The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-10-31
THE SECOND LINE
OF DEFENSE

berlln. The Atlantic ocean " not as
wide MS the River Somme The girl
In the munltlon factory in the middle
West Is very close 10 her brother In
the front.llne trenches. II her work
fnlters, n one untrue torpedo passes
the careful scrutiny OF the inspector.
the lives Of American soldiers pay
the price.
II Is ms necessary to keep the girl
who makes the shells physically At
and high Of courage ms the man who
fires the gun.
The glory and excitement Of war
are for the man In khaki Grinding.
monotonous labor far away from the
flying flags and martial music is the
portion Of the girl who makes NUM-
lions.
one and a half million women and
the United States government, to take
the places of the men who have been
called 10 the colors. With every draft
and with the opening OF every NUM-
tion environment the number Is null
tiplied. These girls work long hours
and the work Is hard and monotonous.
Furthermore. they work at high nerv-
Gus tension. On the skill OF their an
gers and the accuracy of their eyes de-
ponds the lives OF many soldiers. the
winning or losing OF many battles.
II cant sleep Mt night because I'm
20 afraid may have passed on some
thing that was not quite true" said
ono young girl not yet I'm her twenties.
who Inspected hundreds OF torpedoes
every day.
Unless something can make this girl
forget AZ night, and find some rest. her
hand will lose its cunning.
"Nights and Sundays" said another.
81 walk and walk. and never go the
same route twice until I have worn
out all the others. and yet I 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" said another. 81 couldn't
stand II. Then the recreation leader
asked me II played basket ball. and
! told her I was too old. Tn twenty
eight. She insisted that just try
throwing the ball. and now Tn captain
Of the basket ball team. play tennis.
and can set up and 'wig-wag.' and
they're going 10 make me forewoman
" the room. That would have fright
ened me 20 death once But every
thing Is different now. that we have
our War Service club"
The war department had seen the
need or occupations for out-of-work
hours n the employees were 10 work
at their greatest efficiency. and through
the ordnance department asked the
Young Women's Christian Association
for recreation leaders, 20 line up the
girls and direct their freetIme pleas
ures.
The government reminded the Y. w.
c. A. that ms an 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 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. II could
put up recreation buildings, but when
this was done II was ms helpless as the
father OF motherless girl. The gov
eminent Is a composite man. He didn't
know what a 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 n century had
made n study OF the needs Of girls
Vaguely. he had an idea that she
should he encouraged 70 play, that
she needed wholesome recreation, and
some one, wise and sympathetic as a
careful mother, TO guide her social ac-
tivlties.
The Blue Triangle sent its play lady
20 salute and go 10 work. Workers are
asked for I'm 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 are employing thou
sands Of workers. Many OF these
women have come from far distant
homes. The government provided
dormltories and mess barracks. In
some places II is putting up recreation
buildings. Where such a building is
not provided by the government. the Y.
w. G. A. will furnish II, using one al
ready standing when available, and
building when that is necessary. All
these buildings, whether government
or association-owned, will operate UNI
der the sign Of the Blue Triangle They
will have big living rooms, assembly
rooms for entertainments. club rooms
and gymnasiums. The Blue Triangle
will furnish "A program Of service work,
educational classes, games and enter
talnments. Military and signal corps
drills will be In charge OF soldiers.
In Washington. the members of the
Business WOmen's council, Blue Trl-
angle league OF the Y. w. G. A.. made
up OF girl government employees. drill
twice week under an army officer
and hefWeQn five and six o'clock ON