The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-11-19
keokuk Must Raise $1,000 for Its
Quota for This Fund and Women
and Girls Have Work
in Hand.
WOMEN AROUND CAMPS
There Are Six Distinct Phases of the
Work Which Must be Taken
Care Of by the
Women.

The war york council of the Y. "
C. A. was given its commission 10
work by letter sent to the nations
Y. w. c. A. president, Mrs. Rober
e. Speer, as follows:
WASHINGTON, D. C., June L,
1917.-Dear Mrs Speer: In be-
half of the commission on train
ing camp activities appointed by
the secretary of war, | want to
ask the Young Women's Chris
tian association to furnish, If it
will. expert women workers with
girls to act as advisors to COM
mittees representing local COM
munities In the neighborhood OF
training camps and to help train
local workers. The exact num-
Der of such experts that will be
needed and their several loca-
tions cannot be stated until other
resources have been ascertained,
but we shall probably call upon
you for not less than thirty.
Yours very truly,
(Signed) JOSEPH LEE.
John r. Mott, secretary of the i,
ternational committee of the Y. M
C. A., has endorsed the work as fol
lows:
Profoundly interested in your
important plans. In spite of all
provisions being made to create
zone of moral safety around the
camps the moral and religious
welfare Of the soldiers will still
depend in large measure upon
the social conditions in the ad-
joining communities. The atti-
tude and conduct of the girls
and women go far to determine
the controlling spirit of these
!, communities. The Young Wom-
ems Christian association as
sister organization to our own Is
pre-eminently fitted to meet this
situation. We are most eager to
have the women's association
meet this responsibility for the
protection of girls and women.
Just as we are seeking to meet
It for the men. The work for
the girls should be done in
closest cooperation with that
done for men Moreover in my
Judgment one of the greatest OPP
portunities your movement will
ever have is that of helping us
in the mems camps along the
women in the British and Cana
dian armies where such a re-
markable service has been ac-
complished by them.
The phases of the work are as
follows:
First, hostess houses.-When Cen
eral Plummer of Camp Dodge was
asked If he wanted a hostess house
he replied. Yves, six of them" The
great number of men in the canton
ments and the consequent need Of
space for the alrge number of women
guests, and the increased expense of
winter construction and heating has
raised this figure in some cases as
high as $4,000. Since requests are
in hand from the commission on
training camp activities and COM
mandants of thirty-nine camps, with
the probability of requests from
others, 100000 is the sum estimated
to erect the buildings.
Second, emergency housing facili-
ties.-Girls and women are employed
In and near each camp in telephone
offices, shops. restaurants, and as
laundresses for the camp, while thou
sands of others. whose mum bers will
be greatly increased within the next
year, are being summoned to take
places In Industries whose output Is
almost wholly war supplies. In these
times of tremendous pressure many
employers are not making provisions
for their housing. The 100000 set
aside for emergency housing Is to
erect possibly ten inexpensively con-
structed and simply furnished houses,
to care for the emergency and to
demonstrate to communities and en-
ployers that such social responsible
ties can be profitably undertaken.
Third, work abroad.-Reports from
our pioneer secretaries in France and
Russia indicate that the $4,000 cor
more" set aside In the original bud
get of s1,0O0,0o0 is far too made
quate to meet even the initial stages
of what the American Y. w. G. A.
should undertake for the work women
of both France and Russia, whose
own people are too hard pressed both
physically and financially to make
adequate provision for their needs.
and for the splendidly heroic Ameri.
can nurses for whom we have been
working to provide social centres at
the base hospital units. The budget
for work In Europe has been multi
piled by twenty.
Fourth, work among non-Eng1ish
speaking people in the U. S.-For
assisting non-Fnglish speaking WON
en- visiting in camps and employed In
industrial centres. and in relieving
suspense in regard to relatives in the
war stormed centers of Europe.
Fifth, work for colored women
Whatever is necessary in war times
for white girls is also essential for
colored girls. Large numbers of the
environments are situated in COM
munities where the colored popula-
ton is densest. The amount set
aside for colored community work is
100000.
Sixth, social morality programme