Strong's endorsement of left-wing causes made her different from the other people on the school board. She was against war, and when the United States entered World War I in 1917, she spoke out against the draft. On one hand, the PTA and women's clubs joined her in opposing military training in the schools. On the other hand, the Seattle Minute Men, many of whom were veterans of the Spanish-American War, said that she was unpatriotic. 