Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 171, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 August 1917 — WILL ORGANIZE NATION BY UNITS TO AID IN WAR [ARTICLE]

WILL ORGANIZE NATION BY UNITS TO AID IN WAR

Prominent Men and Women Start Movement Whereby Everyone May Help. TO EXTEND COMMUNITY IDEA Works Out With Great Success In New York—Plans to Co-ordinate and Direct on Nonmilitary Side Patriotic Efforts of All Citizens. By DAYTON STODDART. New York. —Prominent men and women here have started a movement whereby every man, woman and child in the United States may aid their government to win the world war. It has been under way but a short time, yet assistance of great value was given to both the Liberty loan and Red Cross campaigns; the next goal set is such co-operation with “Hoover of Belgium” as to make waste in the kitchen and on the table a problem of the past. The new organization is called the Patriotic Service league. It was conceived by Prof. Ellery C. Stowell, expert on international affairs and member of the Columbia university faculty. The league’s purpose is to weld the nation together, with the community Idea extended to include the whole people. “Impossible,” you may remark. “It can’t be done. Community spirit is very fine for a small place or for a section where folks of similar interests and tastes live. But it wouldn't ■Work out in a big place. Not a bit.” “Works” in New /ork. But it has worked out in New York and that in a section where live both reformers of the purely theoretical type and Insurgent workingmen in a board strip running across New York city, tfie political designation of which is the Nineteenth congressional district. It includes the homes of some of the richest and the poorest families of the metropolis. In New York, of all places, the community idea of nationalism has worked “out, and very successfully, too. As the terms “community spirit” may seem rather indefinite to some, the exact significance of what Mr. Stowell means when he uses the term may best be set forth by himself. Several months ago, when the necessity of rousing the country to the fact that every resource of the United States should be available for war, Mr. Stowell thought of the old town meetings in New England. “If,” he asked himself, “this plan worked to weld together a town or village, why could not the same principle be applied to the entire nation?” Intensive thought on the question confirmed his idea that it could. He selected the congressional - district as the best geographical division for a unit of the league. He chose the Nineteenth congressional district to try out his plans. He had as coworkers other members of the Columbia university faculty and women who volunteered their services. Canvas House to House. Friends of those working directly with Mr. Stowell were obtained and a committee was made up with at least one representative from each election district These, in turn, canvassed apartment houses and dwellings in every one of the 115 districts. The surprising part about the beginning of. the movement was that the pioneers found no hostility, only welcome, in the houses they visited. This in spite of the fact that although they may have lived for years adjacent to a family, neither had spoken. It was a jneans never before offered for everybody in the district getting to know almost everybody else. When the district had been canvassed, a meeting was called. Temporary officers of the small unit of the league were chosen. All it was necessary to do to become a member of the league was to pay 50 cents initiation fee. This is the only contribution paid to the league pre per; other contributions depend solely on the expenses and aims of the organization in each congressional district or in ■each election district. Suppose that your own meeting, after it had been organized, decided that It would be a mighty good plan to adopt one er more orphans across the Bea. Such a plan was actually put in operation in one of the precincts of the Nineteenth congressional district. Two French orphans were adopted, a little boy and a little girl, and the monthly cost of $7 is being raised by leaving a tin box out at every meeting jo which contributions may be dropped. In the Nineteenth district,, one of the first steps taken was the enrollment of every woman by woman workers. Every woman was asked what line of work she was best fitted for and the list was made up, election district by election district, so that Mr. Stowell, as chairman of the entire Nineteenth district, knew exactly how many stenographers, cooks, clerical workers, members of any calling, were In his territory. The actual good this does is that It allows every chairman to know the “home strength” of his district He Can tell you, after consulting his lists, Just how many cooks, nuraes and other

workers are in his district. That, however, Is not the object so much as the power of being in personal touch with people. Mr. Stowell emphasized this when he received a cal! for cooks to go with the Red Cross. He sent out the notice to leaders in the election districts and shortly afterward they had obtained a score or more of the men desired. One district leader himself persuaded two men to enlist. It is this “neighborhood” touch, this knowing everybody in the apartment house or city block or county township where you live, that makes the possibilities of the plan so great, according to Mr. Stowell. Purposes of the League. “We are organizing that we may serve the government of the United States,” said Mr. Stowell, “and assist to the full in this great fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts —for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world Itself at last free. “The Patriotic Service league aims to form in every congressional district an organization to arouse, coordinate and direct on the non-mlll-tary side the patriotic efforts of all citizens of both sexes and of every age, so that an' early and successful termination of the war may result. “There are other war organizations in existence, but not on local geographic lines. . For an organization such as the Patriotic Service league, which is formed upon geographic lines, there is real need. These societies with their particular objects will find contact through this local unit of neighbors with the individual men and women in every household by whose loyal service the nation’s task “will be” accomplished. We are not competing, we desire to co-operate. “It is at this time obviously impossible to name all of the activities in which the organization may become engaged. But it is wise to state some present specific duties. Help Get Recruits. “The government has called for volunteers to fill the ranks of our existing military forces. We should see that those recruits are obtained, due attention being paid to exemptions. “Cases of need in the families Of soldiers will occur. We should find them and co-operate with the Red Cross in aid. “We must have a bureau of employment for those who have lost their

jobs and for those who mtist now seek Employment—wives and sisters. “Preparing surgical dressings and all tire other activities of the military end of the Red dross will demand time and effort. Let us all see we do our share. “We must make sure we do not have such juvenile delinquency as has occurred in England and in Germany. The Boy Seouts, the Junior Navy league and the Junior Police must use part of the boy power of the community. The farmers of the state need 22,000 laborers. - “Food wilr be scarce. We must find how to use it to the full. And we must make known to all. the methods of this conservation. Only by intelligent efforts for ourselves shall we be able effectively to stand back of those younger than we who fight. “Finally, the Patriot Service league, realizing it is more difficult in a democracy than in an autocracy for the government to initiate and to get things done will bring home to every citizen through speakers and literature the necessity and the opportunity for universal service in this fight for democracy.” Prominent Men Enlist. George W. Wickersham, former attorney general; Alton B. Parker, once Democratic candidate for the presidency; Oscar S. Straus, former ambassador to Turkey—these are but a few of the men who are working to extend the Patriotic Servfoe league. The league has now been organized in the Seventeenth congressional district, adjoining the Nineteenth, here, and has been successfully Inaugurated in Boston. “The plans for extension throughout the country have been formulated,” said Mr. Stowell, “so that it may be possible to marshal the combined force of all loyal citizens behind the president. The spread of the league will save an immense amount of duplication. In each community the loyal officers will know their own people. They will, for example, easily secure cooks and, attendants for departing hospital units. They will .find needed mechanics. They will direct their appeals for furuls to all wJiQ are willing to contribute. The Patriotic Service league furnishes the machinery by which the wisdom of Hoover can be brought with emphasis to every kitchen in the land. The citizen leaguers » constitute the ‘third line of defense.’ ” Mr. Stowell said that the term “citizens” was used tn its new accepted meaning to include women in the fullest sense. He pointed out that the success of the project in the Nineteenth district was due, in great- extent. to the energy of women, prominent among whom was Mrs. Nicholas Murray Butler, wife of the president of Columbia university. Another of the women was James N. Taylor, who is devoting most of her spare time to the league.