Evening star., 1917-12-13
APPEALS TO WOMEN
TO OHOUSE i. S. HELP
DR.. Anna Howard Shaw Says
Government May Have to
Conscript Space.

The government may find it necessary
to conscript every available bit Of space
In the District to house the army Of
clerks being brought here for war work.
unless the women of the city volunteer
to provide shelter for the newcomers.
This warning was sounded by DR.. Anna
Howard Shaw. head of the women's COM
nittee of the Council of National De-
fense. addressing a meeting at Rausch-
er's today. called by Mrs. Archibald S.
Hopkins. chairman of the local division
of the womans committee Of the Coun-
ell of National Defense.
After telling the women present that
Mrs. Hopkins was carrying out. through
the Council of National Defense. gov
ernment orders in her efforts to house
the hundreds of woman clerks being
brought here. DR.. Shaw declared:
We women of this country are an
army, just the same as the armies that
are going into the field, and l feel that
the government has the same right to
duty to carry out these orders. just as
the soldiers in the trenches carry out
the commands of their officers.
Duty as Part Of Army.
"It is my hope that every woman in
Washington will realize that it is her duty
as part of this army of women to mother
some of these girls being brought here
by the government. For it is not only
necessary to provide them with food and
shelter. but we must see to their moral
surroundings, as many of them are
long way from home for the first time"
In a brief talk Mrs. Newton D. Baker,
wife of the Secretary of War told the
women that she had investigated and
found to be false many rumors that girls
rfIify TyoV n al nj gsn
been directed to improper quarters.
In addition to these reports" said
Mrs. Baker, newspapers outside OF
Washington have greatly exaggerated
the conditions of congestion here. there
by discouraging many young men and
women from coming here to do the
much needed work of the government
at home. One Boston paper printed a
story to the effect that clerks here were
sleeping in tents because of inability
to get better quarters"
Needs 1000 stenographers.
Mrs. Baker said she understood the
War Department at present needs ], 900
stenographers and typists but that she
believed II would be useless to invite
young women to come here from dis
tant parts of the country unless the
women of this city are able to house
and provide for them
Mrs. Hopkins announced that three
houses in the northwest section capa-
BILE OF caring for approximately seven
ty-nve young women, would be opened
by Saturday. and that several others
might be ready for occupancy next
week.
There are plenty of available houses
IN Washington" said Mrs. Hopkins,
provided we can finance them There
are plenty of responsible women who
are willing to operate them .. little or
no profit il they can feel that in the
event that they meet with obstacles
there viii be some one with money to
back them up.
Need Not Exist.
Now. this financing Of such houses
will be purely psychological, because I
feel sure that after these women get
their places started they will have no
trouble in filing them and will never
need need, nnanciai M fna; support. But they do
for them should they need It,"
Mrs. Hopkins explained that It was
the plan of her committee to open these
places. not as mere boarding houses.
but along the line OF clubhouses, with
charge. -'
After the speaking Mrs Hopkins an
peaied 70 every woman present to call
at her office. in the Wilkins building.
and to direct any other woman to her
office who might be able to help in the
big task of caring for the army Of
clerks.
Mrs. Hopkins committee is dealing
only with the problem of caring for
girls and young women, who are com
Ing here by the hundreds to work for
the government.
Mrs. Hopkins said she hoped In the
near future to open a centrally located
registration bureau, where a young
woman can go for direction to suita ble
quarters as soon as she arrives in the
city, and also where women who have
quarters to offer can file their name and
address,
MRS: Hopkins said she also plans to
establish an information booth for girls
and young women at Union station.