Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1918-10-10
THE SECOND LINE
OF DEFENSE

West is very close to her brother In
the frontline trenches. If her work
falters, if one untrue torpedo passes
the careful scrutiny Of the inspector,
the lives Of American soldiers pay
the price.
1t IS as necessary to keep the girl
who makes the shells physically fit
and high of courage as the man who
fires the gun.
The glory and excitement of war
are for the man in khaki. Grinding,
mOnotonous labor far away from the
flying flags and martial music is the
portion of the girl who makes NUM-
lions.
One and half million women and
girls have marched into the service Of
the United States government to take
the places of the men who have been
called to the colors. With every draft
and with the opening of every NUM-
ton environment the number is null
tiplied. These girls work long hours
and the work Is hard and monOtonous.
Furthermore, they work at high nerv-
Gus tension. On the skill of their fin
gers and the accuracy of their eyes de-
ponds the lives of many soldiers, the
winning or losing of many battles.
Il can't sleep at night because I'm
so afraid / may have passed on some
thing that was not quite true" said
one young girl not yet IN her twenties,
who inspected hundreds of torpedoes
every day.
Unless something can make this girl
forget at night, and find some rest, her
hand will lose its cunning.
Nights and Sundays" said another,
81 walk and walk, and l never go the
same route twice until / have worn
out all the Others and vet l can't for
get that perhaps some time, somehow,
during the day something may have
gone through that was not quite right"
Il was just on the edge of going
back home" said another. 81 couldn't
stand 1t. Then the recreation leader
asked me If played basket ball, and
i tpiu hti L was toO Olu. Ill tNcnlN
eight. She insisted that I just try
throwing the ball. and now Tn captain
of the basket ball team. play tennis,
and can set up and 'wig-wag,' and
they're going to make me forewoman
of the room. That would have fright
ened me to death once. But every.
thing is different now, that we have
our War Service club"
The war department had seen the
need of occupations for out-of-work
hours If the employees were to work
at their greatest efficiency. and through
the ordnance department asked the
Young Women's Christian Association
for recreation leaders, to line up the
girls and direct their free-time pleas
ureS.
The government reminded the Y. w.
c. A. that as an organization 1t always
had had an interest i'm the right hous-
Ing of girls. in the right feeding of
girls, and in the right education Of
girls. and that the intelligent care Of
these girls I'm the munitions factories
was one of the essentials In the WIN
ming of the war. The government
could house and feed them. 1t could
put up recreation buildings. but when
this was done 1t was as helpless as the
father of motherless girl The gov
eminent is composite man. He didn't
know what a girl should do when the
six o'clock factory whistle blew. He
only knew she needed looking after
and he called to the one woman's or
ganiZatlon that for half century had
made a study of the needs of girls.
Vaguely. he had an idea that she
should be encouraged to play, that
some one. wise and sympathetic as a
careful mother, to guide her social ac-
tivities.
The Blue Triangle sent its play lady
to salute and go to work. Workers are
asked for In recreation buildings OF
all the % federal industrial reserva-
lions or munltion environments which
have been opened this summer In sew
eral of the states. These reservations
sprung up out Of the very fields in n
few weeks. They are employing thou
sands of workers. Many of these
women have come from far distant
homes. The government provided
dormitories and mess barracks. In
some places II is putting up recreation
buildings. Where such a building Is
not provided by the government, the Y.
W. c. A. will furnish it, using one al
ready standing when available. and
building when that is necessary. All
these buildings, whether government
or association-owned, will operate I'M
der the sign of the Blue Triangle. They
Will have big living rooms, assembly
rooms for entertainments, club rooms.
and gymnasiums. The Blue Triangle
will furnish n program of service work.
educational classes. games and enter
tainments. Military and signal corps
drills will be in charge Of soldiers.
In Washington, the members OF the
Business Women's council. Blue Tri.
angle league of the Y. w. c. A., made
up of girl government employees, drill
twice week under an army officer
and between five and six o'clock on
these days long lines Of motorcars are
parked to watch the drill.
Wherever possible the recreation
equipment includes field somewhere
for outdoor sports.
War clubs are part Of the plan and
membership in these involves pledge
to serve to the best Of the girls abll
fly in the ranks of the Woman's Indus
trial Army-the second line of de
fense," and a promise Of loyalty by
promoting In every possible way the
spirit Of service.