ice. I
therefore issue this call to all Elected Officers, all
Presidents, all Auxiliaries, all State Members, (auxiliaries
which pay dues on a membership of 1500 or more are entitled to a
State member in addition to the president), and all Chairmen of
Standing and Special Committees to meet in Washington at the
National Suffrage Headquarters, 1626 Rhode Island Avenue,
February 23-25 inclusive, as per inclosed program. Each State is
urged to send its State Congressional Chairmen also to this
meeting...."

It was, therefore, for the Executive Council to decide what the
association could best do to help the Government in case of war. The
summons came as no surprise to the members of the National
Association, since for many months their eyes had been fixed on the
war-clouds gathering upon the horizon. It was evident that the United
States was about to enter the World War.

When this council met at the headquarters in Washington the national
officers submitted to it the draft of a Note that specified various
concrete ways in which, according to their ideas, the members of the
association might give aid to their country in an emergency. This
draft was discussed section by section and the motion then came to
adopt the Note as a whole. This called out the most important debate
of the two-days' meeting, remarkable for the kindly spirit and good
temper with which were set forth opposing views on a vital matter
concerning which public feeling ran high. The president gave an
opportunity to all "conscientious objectors" to come forward and
record their names as dissenting. Almost all who did so stated that
they believed women should give their assistance in case of war but
they feared that an offer of help to the Government made in advance
might tend to fan the war spirit and create a psychological impetus
towards war. Even this minority felt that the proposed services were
judiciously chosen, as they were such as would benefit the country
were it at war or at peace. The majority decision was that the
National Association should now abandon its unbroken custom of not
participating in any matters except those relating directly to woman
suffrage and that in view of the national emergency it should offer
its assistance to the Government of the United States and proceed to
organize for war service. The registered vote on such action was 63 to
13. As the attendance at the conference represe