Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 154, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 July 1918 — SLAPS AT SLACKERS [ARTICLE]

SLAPS AT SLACKERS

By ALICE KILLIAN.

“No, I haven’t done any knitting yet, but I’m going to soon. You see, been so dreadfully busy with other patriotic service. One can’t do everything at once, can one? I shall begin with knitting, socks. I don’t see why peopie waste time on scarfs and sweaters when socks are so much needed. ; “I shall make socks with gay colored tops. Bright colors aid the morale, Tm sure. It would be a terrible thing to have our soldiers barefoot just because J the women aren’t alive to the neceflrtty of knitting enough stocks. I think I’ll make a little speech at our Bed Cross ' auxiliary on ‘Swelling the Sock Supply.’ j “You see, that’s one of my ways of helping. I’m a voluntary speaker at the Red Cross auxiliaries. I was talking to a surgical dressings group yesterday on ‘Folding for France.’ I know that I Inspired the workers wlthnew zeal, for when I had finished talking - one of the women said to me, ‘Why don’t you stay and help us youreeif ? You have made us an feel that we need every worker we can geL* I had to explain that other duties called. “No, I haven’t done much in surgical dressings yet I find it makes me nervous. Many people really like to fold gauze. I think they should be unremitting in their work. How terrible it would be if any of our brave boys should suffer just because women at home don’t realize the need for countless pads, sponges and compresses. Something should be done to spur them on to greater efforts. I think I shall have to do more speaking, although just now it will be hard for me to give up any more time, because I am taking golf lessons. “I don’t know why you Should look surprised, I might almost say shocked, at the mere mention of golf. We all know that the health of the nation is a large part of its wealth. • I consider it a patriotic duty to get plenty of fresh air and exercise. “Gardening? Well, ot course, one does get fresh air and exercise spading and hoeing, but I don’t think they have the same effect on the phyrique that outdoor sports have. Do yon? I have observed that farmers and market gardeners don’t have the same bright complexions and free carriage that golf and tennis players acquire. However, I believe thoroughly in‘patriotic gardens, and I shall further them all I can by speaking. I think I shall call my little talk ‘Seeding for Safety.’ Don’t you like that? It will be frightful if we don’t have food for our allies just because people are asleep. “Then there’s the preserving of vegetables and fruits. “No, I don’t do it myself, for I cant stand the heat of a stove in summer, but last year I had my maid do a great deal of canning. As it happened, moot of the things she put up spoiled. She is not clever at following written directions, and I was not-able to be in the kitchen much myself. However, I feel that we made our start and thia season She will profit by last year's experience. “I suppose you're buying war savings stamps? I’m intensely interested in their sale. It would be a fearful thing if the men, women and children of this country did not respond to th® call of the government for funds to peril the war. People should buy to the limit. "No, I haven’t bought to the SLOW limit myself yet, as I have a great many expenses connected with my war work. One is asked to give in so many directions, and then, ot course, going about speaking as I do requires correct clothes, and in bad weather my taxi fares are really quite an item. “I do wish you would come to beer me speak on ‘Stamping Ont Sedition* and‘Bonds Are Bomba.’ Tm quite sure that if you could bear either speed* you would fed that you must lend every dollar you can possibly spare to Uncle Sam. A woman said to me the other day that after bearing me urge economy she quite understood why so very few people were buying spring suits this season. She looked right at my new broadcloth. winch la plain bat ; very handsome. I think She reallaod that I had been patriotic in my arieetion of a suit, lor it is true economy to buy good material. “Sometimes I am perfeefly aghast at the numbers of slackers there are who do nothing to help win the war. I should think people would be ashamed not to do their part In this tremendous struggle. . Indeed, I am so modi exercised about the apathy of noawurfcera I know, who neither knit, sew. conserve food nor save for the notion, that Tm getting up a little speech called “Stops for Slackers.’ 1 do hope you wffl eosne to hear IL”