Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-11-14
lie SECOND LINE
! OF DEFENSE

from me Mississippi Wiley to the
Gaming front IN Flanders Is not MS far
today as the distance from Paris to
Berlin. Tho Atlantic ocean is not AZ
wide as tile River Somme. The girl
IN the n,unltion factory IN the middle
West Is very close to her brother in
the front-llne trenches. lf her work
falters, II one untrue torpedo passes
the careful scrutiny Of the inspector.
the lives Of American soldiers pay
the price.
I It is us necessary to keep TN, girl
who makes the shells physically at
and high Of courage as the fnnE who
fires the gun.
The glory pnd excitement Of war
are for the man in khaki. Grinding,
lnonotonous labor far away froio the
flying flags and martial music Is the
portion Of the girl who makes NUM-
lions.
One ond a hulf million women and
girls have marched into the service Of
the United States government, t., take
the places Of the men WIN have been
called to the colors. With every draft
and with the opening Of every NUM-
ton environment the number IL null
tiplted. These girls work long hours
and the work is hard md monottnous.
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 bnttles.
II can't sleep at night because I'm
% afraid I may have pissed on some
thing that was not quite true" said
one young girl not yet in her twenties,
who inspected hundreds Of torpcdoes
every day.
Unless something can mike this girl
forget at night, and hnd some rest, her
hand Will lose Its cunning.
Nights and Sundays" said. another.
II walk and walk. and never 80 the
same route twice until have worn
out all the others, and yet I can't for
Get TINT 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. n couldn't
stand It. Then the recreation ieader
asked me II I played basket ball, and
told her I was too old. I'm twenty.
eight. She insisted that I just try.
throwing the ball, and now I'm captain
Of the basket bail tenn. play tennis,
and can set up and .wig.wag,, and
they're going to mike me forewuman
Of the room. That would have fright.
ened me tn 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 ott.of.work
hours If the employees were to work
at their greatest efficiency, and through
the ordnance department asked the
Young Nvolnen's Christian Association
for recreation lenders, to line up the
girls and direct, their freetime pleas.
ures.
The government reminded the 7. W.
Q. A. that as IN organization II always
had had an interest in the right hous-
ing Of girls, In the right feeding Of
girls, and in the right education Of
girls, and that the intelligent cure Of
these girls in the munitions factories
was one Of the essentials In the win.
ming Of the war. Che government
could house and feed them. It could
put up recreation buildings. but when
this wns done It was rs helpless as the
FATHER Of motherless girl. The gov.
eminent Is composite man. He didn't
know what girl should do when the
six O'Clock. factory whistle blew. He
only knew she needed looking after
and he called to the one womnn's or
ganization that for half century Ind
made n study of the needs Of girls.
Vaguely. he had an ioea that she
should be encouraged to play, that
she needed wholesome recreation, and
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 munition environments which
have been opened this summer In sew.
eral Of the states. These reservations
sprung up out Of the very fields in a
few weeks. They IRE employing thou
sands Of workers. Many Of these
women have come from far distant
homes. The government provided
dormftories and mess barracks. In
some places 1t is putting up recreation
buildings. Where such building ID
not provided by the government. the T.
w. G. A. will furnish It, using one al.
ready standing when available, and
building when that is necessary. All
these buildings. whether government
or association-owne,l. will operate I'm.
der the sign Of the Blue Triangle. They
wifi have big living rooms, assembly
rooms for entertainments, club rooms,
and gymnnsiums. The Blue Triangle
will furnish a program Of service work,
educational classes. games and enter.
tainments. Military and signar corps
( drills will be IN charge of sOldiera.