$200,000 at the
crisis in its own fifty-year movement. Desks for suffrage work were
vacant over all the country while their occupants were cheerfully
giving their best service to the demands of the war. For the vast
majority this took the forms indicated by the above committee reports.
In addition there were the activities of money-raising; caring for
children and other dependents; safeguarding public health; the usual
tasks of nursing and other Red Cross work; the distribution of food
administration pledge cards, the organizing of food committees in all
townships under the direction of district captains, with "clean-up"
days and "elimination of waste" days in counties; canning
demonstrations throughout communities; alloting and directing garden
plots; holding normal training schools to teach gardening; making
collections for the Red Cross and other war funds, with countless
other activities. Liberty Bonds in the second, third and fourth
campaigns to the amount of one-fourth of the total sales were disposed
of through the National Suffrage Association, its State branches and
women throughout the country.

* * * * *

While the suffragists were devoting themselves to war-service they did
not lay down arms for their own cause, which had reached a stage where
further delay was impossible. There was a general tacit understanding
that, while the war needs of their country were and should be
uppermost, their hands must never relinquish the suffrage throttle,
and the double tasks of war work and suffrage work were undertaken in
a fine spirit of devotion to both. Nevertheless, the anti-suffrage
women seized upon the occasion to accuse them of disloyalty,
pacifism, pro-Germanism and of placing the interests of woman suffrage
above those of the nation! These attacks were repeatedly made in the
press and on the platform, Mrs. Catt, the president of the National
Association, being especially the victim. At times they grew so
virulent that it became necessary to answer them through the
newspapers.

Her letters were published with headlines and widely quoted. One of
these letters, under date of Oct. 2, 1917, addressed to Mrs. Margaret
C. Robinson of Cambridge, Mass., chairman of the press committee of
the National Anti-Suffrage Association, began: "My attention has been
called to the fact that you are circulating by public letter and
bulletin various statements that impugn my loyalty as an American a