Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-08-01
PRETTY GIRLS WANTED
They Are a Desirable Quantity in War
Zone in France Says One Man Who
Has Been Around And Knows.

Paris, July 20. (By Mail).-Pretty
American girls are most desirable
quantity in the war zone Of France.
despite all assertions to the contrary.
At least, so says one man who has
been around and knows. The praise
of the plain, practical woman who
can cook, sew, bake, scrub, sweep.
launder and do nursing amid the chaos
of war has been sung frequently. Now
up speaks William H. Johnson, Jr., to
announce that it does our young
American soldiers a world of good to
gaze upon pretty girls from back
home who are acting as canteen
| workers. Mr.. Johnson, who is the \.
NJ. c. A. secretary in charge Of en-
tertainment work here reported his
| conclusions to Thomas S. McLane, dl-
rector of the "Y" entertainment bu-
reau, after an inspection tour of sew
eral centres where Americans pre-
dominate.
He described the artillery school
for Americans at X where the "Y',
has taken over a large chateau at a
rental of 1000 francs month. One
of the Red Triangle staff was an at
tractive young woman worker. MIR.
Johnson favors the sending of good
looking canteen workers.
The very fact that they are pretty
means so much to the men, and then,
they are much more than clerks at a
country store" he argues.
"In X-conditions are very friendly
with the Army. The Colonels in
charge treat the divisional secretary
as brother and do everything for
him." reported Mr.. Johnson. 'Walk-
ing along the corridor Of the school
there, who should I run into but
George w. Perkins, Jr., carrying
three cans of beans, for what pur
pose, know not. We made a date to
meet at the Y. NJ. c. A. after dinner
inasn1uch as he was tied up that af
ternoon.
"Back of the chateau is natural
amphitheatre. At the bottom of this
the Army electricians have strung
lights, and that evening band from
neighboring camp provided an ex-
cellent concert while, lying out in
the grass or sitting in chairs, the
fellows smoked and enjoyed the mu-
sic. The whole atmosphere was
more like senior singing, in college
than anything;e else.
"The French. people of the town are
working hand and glove with the Y.
NJ. C. A. Some of the Hgirls living
there put in regular hours at the
canteen, and while they work there
they teach the men French. At the
band concert mentioned a great many
of the better class of French in the
village were present and it turned
into delightful social evening. Such
relations not only help teach the en-
listed men French but give them
more real insight into French life
than could be obtained in any either
way" -.
From X-he went to T., formerly
a little port which the Yankees have
transformed into "little Pittsburg," :"
with American engineers assembling
Baldwin locomotives and real Ameri
can freight cars to be put on the two
| hundred miles Of American track
they have laid. Here the Americans
were erecting $50 warehouses of sheet
steel with cement floors.
On the edge of the town was q
barbed wire stockade in which were
900 German prisoners, guarded by a
company of invalided British soldiers.
Of the prisoners, Mr.. Johnson said:
"You've no doubt seen pictures of
them in their dingy green suits with
numbers on their backs. For mess
that noon they had most savory-
smelling stew of meat, peas, potatoes
and carrots, also American white
bread. In the yard are three little
| shops-a tailor's a shoemakers' and
one other. One of the prisoners is a
portrait painter and is at present
doing the pictures of the British OIL
GERS of the camp. It was also most
interesting to see that these prisoners
had concrete floored shower baths
and the best of medical attention
Two companies Of prisoners, unde,
guard, had just been out watching OF
participating in Rugby football
match. | wish we could be sure oul
own boys in German prison camps
had anything approaching similar
treatment"