Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1918-10-03
THE SECOND LINE
OF DEFENSE

tOday as the distance from Paris 10
Berlin. The Atlantic ocean II not 40
wide 50 the River Somp,e. The girl
In the munition factory In the middle
West is very close to her bro her In
the fr,nt-llnc trenches. n her work
FILTERS. II one untrue torpedo pnsses
the careful scrutiny Of the in. pector.
the lises Of American soldiers pay
the price.
It is Us necessary to keep the giri
who mikes the shells physically az
and high Of courage as the MIN who
fires tile gun.
The glory and excitement II war
are, foi the man in khaki. Grinding,
mountainous labor far away from the
flying fags and martial music is the
portior, Of the girl who makes mum.
lions.
One and hnlf million WON. n and
girls have marched into the ne, vice Of
the United States government, to TAKE
the pieces Of the men who have been
called to the colors. With every draft
md with the opening Of every mum.
ton c,intonment the number .s mul.
tiplted. These girls work long hours
and the work Is hard and n,ongtnnous.
Furthermore. they work mt hi,A nerv-
Gus tension. On the skill of II cir fin
gers aud the accuracy Of their eyes de.
ponds the lives Of many soldiers the
winning or losing ofimany BATTLES.
II can't sleep at night because I'm
so afri:id / may have passed MI some
thing that was not quite trre,' said
one young girl not vet In her tvrenties,
who Inspected hundreds Of toipcloes
every day.
Unless something can ianke this GIRL
forget Mt night, and find some rest, her
hand will lose its cunning.
'Nishts and Sundays" said another.
Il walk and walk. and I never go the
snme route twice until have worn
ont all the others, and yet 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" snid another. III couldn't
stand 1t. Then the recreation leader
asked me If played basket bill, and
told her I was too old. I'm twenty
eight She insisted TINT lust try
throwing the ball. and now I'm captnin
Of the basket ball team. play tennis.
and ctn set up and 'wig.wat;,' md
they're going to make me forewomnn
of the room. Tint 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
Heed Hf occupations for out-tf-worl.
hours If the employees were to work
at thei. greatest efficiency, and through
the ordnance department asked the
Young Wonen's Christian Association
for recreation lenders, to line I'M the
girls and direct their free-time pleas
ires. = -....... ....,.-.-.-.---- "a
The government reminded the Y. W.
c. A. that as an organization 1t always
had had nm 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 care Of
these girls in the munitions factories
was one of the essentials in the win
ming of the war. The government
could house and feed them. It could
put np recreation buildings. hut when
this was done II was MS helpless as the
father of II motherless girl. The gov.
ernmeiit is u 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 woman's or
ganization that for half century had
made study of the needs Of girls.
Vaguely. he had IN idea that she
should he encouraged to play. that
she needed wholesome recreation. and
some one. wise and sympathetic MS
careful mother, to guide her social ac-
tivities.
The Blue Triangle sent Its pluy lady
to salute and go to work. Workers are
asked for in recreation buildings of
all the % federal industrial reserve
tfons or munition environments which
have been opened this summer in sew.
ernl of the states. These reservations
sprung up ont. 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
dormtt0rics md mess barracks. In
some places 1t is putting up recreation
buildings. Where such n building is
not provided by the government. the Y.
w. c. A. will furnish it. 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 rooms. assembly
rooms for entertainments. club rooms.
and gymnasiums. The Blue Trinn.!e
will furnish program of service work,
educational classes, games and enter
tainments. Military and signnl corps
drills will he In charge of soldiers.
In WaShinvfOn fha menharv ne <ba