Arizona republican., 1917-05-28
Social Facilities Provided by That Organization
 Raises Moral Condition of
 Soldiers in Big Camps

The part of the Young Women's Christian Association-their "bit'-in the present war was explained Satur- day by Miss Julia Holman Lee of the finance department of the national board of the Y. ". c. A.. before d gath ering of representative women of Phoenix at the residence of Mrs. Thomas E. Campbell
 What was accomplished by that or ganiZation last year at several Of the national guard camps on the Mexican border is just hint of the work planned to be undertaken at each one of the thirty-two cantonments for the army of 500000 and to be extended to Europe it was shown.
 When the border trouble broke out Miss Lee told the eighty or more women yesterday morning, The Y. w. c. A. sent two of it's ablest secretaries to the Rio Grande to see what work could be done by the women and girls of the Y. W. C. A. Investigation showed that there was a task for them to do, and it resulted in the establishing of definite work in San Antonio and in Douglas. San Antonio short time before had erected a fine new Y. W. C. A. building equipped with club rooms, swimming
 
 hand. But in Douglas no work at all had been done, and all facilities had to he created.
 Challenge to Girls
 Miss Lee was to organize the girls into clubs to which were presented the fol- lowing challenge: With the militia centered there, the northern men would get their impression of the southern women in the manner they are enter tained and would take those impressions home with them What would the stories be that they will tell at their homes?
 With the cooperation of the Army Y. w. c. A, parties and social events were planned. The army secretaries selecting the guests, and the Y. w. C. A., naming the girl hostesses. During practically all the time the militia were in San Antonio and Douglas there were parties and entertainments of all kinds. One army chaplain declared that those social events had a great effect on the moral life of the men. The men whose conduct had been beyond reproach were on the next invited list. The improve ment in the general life of the men had been such that there was a list of elig- ibleS to those social events equal to a crush.
 During Christmas week. Miss Lee declared, 1000 girls entertained 1.5OO men on various occasions. The men returned the courtesy by providing the regfmentai band and in arranging stunts and invited the chaperones and girls to dinner parties. General Fun ston was open in his praise of the work done by the Y. w. c. A.. in this man. ner, declaring that it had a real value Tn providing social life for the army.
 Turned to Y. w. C. A.
 When We were confronted. as we are now said Miss Lee. with the prospect of many large camps. we al! ready had some experience in this thing and had proven it's value The Y. M. .. A, turned at once to us. A telegram from John R. Mott to Mrs. James Cush- man Of the national board said that the moral condition of the soldiers depend ed on their surroundings and that the r. W. c. 4. was fitted to undertake this work The Y. M C.. A. was eager 10 join them, he said
 The actual war program of the Y. w. C. A., Miss Lee announced. consist ed of two different parts:
 The establishing of club houses and recreational work near the various camps cn lines already tried out at san Antonio and Douglas.
 An aceelieratlon and enlargement of the regular lines of activity in regu- larly established associations.
 The equipment of the employment departments in the cities will be in creased to fit women to fill the posi- Ions rom which men have and will withdraw and fit them wisely" said Mss Lee. We will have the task of making the inefficient girl more eff clent, to train the girl to pick up the work done by the men, In England the number of women has increased ZoO per cent in banking, transportation ana various cf emical industries includ ing munitions making
 Need to Keep Stronq
 During the first two and one ha If years of the war 1S6, 900 women nor previously employed were called into the industries. We look for a situation somewhat similar in the United States one New York man representing a large industry said that his concern was looking anxiously to women to take the place of the men already left.
 Not alone will ordinary city asso-