The Denver star., 1918-10-19
THE SECOND LINE
OF DEFENSE

Vudy n tnS OIStduce ITOm FdEIS u
Berlin. The Atlantic ocean Is not as
wide as the River Somme. The girl
In the, munition factory In the middle
West is very close to her brother in
the front-line trenches. II her work
falters. II one untrue torpedo passes
the careful scrutiny Of the inspector,
The lives Of American soldiers my
the price.
1t Is as necessary to keep the girl
who makes the shells physically At
and high Of courage as the man who
fires the gun.
The glory md excitement Of war
are for the man In khaki. Grinding,
monotonous labor far away from thu
flying flags md martial music is the
portion Of the girl who makes muni-
tiOns.
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 a every NUM-
tion cantOnment the number Is null
tiplied. These girls work long hours
and the work is hard and monOtonous
Furthermore. they work at high nerv-
rous tension. On the skill of their fin
gers and the accuracy of their eyes de-
pends the lives of many soldiers. the
winning or losing Of many battles.
II can't sleep at night because I'm
20 afraid I 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.
II walk and walk, and never go the
same route twice until I have worn
ou: all the others. and yet I can't for
get that perhaps some time. somehow.
during the day something may have
gone through that was not quite right"
II was just on the edge Of going
back home" said another. II couldn't
stand 1t. Then the recreation leader
asked me II I played basket ball. and
! told her I WAS too old. I'm twenty
eight. She insisted that Just try
throwing the ball. and now Tn captain
Of the basket hall team. play tennis,
and can set up and 'wig-waE.' and
they're going to make me forewomun
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-wc-k
hours II the employees were 10 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 rs an organization II always
Ind had an intexest in the right hou.-
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 ms the
father of motherless girl. The gov
ernment Is a composite man. He didn't
know wat q 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
| ~ NJ H,oN (Dr l,o1 - a
made study Of the needs Of girls.
Vaguely. he had an idea that she
should be encouraged to play, that
she needed wholesome recreation, and
some ore. wise and sympathetic rs a
carefu, mother, TO guide her social ac-
nvities.
The Blue Triangle sent It's play lady
to salute and go to work. Workers are
asked for in recreation buildings Of
all the % federal Industrial reservn-
tions or munition cantonments which
have been opened this summer In sew
sral 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
eome places It is putting up recreation
buildings. Where such building is
not provided by the government. the Y.
W. G. A. will furnish 1t. using one al
ready standing when available, and
building when that Is necessary. All
these buildings, whether government
or association-owned, will operate un-
der the sign Of the Blue Triangle. They
will have big living rcoG,s, assembly
rooms for entertainments. club rooms,
and gymnasiums. The Blue Triangle
will furnish program OF service work.
educational classes. games and enter
fainmenfA MillfarX nd Sirnal corns