Licking Valley courier., 1918-11-07
a WALLED CITY
OF WOMEN

full OF W0men-Ol0, young, mluule7
aged--whOse faces, hands and hair
slowly are turning yellow from the
powder which it is said will eventually
affect their lungs. But most of them
are refugees and the fact that they
are giving up their good looks, their
health, and perhaps their lives in the
munition factory, is of little moment to
them. They have come into the walled
town from ruined villages and devas-
tated farms with. their frightened little
children their despairing old people, |
Carving all their earthly possessions
in tiny bundles. In their individual
lives there is no future; in all their
world there is no interest but the con
quest of the Hun.
No one comes into this little war
community that centers around the big
new munitions plant but those who
work. Because Of the danger and the
blighting yellow powder, the work is
highly paid and all the workers are
volunteers.
The women wear overalls or apron
dresses, some Of black sateen, some
nondescript. The duh garb harmonizes
with the yelowing faces and despair
! ing eyes.
Into this modern walled city Of de-
spair the Blue Triangle has flashed the
first message of hope. The Y. W. G. A.
foyer is the only recreational center
within rench. The cars which find
cafes ut the end of the line a mile
away, stop running at seven o'clock to
save fuel. The city is three miles
from the factory.
"My problem" writes the Y. w. G.
A. secretary in charge, sis to keep the
women occupied in the evenings, to
give them good healthy amusement so
that they will forget their sorrows and
20 to bed and sleep, physically tired
out from playing"
she goes on TO tell Of some of the
women and girls who come to the
foyer:
There is pretty little round, rosy
checked girl here who is just beginning
to show the effects of the powder. The
roots of her hair and her forehead are
a pale yellow. The palms of her hands
are deep burnt orange and her hands
and arms Il bright yellow.
'"There is an ex-professiOnal dancer,
\ an interesting girl who enjoys the
foyer and helps entertain the other
girls. There Is a professional pianist
who does her bit ut the noon and eve
ming hours. There is one rough-and-
ready girl who speaks English, whose
tather was an innkeeper in northern
France. There is pretty little girl
who Is engaged to French soldier
who still is rejoicing over the five min
utes she had with him recently during
IN air raid. His mother is the care
e.. Laker here and he is-ope of six sons In
the war. Two of them are German
military prisoners, two are civil pris-
oners in Germany and two are soldiers
In the trenches. Her home in the
north of France was destroyed and she
escaped with a small bundle of such
+ things as she could carry in her hands
There Is sweet-faced girl who
was a lacemaker in Valenclennes, who
b came direct to us from the German.
ridden section after a hard experience
in getting away"
These are the women the Blue, Tri
angle is helping to forget-perhapS
, only for an hour at time-the hOr'
rOrs that have blackened their hearth
stones and darkened the world.
MY foyer" the secretary writes
! consists of n hall and two large rooms
with cement floors. One has a writing
liable and paper, pens and ink, sewing
machines. cupboard with teacups' in
ii, a large table with papers and maga
zines, easy chairs and my desk. Tht
other room has piano, more tables
chairs, ironing boards and a VictrOla
There are unframed French pictures
and American and French war posters
/ around the room. The walls are paint
s ed gray and white"
Saturday evenings they sing ant
; dance. First they have a chorus,
e writes the secretary, "such as lie Rev,
, Passe' or the LYNNE des Aviateurs' ol
something equally thrilling, and at th,
final notes of triumph voice at my
| ears begs, I'm polka, meeS.' The polkt
q finished, there is n call for the Hymn,
| A M nd hn
Spangled Banner lie Drapeau Etoile,
q in two languages"
a These fOyers have been established
in several munition centers in France
. Each one has a cafeteria, recreation
| hall and rooms fitted up as res
e rooms, writing and sewing rooms, A
= night these rooms are filled will
French girls learning English, book
: keeping or stenOgraphy, that they mn!
= work in the offices Of the American
y EXpedltiOnary Forces. In connection
with each is a large recreation field o
!, park.
[ At the request of the French minis
y, try of war the Young Women's Chris
tiun association has opened club
u rooms for the sixteen thousand Frencl
S women employed in the Offices Of tn
Z war department.
So successful has been the foye
work In France that n call has com
from England to the American Y. W
G. A. to bring its Blue Triangle hut
and foyerS across the channel, TIL
English Y. w. c. A. has establshe,
centerS for munitions workers on
h smaller scale, hut after inspection o
the American work In FrOnce the fou
= English representatives to the Allies
e Women's congress In Paris in August
: officially requested that the American
Y. w. G. A. undeglule similar work Il
~ England
d Notice.