Social Activites and Personal Mention

Mrs. St. Clair Stobart, a real major in the Serbian army, the only officer of all the forces of the Serbians, whose battalion went through the horrors of the great 800 mile retreat without a desertion and without grumbling, the first woman in the world to command a flying field hospital, told the story of devasted Servia [sic] and ruined Belgium to several hundred women yesterday afternoon. She addressed a meeting in the Wilmette Woman's Club under the auspices of the Wilmette Home Guard. With eyes filled with tears she related her experiences as the commander of the first woman's field hospital, of that unit's retreat before the German army and of more than three month's hardships. She related how she was made a prisoner by the Germans while engaged in hospital work in Belgium, and condemned to death at Aix-la-Chapelle in August 1914. She left Antwerp over a pontoon bridge with the last refugees as the city was being demolished by German shell fire.

"The British Government seems to think that the best service I can render at this time is to talk, and so I have come to tell of the tragedies I have seen," she said amid smiles.

Though Miss Gertude Van Hoesen [unclear] was unable to be present herself at the meeting of the Parent-Teacher's Association of the Logan School, on Monday afternoon, she sent a very interesting and delightful substitute in the person of Miss Lillian Bell, national president of the Children's Patriotic League. It will be remembered, I think, that Miss Bell was the orginator of the idea of the Children's Christmas Ship, which was sent to Belgium way back in 1914, and as a result of which 1000 newspapers made especial mention and 14 million children contributed presents.

Through the excellent results of the Xmas ship came the organization of the Children's Patriotic League, and though many attempts have been made to send a Children's Relief Ship abroad, it has been practically impossible, owing to the great need of the ships for the transporting of food, supplies and men.

In the various towns, the children gather together at stated times bringing with them all waste paper, tin foil, scrap iron and rags, which can be collected in their respective houses.

An interesting fact is that Miss Sarah Bernhardt is the fairy godmother of the league. Miss Becker's grade in the school [illegible] of the "good Fairy" this month, a reward for the greatest number represented a the [unclear].

Mrs. David G. Park, 613 Elmwood avenue, entertained a card club last Tuesday afternoon.

All housewives are finding the same difficulty, that of combining the substitutes for white flour, and therefore they will undoubtedly be interested in the great demonstration whichis to be held on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of next week between the hours of 10 and 12 a.m. and 2 and 4 p.m. at the Congregational Church. Mrs. Anna I. Peterson of the Houshold Economics department of the Rumgord [sic] Baking Co., a woman of grat experience, will be in charge of these demonstrations of the substitutes, rice, barley, corn meal, potato and soy bean as well as the rye and graham flour which are not substitutes.