaders, who in turn trained the local volunteer lead ers to work with the local groups. Great interest*was aroused among the children by employing the contest fea ture, as in the case of intercollegiate games. For instance, each group of children trained for the demonstration team, which was expert In all the club activities. These teams competed for county honors and the winner was given a free trip to the state fair. At one of these fairs ten states competed for hon ors In food demonstration through their boys and girls. Kindred to this work, though not In the very same line, has been the cam paign of the boys' pig clubs to stimu late production of food products by teaching youthful farmers to become I confining: her efforts to that Issue to which she is especially adapted, to send out her information, lier direc tions, suggestions and advice to the ! very remotest corners of the land by route of the Bt&te, county and local or | ganizations spread like a net over the entire country. | "Here is an Instance of how this i works out: The commercial economy I board of the Council of National De | fense found that a startling prqpor j tion of our daily bread was being wasted through the return of unsold loaves by the retailers to the bakers, j The board asked the woman's com j mittee to co-operate with It in Btop j ping this waste by urging the women to aid in correcting this condition. Word was sent down the lino, and the effectiveness of the backing the wom en have given the cause has resulted | in a saving of tens of thousands of I loaves of bread a year. Practically all | the bakers of tho country are today | cutting out that waste, and the women were the first to urge them to action and to stand by them, j "Now comes the apportionment of the ] work of the woman's committee. Its ! activities were recently divided into ten j departments. The lirst relates to state | organization, with Mrs. Joseph R. ij as chairman. This department was cre i | ated to advise regarding organization, I to stimulate and to standardize it, to get '! this great voluntary organization of ' j women, the most democratic in the wide i j world, to stand as one in this great I crisis. We want them to help each other. 1 We want to show the woman in Bath, IIOY SCOUTS AND THEIR GARDEN NEAR WASHINGTON. stock raisers. price of pork prod ucts soared skyward during the past season, and tho Department of Agri culture thought that it was the psycho logical time for arousing the boys to see the opportunities afforded by pig raising. The result was that 40,000 boys and girls of an average age of thirteen years in the states of Alabama, Arkan sas, California, Georgia. Indiana, Ken tucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ne braska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ore gon and Texas have become active hog owning members. The usual work of instructing the boys in the club to understand swine production and tho growing of forage crops was intensified. The additional patriotic motlvo of giving the boys a means of adding to tho meat production of the country and providing a substi tute for expensive beef served to excite unusual enthusiasm. Bankers were In duced to lend money to the children for a lengthy period on their own promis sory note, a departure from ordinary financial methods, to be used for the purchase of hogs, and the state pig club agents were instructed to give all possible assistance to the young stock raisers. While It is too early for the returns to have been reported from all the states, owing to the fact that the south ernmost states hold their fairs late in the autumn, a report from Kentucky Is typical of the work. Thirty-flve pigs were on exhibition by boy owners at the recent state fair. In the spirited contest which took place the members of the clubs not only competed among themselves, but showed their stock in competition with adult stockmen. The boys carried off one first prize, two second, three an<i a fourth prize. ■ - - - ; jSmt ■- y V ' V % , . - V ' 1 HISS HANNAH J. PATTERSON. Me., what the woman In San Diego, Cal„ Is doing, thus to assist and stimulate all the states by the rijcord of help and harmonious activity. "Tho important subject of food pro duction and home economics comes within the scope of the second department and is under the direction of Mrs. Stanley McCormick. That department works largely in co-operation with the De partment of Agriculture, and looks to encouraging production and eliminating Forty boys competed In the Judging oontest. Analogous to these pig clubs are the poultry clubs, which aro more attrac tive to the girls than the pig clubs. This work extends over eight states, with a membership of 12,000 children. Their war record ts worth noting. The stock of all the members is valued at about $40,000. During the poultry season the club members gathered 84,000 eggs, hatched 59,000 chicks and sold or con sumed SB,OOO worth of poultry products. At state fairs, poultry shows and con tests they won prizes that amount In the aggregato to $4,685. All of this work was under federal direction. But the government was by no means the only agency at work during the summer to show Young America how to servo its country best. The Boy Soouts—2sß,ooo of them in this country—have done, and are still on the job doing, their bit. One of their greatest achievements was the farm ing of a 120-acre tract near Washing ton to provide food for the soldiers. Two thousand boys worked on this plot, which overlooks the Potomac, and their efforts stand as a testimonial to the caliber of American youth. They took out five hundred stumps from tho soil and oleared and burned the rubbish. They ran an automobile tractor over the ground and prepared the rows for the seeding. Though this work of seeding was done by hired la borers, the boys carried on the farmers' task and kept their mammoth corn field weeded and guarded throughout the eummer. The work of harvesting this corn will be undertaken by the boys also. In the liberty bond drives the Boy Soouts have been useful assistants. On tho last day of the second drive In Washington they went about the city selling bonds, each troop trying to out do Its fellow In order to win the ban ner flag which President Wlloo;n prom ised to present to the most successful troop. There is a little story about a Mas sachusetts Boy Scout which Is a classic for Illustrating the industry which the boys have displayed in their patriotic work, and which is also a pleasing rev elation of tho character of the Boy Scout spirit. This little scout was trying- to win the medal that was of fered to the one who should sell ten liberty bonds to ten different Indi viduals. He succeeded In inducing his family and his parents' friends to help him out by taking nine bonds. One re mained to be sold, and the contest was drawing to a close. Finally, so that the scout might be a winner, his father suggested that his aunt buy the other. She agreed, but it was the father who actually paid for it. The boy Bent In the notice that he sold ten bonds. Then it was suggested to him that he may have sold ten bonds, but he did not sell them to ten different Individuals, for the father had virtually bought two. Quick as a flash, he sent a letter to headquarters admitting tho error and telling the head scoutmaster that he was not entitled to the medal. A little bronze medal means much to a boy of fourteen, but it meant, much more to this boy's scoutmaster to know that high ideals of Integrity and honor were deep rooted in this American youth. Each scout is planning to adopt a sol dier and keep in touch with him throughout the war. In Kansas City the Boy Scouts have adopted a soldier at a nearby camp and will perform for him any tasks at his home which he desires to have done. The Boy Scout war band has set a precedent for the service of boy musi cians in war time. This band, which Is waste wherever It appears In the house hold. It will encourage an education al propaganda on the subject through schools, settlement centers arid In every possible way. "Now hero is an idea that may be sent down the line for experiment next season. Some of the women of New Jersey planned a method of picking vegetables and fruit- This plan has been under way since news reached Summit, N. J., that a farmer Slowed under a whole field of peas ecause he could not get pickers. The canning unit of the woman's committee of New Jersey has asked the farmers not to plow under until the women have a chance to pick. They have out lined a system for next season by which one goes into the field, picks what peas or beans one wants, has her basket valued on the way out and pays the price less the labor. "The third department is food ad ministration, and Miss Ida M. Tarbell is its director. There is no outline for this department, because it will serve as the logical channel for giving the women of the land the plans of the food administration as they are for mulated. * * * "The department relating to women in Industry is under the direction of Miss Agnes Nestor, who understands the in dustrial situation in this country as do few women. Her work will connect in large degree with the operations of the Departmen of Labor. She..will investi gate standards of work and conditions under which women work in factories. You know that in this industrial up heaval and the going away of men to war there will be cases where women may be put in the places of men where | the labor is too heavy. Miss Nestor i will try to look after that side of the problem as well as that of housing the the largest band of boy* In th world. marched In the Washington prepared ness parade, lending the House of Rep resentatives contingent. Not only were the musicians In evidence at this time, but the scouts from the ranks did po lice work In the streets. The boys have wrapped bandages for the Red Cross, and though a course In Red Cross first aid is part of a first or second class scout's training, they have gone into the work with doubled en thusiasm this season, helping to wrap, pack and ship for the different chap ters throughout the country. Everywhere provisions are being made for mustering the children Into the service of the country and letting them feel that their part is a signifi cant one, worth doing well. The food administration has recently addressed a letter to school authorities announc ing that a part of Its work in the fu ture will bo to issue through the bu reau of education a series of bulletins which will contain "Lessons 011 Com munity and National Life," to serfe the very urgent purpose of calling to the children's attention the necessity of conserving food and the other resources of the nation. Mr. Hoover says that these lessons will serve at the same time the broader purpose of training pupils in the schools to recognize their rights and obligations In the co-opera tive society In which we live, and he urges all school officers to promote with vigor thli plan for the more com prehensive teaching of democracy. The bureau of education Is also plan ning to have the issues of the war pre sented to the children In their history lessons In such a way that they will understand ihe significance of the great task in which the country is engaged and so they will better realize their ob ligation in performing some duty to help. All of thin matter relates to the serv ices which -children themselves hare performed and will be able to perform for the country since war was declared. The country Is also awake to Its extra responsibility in regard to its youthful population at this time. The federal child labor law became effective on September 1, 1917. It provides that no child under fourteen may be employed in any factory, mill, workshop or can nery whose products are shipped in In terstate commerce, and no child under sixteen in any mine or quarry. The law will release many children from work and make it possible for them to go to school. The woman's committee of the Coun cil of National Defense is working to see that these children who are set free are given a better chance in the world. Miss Julia Lathrop, a member of this committee and the chief of the children's bureau, is urging that there shall be no cessation in America's ef forts to keep the children in school. She points out that after threo years of war England is urging a new law to keep children n'school until fourteen, allowing no exemptions and Including all rural children. Miss L,athrop says that no words can be strong enough to express the importance of giving to the nation's children nurture and edu cation in the fullest possible measure as a war protection of our last re serves. This Rame committee is recommending measures for the protection <J children in war time, child welfare work through day nurseries, recreational fa cilities. attention to defective and de linquent children, especially because of the increase of juvenile delinquency In Europe since the outbreak of war, and such other lines of attention as will guide the nation toward a conserva tion of Its infant and child welfare dur ing the present emergency. women who will be brought in great num bers to the Industrial centers by the exigencies of the war. "Mrs. Phillip N. Moore's assignment covers two related departments of spe cial work—social service and health and recreation. The department of social service was created solely to bring to the correct agencies women who are able to give time and effort to social service, especially as it relates to camp life and in preserving the peace time social standards therein. This department en deavors to get in touch with persons, who understand the handling of people, or with those who are willing to go under a course of Instruction for this work, so that they may give trained assist ance to the recognized associations who need help. In every state where camps of soldiers are in training the woman's committee luis been grappling with the grist of problems that they create. In its work Mrs. Moore's departments will co-operate with the commission on training camp activities. "The letters we receive at committee headquarters are inspiring, and I do not hesitate to say that we receive as much stimulation from them as we can give. The women of tho country are doing nobly in their war work, showing great Initiative and energy." The new resident director of the woman's committee is the daughter of John G. Patterson, a prominent coal operator of Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of Wilson College, Cliambers burg, where she made a distinguished record in economics. She was secretary of the Civics Club of Alleghany, Pa.; was one of the board of directors of the Juvenile court of Pittsburgh, treasurer of the Soho public bath, and was a member of the board of directors of the .People's bath at Pittsburgh. Although a young woman, she has already won a reputation for unusual ability as an organizer.
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