The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1918-11-22
A WALLED CITY
OF WOMEN


A little sunny village has grown up
inside a high wall In France within the
last year. Its square fat houses stand
I'm straight even rows and alsng ooe
side OF the city wall Is long dormi-
| tory for single women. There are many
more Of them than Of the families In
the drab little houses. The village Is
full Of women-old. young. middle
aged-whose faces. hands and hair
slowly are turning yellow from the
powder which II 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.
carrying 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 theSdanger and the
blighting yellow powder. the work -
highly paid and al the Horkers Ars
volunteers.
The women wear oyeralls or apron
dresses, some OF black sateen. some
nondescript. The dull gsrb harmonixes
with the following faces and despair
Ing eyes.
Into this modern walled city OF de-
spair the Blue Triangle has flashed Che
first message Of hope. The 7. w. Q. A
foyer Ii the only recreational center
within reach. The cars which md
cafes at the end Of the line q mile
away. stop running at seven o'clock 20
save fuel The city II three miles
from the factory.
MY problem" writes tho 7. w. @.
A. secretary In charge. s:is to keep The
women occupied In the evenings to
give them good healthy amusement 30
that they will forget their sorrows ana
go to bed and sleep. physically tired
out from playing"
She goes on to tell OF some ofyfhs
women and girls who coma TO the
foyer:
'sThere Is q pretty little round. rosy.
checked girl here who L. Just beginning
to show the effects Of tho powder. The
roots Of her hair and her forehead are
q pale yellow. The palms Of her hands
are a deep burnt orange and her hands
and arms q bright yellow.
There Is TN ex-professional dancer.
an interesting girl who enjoys tho
foyer and helps entertain the other
girls. There IL q professional pianist
who does her bit at the noon and eve-
ming hours. There II one rough-and-
ready girl who speaks English. whose
father was an innkeeper In northern
France. There Il a pretty little girl
who IL engaged TO q French soldier
who still is rejoicing over the ave min
utes she had with him recently during
an air raid. His mother IL the care
taker here and he Is one Of six sons In
the war. Two OF them are German
military prisoners. two are civil prs
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 I'm her hands.
There Is sweet-faced girl who
was laeemaker I'm Valenciennes. who
came direct TO us from the German
ridden section after a hard experience
In getting away"
These are the women the Blue TIL
angle Is helping To forgef-perhaps|
only for m hour at a time-the nor
rors that have hlackened their hearth.
stones and darkened the world
"My foyer" the secretary writes
Consists OF hall and two large rooms
with cement floors. One has a writing
table and paper. pens and Ink. wing
machines. a cupboard with teacups IN
IL, large table with papers and maya
zines. easy chairs and my desk. The
other room has a piano. more tables
chairs. ironing boards and q victrola
There are unframed French pictures
and American and French war posters
around the room. The walls are paint |
ed gray and white"
Saturday evenings they sing anc
dance. First they have a chorus
writes the secretary. such as lie Revs
Passe' or the LYNNE des Amateurs or
something equally thrilling. and at tn. |
final notes OF triumph a voice at N,
ears tegs. 'Un polsa. mees.' The polk, |
finished. there Is call for the Hymn.
American and we sing the Star
Spangled Banner lie Drapeau Etoile) /
In two languages"
These foyers have been establis hec
In several munition cenfers In France
Each one has cafeteria. a recreation
hall and rooms fitted up as rest
rooms writing and sewing rooms. Al
night these rooms are filled with
French girls learning English. book
keeping or stenography. that they map
work In the Offices Of the American
Expeditionary Forces. In connectiot
with each Is large recreation field OF
park.
AZ the request OF the French mimic
try OF war the Young women's Chris l
tlan association has opened club