The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-03-20
5IPL,SN RED CROSS CANIEENS
ARE USLALLYTOO TIRED TO TALK
eiean Welcome, Ameri-
tn Talk, American Food,
work Wonders for Boys
- neLoNE eIBeoN

~. III BeLoF1E GIBSON
lSsis1 al COMMISSIONS Of q Wttes
HaE inst Returned from TIP
20 Wa zone Under the Auspices
~ American Red Cross and The
Rest VfrSinian.
IwIsE1 I could make you over here
il.ldeFstsnd what the Red Cross Can
IN means to the American so4ofes
ina strange land.
"a Eets here a little taste OF home;
n Rets American food. sandT1enee
Ifts mother used to make ana eonee'
tea and chocolate. ar,
] stopped a while IN the spleno1o
esnteen presided over by Miss Gwen
wilson at camp Of 10000 OF our men :n;
Miss Gf7enwilsoD IS slender 9lrI
and she reminded me OF nothing 30
raueh AZ 4 fame darting mere ano
fhepe. She and her most ettic1eat
CONS OF young women are soldiers ~
the rue sense OF the word. Ihey "o -LS
nntl they drop from exhsls<ion 4no
bear ha<dshfps that the average H1e:-
I'm, woman cannot understand, mucn
less endure. IA r
l,5ys snoken TO since came back has
said, "Oh. how Wis. / could so oFe
tf3era The girls OYER here seem TO
tI1fnIr 4he girls over there are having
corkfnS times 81
Miss GiyenVvilson had been at this
e.nteen when I was there less than
fbree months, bat with the exception
sc one other young lady, she was the
e,niy one who had been able to StSoo
. IA hardship. All the others had sue
embed to cold and hard work
These girls get up before SIX ano
,-,;+b the weather below zero they make
tbsir own fires in their barracks.
everything a. frozen up. even tootn
i1rushes have to be thawed out before
4hey can be used. Then over to tee
cznteen. for the men begin to come IN
at half past six.
The big Red Cross hut is warm
There is a piano, a Tictrola. nun1-
berof tables where one U?ay play DOM
{noes or checkers or write letters
home. but It's greatest atsractlon IS the
counter at which the cats are sold.
For six cents, a soldier can buy two
sandwiches. a cup of coffee. tea or
chocolate and there is always Inc
of American soldiers from the open
INF until the closing at seven O'CLOCK
It night
RiSnt here, please remember these
girls are on their feet all this time as
they Tumble into bed until the next
morning before light they are usually
so tired they have very little 70 say %
each other.
esnnot ffII up the American boy. and
accused some OF the boys. OF getting
thetr cups of coffee and sandwiches
nd making way With them as they
slowly wendell their way back to the
end Of the line again.
Jam, cheese, sardines and ham, an
are made into pastes that can be cas-
ily spread on war bread
This bread, which IS rather hard OF
crust, Is sliced usually by a German
prisoner, many of whom are detained
TO clean up the hut.
The sandwiches are then spread by
the Rirls sitting at long table. l
Ioresd one thousand sandwiches with
cheese paste on Christmas Day and the
others did better than 1, for being new
was not very expert
Every boy tries to stop moment to
say something to the girls at the coun-
Ter. Indeed. one young chap said to
ne, II am not always hungry when
70 to the nut, but get 50 homes1ck
10 talk Americanese with an American
Eirl, that just go over and buy sand
wish for the excuse Of SayinG, Gee, but
you're looking fine this morning. you
must have had 4 letter from home"
Everyone OF the young women in
these canteens is working IL hours
3ay, quite as hard as the soldiers that
are drilling outside, and many OF these
girls have had maids TO do their hair
1t home.
And yet you seldom hear word OF
complaint over the hardships they ere
enduring.
When girl begins to complain, you
can be sure she will not stay long; she
Is better on back here in America,
where she can find fault because Mr.
Hoover has asked her not to eat white
bread or some other little sacrifice.
It Is the American sirit which you
It Is the American spirit which you
work over there In the Red Cross as
thoroughly as it does our soldiers, and
II makes one proud not only OF being
an American, but OF being an Ameri-