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CHAPTER XIV.

A Message to the Women of America.

The American Mother.

Lieut.-Gen. J. C. Smuts, who was commander of the Boer forces in Cape Colony throughout the last year of the South African war, is now a General in the British Army and South African Envoy to the Council of the Empire. He is a successful commander in the field, but war is not his profession. He is a great lawyer and a great statesman as well.

In an interview with Edward Marshall for the Curtis Brown News Bureau, and now published by the George H. Doran Company in a volume entitled "War-Time Speeches," Genl. Smuts sends a message to the women of America on their relation to the war and the promise its successful ending holds for woman's emancipation here and throughout Europe, which we reprint with sincere appreciation:

And before you go, may I give you one more message? I should wish to direct this definitely to American women. Very keenly must they feel the reasons for and justifications of this struggle, if they would support it, for theirs will be the greatest sacrifice, that of their sweethearts, husbands, sons and brothers, and, secondarily, often of that comfort which to women means so much.

They should realize that one of the great truths about this struggle is that it is for the position which all womanhood will hold throughout the world in days to come. This is a war for peace, and through the lack of peace the sufferings of women have been greater than the sufferings of men. It must be, and they must help to make it, the last chapter in the old book of war and horror, destruction of dear homes, rapes, massacre and outrage. They must help to make it the great end of the oppressions of all womanhood. In Europe, speaking generally, women still are held in thrall by the old feudal system, and by helping in this war with all their strength and all their hearts and all their souls, American women may do much to help break those chains.

If Freedom wins in this war, political emancipation will be achieved by womanhood in all parts of the world.

It is the fight of womanhood as much as it is that of manhood. It has liberated many evil forces; it will liberate many forces of beneficence. Chiefest of them all will be the sane and purifying. force of womanhood. Unquestionably the Allied nations represent the impulse working toward the freedom of all womanhood. The feudal impulse is to keep womanhood in subjugation, in the background.

There is every reason in the world why women in America should strive to help, strive mightily, even were they not involved. through love of fathers, sons, and husbands who must join the

battle-line, and by the love of their own country whose best traditions and institutions would be threatened by a German victory. Women in High Position.

Miss Rankin Gets Flag.

Miss Jeannette Rankin, the only woman member of the National House of Representatives, is now the happy possessor of the American flag that was flying over the House when the Susan B. Anthony amendment bill was passed. The presentation was made by J. J. Sinnott, doorkeeper of the House and a great admirer of Miss Rankin.

Fills High Position.

Miss F. L. Stevenson, as private secretary to the British prime minister, is the first woman who has ever filled this high political position. Miss Stevenson is also the first woman who ever formed part of a statesmen's entourage at an international conference, she having accompanied David Lloyd George on his recent trip to Italy to meet the prime ministers of the allies.

The American Mother.

She stands in the shadow-the American mother--
While war fills the world with its noise.

Though she's here in the homeland, her heart's in another
Her heart is tonight with her boys.

The wolves of the world are strong banded together

In strenuous fight for their prey,

And who will make safe for America's mother

Her sons who are marching away.

There are statesmen to speak for the American dollar
In Congress for eloquent hours,

That the rights of King Property wax never smaller,
And business pile vaster its powers.

But who speaks for the rights of American mothers
To sons undebauched on the way

Aye, who speaks for the brave American mothers.
Who give up their boys today.

There are men who the might of our country are wielding
To speak for the drinkseller's rights

Great men are today still an enemy shielding

That fights us and blights us and smites.

But who pleads as strongly the causse of the mother
Whose sons are the drinkseller's prey,

Who speaks for the little American mother

Of young soldiers marching away.

There are great princely men who follow the coffers
Where golden the moneytide runs,

But where are the knights of the hearts that must offer

The sacrificed lives of their sons.

The world is so filled with the voices that smother
The life that shall pass not away

Who hears then the noble American mother
In prayer for her boys today.

A fear for her sons falleth heavy upon her,
Of ruin worse wrought than with guns,

Rather come back, she prays, dead and noble with honor
Than fallen in sin, Oh my sons.

Has she not from their birth paid the price that a mother
Must pay for the sons that she rears

Must she see them debauched and pay yet another

The heaviest price of the years.

She must wait in the background-her fears she must smother And silently bear her heart's ache

She must live in her own land and give in another

Her sons for humanity's sake.

But she feels that to her, forever their donor,

We owe it in sacredest trust

To keep them unsullied and give them with honor
Back unto their home or the dust.

Walton, Kansas.

CHARLES ROSS WEEDE.

CHAPTER XV.

Two National Amendments; The Nation on Trial.

National House-Cleaning.

UNCLE SAM has started house-cleaning in grand shape. The adoption by Congress and the signing by the President of TWO NATIONAL HOUSE-CLEANING AMENDMENTS to be submitted to the various states for adoption, marks the beginning of a new era in old venerable UNCLE SAM'S beneficient and progressive reign. And it is a remarkable coincident that the two should follow so closely one after the other, that they may proceed for ratification in company.

The Prohibition and Woman Suffrage Amendments

are closely related as moral issues, and should be ratified by the states without delay. For as Uncle Sam has now entered the ROSTRUM of the WORLD in advocacy of the highest and purest type of Democracy, it is highly important-imperatively importantthat he has things well arranged at home; otherwise the advocacy of his claims may be considered and treated as pretention and hypocrisy.

But the author has no misgiving in this respect; for it cannot be possible that any state of this benignant Union would or could afford to have it recorded on the pages of history for progeny to ponder that their forefathers were at this so depraved th they deliberately rejected either one of these amendments, or that they were so thoughtless that they neglected to consider and to approve such an important and imperative duty toward their families, their children and for the welfare and prestige of their

state.

German Treachery.

The Germans have been strongest and most conspicuous enemies to all social and temperence reforms, pleading for personal liberty and denouncing sumptuary laws. And being the owners of the breweries, and the breweries the owners of the saloons, and the saloons dominating the slums and the morally depraved—and having succeeded in blinding some good people with the folly of regulation, the license bribe and persuasion-they have held sway over a large part of UNCLE SAM'S domain.

But now, since it is well established, that the Germans, though American citizens, have strong sympathy with the fatherland, and as the breweries control the saloons and dominate the slums and the baser elements in the nation, these breweries have become very dangerous institutions in our nation; and the sooner this treacherous institution is abolished, the better it will be and the safer our legitimate institutions. For thereby the CONNECTING LINES between the breweries as the instigators and the depraved and baser elements will have been broken and destroyed, their

instrument of communication removed and their dominating influences shattered.

Boston Breweries and the School Fuel and Food Problem.

A Timely Study by Mark R. Shaw, Eastern District Secretary, Intercollegiate Prohibition Association:

BOSTON BREWERIES USE CONSIDERABLY MORE COAL THAN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND USE MORE THAN ENOUGH FOOD STUFFS TO FEED ALL THE 114,000 SCHOOL CHILDREN.

In view of the present discussion regarding the wisdom of a conservation policy which closes the public schools-the most constructive agency in our society, along with the churches→ while leaving non-essentials, and even destructive agencies like the saloons, open 13 hours a day, some definite figures are pertinent.

The Annual Report of the Business Agent of the Boston School Committee gives the total number of tons of coal used by the schools, and also the cost of heat, power and light for the entire school system. Corresponding figures for the saloons do not seem to be available, but the last United States Census Report (1910) does give the total cost of heat, light and power for the manufacturers of malt liquor in Boston for the year ending June 30, 1909. Taking the school figures for the same year, we have the following comparison for 1909:

Total Cost of Heat, Light and Power for Boston Public Schools, 1909

$149,987

Total Cost of Heat, Light and Power for Boston Breweries, 1909

$161,565

According to the last printed Report of the School Committee (1917) the Boston schools used in 1916 27,820 tons of coal costing $145,364.00 and the total cost of heat, light and power for 1916 was $204,919.26. Since 1909 there has been an increase of 13 per cent in the amount of coal used, and an increase of about 15 per cent in the price of coal, as shown by this report.

The Reports of the Internal Revenue Department show that there has been an increase of 19.9 per cent in the beer production in Massachusetts in 1916 over the year 1909. Assuming that this increase would hold for Boston (which makes 57 per cent of the beer in Massachusetts) and that there was a corresponding increase in the amount of coal used (20 per cent), and that the increase in price of coal to the brewers would be the same as to the schools (15 per cent), we have the following:

Total Cost of heat, Light and Power for Boston School, 1916 $204,919.26

Total Cost of Heat, Light and Power for Boston Breweries, 1916, Est...... $222,000.00

According to figures submitted by Professor T. N. Carver (Economics) and Professor Walter B. Cannon (Physiology) of Harvard, the brewers in the United States used in 1916 enough

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