Bisbee daily review., 1917-11-29
HOSTESS HOUSES or
Y. ". c. A. HAS
MANY FUNCTIONS
Contributed }


yesterday to Miss Julia T. Lee. ma
tional secretary of the Y. ". c. A..
who is making a series of speeches
in the district in the interest of the
war drive for the S4.000.O00 fund. that
the hostess houses were foolish and
unnecessary, and simply a waste Of
money. Miss Lee replied that the
only way he could be convinced that
hostess house was a vital need was
for him to go and see a cantonment
In the first place. Col. Paul Wolf
in charge of an officers training camp
in Plattsburg, ~ Y, sent word to the
national war work council of the as
ISOLATION that he was facing a diff
cult situation and in need of help. The
wives and mothers of the men in
training were simply overrunning the
camp. There was no place for them
To meet the men and talk with them,
as they had a right to do after COM
ing. many of them hundreds of miles,
to say goodbye to soldiers who were
soon to be called to France Colonel
Wolf said that he wanted the women
10 come; wanted them to meet and
talk with their men; wanted the men
To see their mothers and wives and
children, as it made a great deal of
difference in their spirits and in their
work But he recognized the neces-
sity of providing a place where the
women could stay. and since the gov
eminent was unable to cope with the
situation he asked the Y. w. c. A
TO come to his rescue And this the
association did
The first hostess house was such a
wonderful success that requests be-
san to pour in from commanders of
other environments for hostess houses
The result has been the erection of
80 houses, seven of which are COM
pleted. while eleven more are asked
for. One of the last to be opened
was at Camp Lewis. near Tacoma.
The formal house warming occurred
November 10, although there were a
few finishing touches yet TO be put
on. In fact, General Greene looked
in that morning and went home and
told Mrs. Greene that he was afraid
it would never be finished in time.
The living room is an immense place,
with a big stone fireplace around
which officers and privates can gath
er with their friends and relatives,
for there is no difference in rank in
the hostess house, and all are accorded
the same privileges. The cafeteria is
a source of delight to the men, for
here they eat pies such as mother
used to make, and sweets are in the
greatest demand.
There is a boy in the hospital at
American Lake, i'll with infantile
paralysis, and of course he has to
be isolated His mother is not al
lowed TO go into his room. but she
sits at the hostess house hour after
hour and when a telephone message
comes from the hospital saying she
is allowed to see him she walks the
length of a porch where she can wave
and smile at him. then returns to the
hostess house, where she resumes her
weary waiting. Nothing the doctors
could do toward his recovery has
helped him like these occasional
glimpses and encouraging smiles of
his mother.
Wives of foreign-speaking men,
many of them with large families, ig-
norant, frightened, unable to speak
English, are welcomed at the hostess
house, and association members
speak to them in their own language
and assist them in finding their men.
In cases the man has not learned
enough English to know how to claim
exemption or to ask for leave of alb
sence. These people cannot under
stand what the war is about or why
their homes have been broken up,
their sole means of support removed.
1t makes a great deal of difference
to them to be able to ask questions
and to meet with sympathy and kind
ness. 1t means the making of better
Americans of them.
Briefly, the hostess house is the
link which binds the soldier TO his
home. Here he comes to have mend
ing done; here he enjoys the same
sort of sociability ne would find in
his own home. be it the best in the
country; here the newly made off
Ger comes proudly to have his
chevrons sewn on: here officer and
private meet on common ground, just
as in the very popular day nursery
their little children play together;
here aid is given to women in locat- |
ing their men they have come far tol
sea work that cannot be fully APP
preciated by one who has not seen
the immensely of the training camps, |
teeming with thousands of men.
And so. as Miss Lee said to the
Bisbee man. one who doubts should
visit a training camp and just see