Mamie Shields Pyle correspondence, 1918-01

January 19th, 1918.

Mrs. J. A. Williams, Watertown, South Dakota.

My Dear Mrs. Williams:-

Dr. Peabody sent me this enclosed list of Committees with a part of the names filled in by herself and a space for me to suggest names. I have done so and accournding to her instructions am sending the same to you for yourapproval and you will please send then on to Mrs. S.A. Christenson of Sioux Falls who is waiting for them. I will write Mrs. Christenson today tellingn her that these willcoem from you shortly. I have taken the liberty to rearrange a couple of these names. Mrs. Rewman of Deadwood Dr. Peabody had put under the head of Edcuational Propoganda. Mrs. Rewman is espcially fitted for a Red Cross and Allied Relief as she has done splendid work along that line in the Hills. Mrs. Bickelhaupt of Aberdeen will be good on the Educational Propaganda Committee, however, I confess I do not know know what the extent of the activities of this particular Committee can be. However, Dr. Peabody has taken her instructions fromheadquarters at Washington and we will follow htem.

I have taken the liberty of nominating you on the 6th Committee, Maintaining and Social Agencies, not knowing the scope of this committee but at least they all go together to make up the whole working body. I trust that you will acquiesce in this appointment. You will notice that there are two names from Huron, Mr. W. L Notesteinand Mrs. Pigeon, - Dr. Peabody nominated. Mrs. Pigeon and in my attempt to fill out the one under Child Wellfare, which to my mind is the most improtant of all, I consider Mrs. W. L. Notestein the most fitted for that work as it is the line in which she has been qualifying for some time. I spoke to her about it and she finally consented, so if it is your wish and is agreeable to Mrs. Christenson, we can endorse her name for Child Wellfare. I have also nominated Mrs. W. S. Hill of Mitchell on the committee Women in Industry.

In regard to our phone conversation this morning, I hope that I made myself clear enough to be of some help to you and I certainly shall insist upon any moneys collected for this Council

of Defense to be sent to the Treasurer, of course. Those women who are right in the heat of the work in Sioux Falls and has raised this money for this speical purpose have a right to use it for their registration committee work and it would be very wise for them to have this bank account in Sioux Falls, but they must first hand it over to you so that as Treasurer of this committee you will be able to keep an account of finances, and when you have checked it out to them again, then they must keep a careful account of all of their expenditures and report same to our committee. This is for their protection as well as ours. When one is using public funds they have to excert a great deal of care on these matters. I hope to hear from you soon in regard to these committees.

Sincerely yours,

JP/MM

NATIONAL AMERICAN WOMAN SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION MRS. CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT, PRESIDENT 171 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY

CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, MRS. MAUD WOOD PARK SECRETARY, MISS RUTH WHITE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, MISS ETHEL M. SMITH

MEMBERS MRS. HELEN H. GARDENER, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA MRS. MEDILL MCCORMICK, ILLINOIS MRS. WINSTON CHURCHILL, NEW HAMPSHIRE MRS. J. BORDBN HARRIMAN, NEW YORK MISS MARY GARRETT HAY, NEW YORK MRS. GEORGE BASS, ILLINOIS MISS HELEN VARICK BOSWELL, NEW YORK

HEADQUARTERS 1626 RHODE ISLAND AVENUE N. W. WASHINGTON, D. C.

MEMBERS MRS. FRANK M. ROESSING, PENNSYLVANIA MISS MARTHA NORRIS, OHIO MRS. WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN, FLORIDA MRS. ROBERT GRIFFIN, NEW YORK MRS. CHARLES W. MCCLURE, MICHIGAN MISS MABEL CALDWELL WILLARD, MASSACHUSETTS MRS. WILLIAM L. MCPHERSON, OHIO

January 22, 1918

To the Congressional Chairmen:

Do not take alarm because you see no date for the Senate vote. We are assured that we may have it whenever we are ready.

We shall not have it until we are deadly certain that we have votes enough to carry us through. We are all on the job and doing our best. The facts are that we need to make some conversions. We must try first for votes by the ordinary methods of appeal from this end and back fires at home. If this does not give us the required number, we shall be forced to start campaigns within states which are not now giving our measure support in the Senate.

Therefore, make certain that you have the positive pledge of your favorable senators, that they will do their utmost to get our amendment through the Senate; and please see that your doubtful or unfavorable senators have a realizing sense that there is a demand from home that they vote "yes."

So, be patient, but active. We are bound to go through. We must.

Cordially yours, Carrie Chapman Catt President.

Your Senators are supposedly all right

100 .03 $30.0 3 $6.00

[1918, Jan. 22] Mrs. Pyle

Council Bluffs, Iowa, Jan. 22, 1918.

Dear Madam: I respectfully suggest the adoption of the appended resolution by the Women's Committee of every state, and that it be sent to the members of the congressional delegation from every state for their consideration, and to Herbert Hoover.

Yours very truly, Hattie T. Harl.

Resolution The Woman's Committee of the National Council of Defense, division, reaffirming its loyalty to the United States government and asserting its determination to persist in patriotic endeavor to the end of the war, whatever may be done or left undone by others— individuals, societies or government itself— does, by right of that unfaltering purpose, earnestly urge upon Congress and the Food Administration to take steps to insure the planting of the tobacco lands of the country to foodstuffs as fast as the same may be done without injustice to the producer or disaster to a business heretofore recognized as legitimate.

We believe that the saving through home economies, which the women of this country have so cheerfully and so loyally undertaken, large as it is and necessary as it is, is of small moment beside the waste of time, labor, money and land involved in the production and use of tobacco; and while a large percentage of the women of our state are willing that soldiers in the trenches shall have the tobacco to which they have been accustomed, believing that now is not the time to impose upon them the breaking of a tenacious habit in addition to the other burdens inevitable to wartime service in the army of their country, we feel that the American civilian should and in most instances will be willing to give up his indulgence in a useless habit in order to increase his country's production of the food which is to win the war, and we ask his co-operation in the name of patriotism and of justice to the loval womanhood of America.

[1918? Jan. 22] 610 H St. N.W. Washington, D.C. Jan. 22.

My dear Mts. Christman, This Mrs. Campbell I am sending to Mrs. Pyle an invitation to the [W.C. U?] and 3 delgates to a Chicago meeting in late February. The purpose of the meeting is sufficiently clear from the invitation. I am asking Mrs. Campbell if she will go, and asking Mrs. Pyle to nominate a