ry 22 the
former association offered its services to Governor Rye to be utilized
as he should see fit, should the United States enter the war. Mrs.
Catt called a meeting of the Executive Council of the National
Association for the 23rd in Washington to consider offering its
assistance to President Wilson and Mrs. Ford represented Tennessee.
The suffragists of this State, as did those of every other, rallied to
the colors. Many served in France and thousands at home in every field
of activity where women were permitted, in army and navy, in citizen
service, Red Cross, Government bond sales, etc., and their devoted
service proved a most effective plea for their enfranchisement.

On March 26, 1918, the boards of the two associations met in Memphis
at the Professional and Business Women's Club, with Mrs. Allen,
honorary president, in the chair. A union was effected and Mrs. Leslie
Warner was unanimously elected president of the amalgamated
associations. Mrs. Warner spoke at the State Federation of Women's
Clubs in Jackson and after one session she asked all to remain who
were interested in suffrage. About 90 per cent. did so and an
enthusiastic meeting was held. Her next work was to secure resolutions
in favor of the Federal Suffrage Amendment and protests against
further delay in the Senate. She spoke before nineteen organizations
of various kinds, all of which passed the desired resolutions. It was
also endorsed by the Democratic and Republican State Committees.

As vice-chairman of the Woman's Committee Council of National Defense,
Mrs. Warner introduced Dr. Shaw, its chairman, to an audience of 7,000
people at Nashville in April. In July she called 200 suffragists from
all sections of the State for a hearing before U. S. Senator John K.
Shields, hoping they might convince him that the Tennessee women did
want the ballot, as one of his reasons for voting against the Federal
Amendment was that they did not. Later when pressed by the women for a
declaration during his candidacy for re-election he gave to the press
his correspondence with President Wilson who had urged him to vote for
it, to whom he wrote: "If I could bring myself to believe that the
adoption of the resolution would contribute to the successful
prosecution of the war we are waging with Germany I would
unhesitatingly vote for it, because my whole heart and soul are
involved in bringing the war to a victorious issue and I am willing to
sacrifice everything