hich it might decide to offer to the Government.
The National Suffrage Association at once commenced its war work on
the lines adopted at the Washington conference. This comprised
departments under four sections: Thrift; Food Production; Industrial
Protection of Women and Americanization. Branches of these four
sections had already been formed by all its State auxiliaries and
Mrs. McCormick, its second vice-president, had been appointed general
chairman of the War Service Department. In many States the president
of the suffrage association became chairman of the War Service
Committee. Thus the suffragists of the United States started their war
activities with as much vigor as they had been accustomed to put into
efforts for their own cause.

* * * * *

There had been created in August, 1916, by an Act of Congress, the
Council of National Defense, composed of the Secretaries of War, Navy,
Interior, Agriculture, Commerce and Labor. This council was formed in
order that an emergency might not find the country without a central
agency to direct the mobilization of troops back of the regular army.
It was not an executive body; its function was to consider and advise.
By a wise provision of the Congressional Act the formation of
subordinate agencies was authorized and upon the declaration of war
advantage of this was quickly taken. Large fields of action were
mapped out and assigned to committees on which were appointed the
foremost men and women of the country. It was at once evident that the
women of the United States had a definite and powerful role to play in
the great war and the council decided that "for the purpose of
coordinating the women's preparedness movement a central body of woman
should be formed under the Council of National Defense." On April 19,
1917, the director, Secretary of War Baker, telegraphed to Dr. Anna
Howard Shaw that Secretary of the Interior Lane and he would like to
consult her in regard to important matters concerning the relations of
women to the council. She was on a lecture tour in the South but
arranged to meet with them in Washington on April 27. On April 21,
before the time for this meeting, the Council of National Defense
voted that a Woman's Committee be formed with the following personnel:
Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, Mrs. Katharine Dexter
McCormick, Mrs. Josiah Evans Cowles, Mrs. Philip North Moore, Mrs.
Antoinette Funk, Miss Ida Ta