Without Fuss or Feathers

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Without fuss or feathers, 27 farmers' wives gathered in Chicago last week to draw up a "wartime platform for American farm women."

The 27 farmers' wives, picked by Farm Journal and Farmer's Wife as representatives of the nation, were determined that, as far as they could manage it, the helter-skelter, out-of-kilter of World War I should not happen again. With stout good sense, they therefore agreed that:

> "For most farm women the biggest challenge of patriotism will be to do what they are already doing—only to do it better. An extra dozen eggs may be more vital than knitting an extra sweater or an ill-fitting sock.

> "It is the duty of every woman who can spare time from her home to volunteer with existing organizations. We need no new ones.

> "We call on draft officials to draw physicians for the armed services largely from cities . . . and not from rural communities which are already seriously underserviced. We urge all rural women to recognize the impending shortage . . . and to fortify themselves ... by taking current training on home nursing and first aid.

> "We [pledge] a family garden on every farm. . . . Conserve the year's food needs of the family. ... By preserving our own food we undertake to release the commercial pack for urban people, Red Cross needs and our allies overseas.

> "Food production is as essential to winning the war as the production of munitions. . . . Draft boards should determine the contribution toward victory of each boy. Voluntary enlistment should stop.

> "We recommend that school schedules be adjusted to free children for farm work during seasonal peaks—without sacrificing . . . standards.

> "We urge WPA officials to terminate nonessential projects to release labor for farms."