Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-09
LETTER FROM A SELECTED MAN
AT CAMP MEADE TO HIS MOTHER
How Woman Has Come Into Her Own as an
Indispensable Factor in the Life and
Activities of Little Penn

CAMP MEADE, admiral Md, Jan. s.
nEAR MOTHER--women are coming
- into their own at Little Penn. and
SO rapidly that the fighting men find it
difficult to keep up with their many
activities.
When the camp was thrown open to
the selects of Pennsylvania, Maryland
and the District of Columbia less than
four months ago there was no work and.
In fact. no room for the fair sex. Camp
work, according to army officers. was
not for women. They are out of their
element when dealing with the problems
of soldiers and. in fact, lack the capacity
to grapple with the perpleXing problems
in army life.
That was our philosophy during the
early days when the boys were pouring
in at dust-enveloped Disney and begin
ming II new life in the Little Penn Sec
ton OF Uncle Sans National Army.
But that attitude. like many other
prejudices that have been entertained
for centuries. has been placed in the dis
card and today finds scores of worS2n
actually identified with the camp. First
to invade the camp and give it touch
of femninity were the women connected
with the Y. w. G. \. Their hostess
house. with its cozy hooks, flreplaces
lunchroom and rest parlors. speaks for
itself.
1t filled n real reed and is withou,
question the most popular institution In
camp--so popular that every man from
General Nicholson down to the young
est private takes pleasure in escortinG
friends to its welcome rooms.
Following the establishment of the
hostess house came a bevy of nurses and
more are scheduled to arrive, for the
army surgeons believe that they are
quite necessary at the base hospital.
But the work of women does not stop
at the hostess house and the base hos
pital. In fact, 1t goes deeper into the
life Of the cantonment, for several
women have been engaged as instructors
In the camp night schools. This work,
according to the original plans OF the
Y. NJ. G. a, was to be accomplished by
men. but the call for man-power in the
fighting forces and in the allied branches
of the national service so drained the
supply of masculine timber that women
were drafted.
Madame Maurice MCntreval. wife OF
the French purchasing agent for tobacco
is one of the women who has been called
to- this work and is demonstrating the
adaptabilty of her sex in this particular
field of endeavor. That the Y. NJ. {. y.
will eventually be forced to draft women
for work in the bungalows is virtually
certain. fer every day the war continues
the problem of getting men who are suit
able for this work becomes more veXing
| must not close this letter without
mentioning an incident that throws con
siderable light on the character OF
women that are employed in camp work
Madame Brunow. cne of the workers al
the hostess house, is n widow and two
months ago sent her only son--in fact
he is her only child--to Admission. Ala
She is a French woman and wanted to
do more than sending her Fred into the
army, so came to the hostess house. She
brought little white-haired terrier with
her.
The little dog won his way into tho
hearts of the soldiers, but during last
Sundays rush OF visitors strayed away
and hasn't been found. Il want yol
to mention the loss of my dog, criet
the heart-broken woman today. Jus
tell the folks. Bob, how l miss hlm ant
how dear he is to me-" Then Madame
Brunow told me how the little terrier
had been her pet for nine years ah'
how she loved him. Fred went ava.
/ TO the war;" she sobbed. "and all nat
/ left was my little dog" Then she sa
| down at n table and cried. l was s.
| touched that l promised to help her
interested the military police and every
thing is being done TO ma the iitti
white -haired dog with yellow ears; th
dog that was left to comfort widoV
who had sent her only boy into th
service.
Another soldier boy has become {