The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-10-15
PROPAGANDA IN FRANCE.
The Germans in their propaganda

The Germans in their propaganda
N France tried it first on the women
n the munitions factories Miss
Henrietta Roelofs, head Of the Y ":
O. A work in France stated recently
Miss Roefols is in this country on
short leave of absence.
The Germans quickly discovered,
Miss Roelofs said, that their most
fertile field for breaking down tbs
morale of France was through the
women. Women were the ones who
first heard insiduous whispers for uni
yersal peace. The whispers started
at a time when the War had been pro
crossing a year or two and when
France was suffering defeat. BY that
time the women who worked So hard
making shells and heavy guns were
tired. They were working and suf-
fering far removed from the first line.
They did not share in the glory given
the man in uniform. They had none
of his excitements or the spirit of a
great mass of people back of them.
they worked at their machines as in
iividuals and as individuals they faced
long hours and cheerless. toilsoaked
days.
civil revolt because they counted on
whispers of an early peace. Added
to that thy had in their favor the
strain the women were working un-
victory which seemed to slip away
was ever increasing the sight of mu-
i 70
German propaganda counted on
and the monotony of their lives. 1t
was carefully planned In spite of
themselves the morale of the women
of France was breaking under the
terrible emotional strain.
For while it seemed as if every
thing tended toward breaking down
the Womans will-to-fght in France
and the Germans knew it.
at was just at this point that both
the French and American Govern
ments came to the Y. w. C. A. and
asked for their help in bracing up the
morale of the women of France.
with a quick understanding of the
situation, American Women went over
to bring recreation and some degree
of comfort to French women. The
first thing the Y. w. C. A. women did
was to strengthen the ideals of the
women in munitions factories and to
inform them that the success of the
War dependede largely on them. The
Governments of the Allied Nations
knew as did the Y. w. C. A. did that
these women must DE kept at tho
highest point of efficiency il the Allies
would win.
"At the present time the Y. w. C.
A. is offering such help to the women
Of France through its recreationaI
centers and its entire devotion to
France that it has already increased
the military efficiency of the women.
Housing has been attended to. Wo-
men now have a more normal social
relationship with their returned sc'-
diers, recreation of all kinds has been
provided. Training for leadership and
the instilling of patriotic ideas with
a new understanding of what they are
fighting for has been the first meas
ure of service which this great or
ganiZation of women was able to of
fer the Allied Government. The Y.
W. c. A. certainly helped to turn the
tide"
The War Council of the Y. w. c. A.
is engaged in the task of carrying out
the wishes of the Government of the
United States and looking after "the
girl he left behind him." In other
words they are appointed by Uncle
Sam as the guardian of the vast army
Of women who have stepped into
the "iobs" left vacant by their sol
hoo 1~fs