Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 72, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 April 1917 — YOUNG LADY OFFERS SERVICE TO COUNTRY [ARTICLE]

YOUNG LADY OFFERS SERVICE TO COUNTRY

Miss Anna Leonard Prefers to thrive Ambulance and Tenders Her Service to Governor. So far the first young touy from Jasper county to tender her services to the country in the war with Germany is Miss Anna Leonard, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Leonard, of Gillam township. Miss Leonard wrote to the adjutant general of the state, tendering her services and stating that she preferred to be an ambulance driver for the hospital corps. Miss Leonard is a graduate of the Rensselaer high school and a talented musician, both as a singer and pianoist and has 'been taking voice culture under Mrs. Loren Sage. Her father is one of the most patriotic citizens in the country anffJw# k&n sending his 14-year-old son and his farm hand here every Wednesday night to take the drills given by AMptsfe Tuteur. Mr. Leonard is a gieai bOliever in the brotherhood of main and holds that German autocracy is the most serious bar to its accomplishment. He is anxious to bring about*tfipufefeat of the central powers and tkuSAto extend the cause in which he is ; so' much interested. He is beyond military age and has no sons old enough to enter the service, but has given approval to his daughter. Miss Leonard received a letter from Adjutant General Smith, stating that the units for the service she seeks to enter are not compleely organized and referring her to one of the organizations of the state. She ha® taken up the matter through aq officer in the militia and it is probable her proffer will be accepted. Miss Leonard says she could not remain out of the service and feel that she was amything but a slacker. She says that she is thoroughly capable of driving a motor vehicle in service and that she would feel if she did not enter the service that there wae one ambulance without a driver and that there were young men woumdedand remaining on the battle field, which she could have helped to gather up and take to the field hospital. Her decision to offer her services was arrived at after a full consideration of the subject and she will abandon her musical education as soon as accepted into the service and resume it after the war is over. Asked if she would not sooner be a Red Cross nurse, Miss Leonard replied that to become one would require professional training and that she did not care* to enter upon that training, but that she did know how to drive an ambulance and that the services were closely allied and she felt that she would do more gooff as an ambualnce driver. This would make it possible for one more mam to fight. Mies Leonard spoke of the duty women could perform by aiding with the heavy tasks of farm work and garden making and said that if she was not accepted -as an ambulance driver she would put her services where they would remdev the most good to the cause of the country.