Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 60, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1917 — AMERICAN WOMEN WILL BUY BONDS [ARTICLE]

AMERICAN WOMEN WILL BUY BONDS

By MARTHA KIMBALL WOOD,

Member Women’s Liberty Loin Committee. Never T> efore Tn history, save Id the mind of Pinto in his ideal republic, has the economic or financial aid of women been sought by the government of a nation. Since Susan B. Anthony sounded'the, reveille of equal suffrage, women tjie world over have been clamoring for their rights. And now that the government asks our aid, in no way will women gain suffrage more surely than through responding to every call the government makes upon them. Washington has asked us to conserve foodstuffs and other necessities of life; to support the lied Cross; to register women for war service; to protect tlie interest of women and children in. industry; to relieve the suffering of our allies in this great entente; yet at the same time to curtail in no' way our aid to home charities. These requests prove that while in some states suffrage is withheld, the government feels that we are entirely capable of doing any work asked of us; and now the supreme test, from a man's standpoint, is placed in our hands to he of financial aid to the government of the United States. These thoughts have been in the mind of every thinking woman and are reasons why every woman should support the Liberty Loan. However, Ido not believe them to be the supreme reasons why they will support the loan.

Every real woman is potentially a mother. In our new National Army there are 687,000 “first call” men; and this means nearly a million mothers anxious that the war should cease before their sons are called upon to face the sacrifice required of the boys of other nations. And there are countless other mothers, without sons to offer, but knowing that unless our troops are successful and the war speedily closed, their daughters may have to bear the shame under which the girls of invaded Europe tire crushed. Will these mothers feel that they can refuse t©' support this second Liberty Loan? No real woman with mother instinct, who has read of the flower of European' youth—clean and sweet and strong —enduring the filth of the trenches; facing malignant ruthlessness of the enemy’s onslaughts; returning maimed, blinded, and eaten with disease —no woman picturing even faintly the sickening horror which brutal lust has wrought upon the girls of France, Belgium and Serbia —will hesitate for one moment in doing anything to cut short the duration of tills war. For the protection of their sons and daughters, Amoiicuu women will buy Liberty bonds.