Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-07-02
HOUSES
PLAY BIG PART
IN CAMP LIFE

the war department UNDER
stookato getl&the country's men ready
for the war. It made its plans without
thought for the women. The con-
Wa o. bit surprised to observe the
steady stream Of wome who began
to come to the environments as soon as
the cantonments became the home of
their men.
So the war department asked for
help, and it asked for help from the
Young Women's Christian association.
The hostess house was the answer.
Now there are eighty-five Of these
centers Of hospitality in army camps,
either in actual operation or in the
course Of construction. No n of
them has been undertaken until h
commandant Of the camp requests it.
Mrs. Edward Nj. Townsend. of oyster
House committee.
The architects are women, Miss
Julia Morgan Of the Pacific coast and
Miss Katharine Budd Of New York
city.
The general plan Of construction is
the same, adapted to local conditions.
A large room, plentifully provided
has q huge open fire place in the cen-
ter. Gay curtains on the windows
and pretty chintzes on the chairs, give
q piece of color that is most welcome
to the eye after the khaki monotony
Of the rest of the camp.
Half the big room is a living room.
that is truly lived in. The other half
IL q cafeteria, often the only place in
camp where visiting civilians can pro-
cur meals.
In many Of the houses there is a
nursery. shut Off in a quiet corner Of
tho house, where babies meet their
soldier fathers for the first time, and
other babies are put "to nap"
There are always n or two spare
cots In the house kept for the emer-
gency times when a storm holds wom-
en- at the camp all night, or for the
time when the mother of a sick SOL
der waits a%nxiously for the crisis.
The hostess house is manned by
i've women: the hostess director in
general charge; the social hostess, re-
sponsible for h reception of visitors;
the emergency hostess who looks aft
er the outside which come to
the cafeteria hostess, who is a train
ed dietetian, and the business hostess.
who keeps the accounts and does the
buying.
Colored hostess houses ARE being
established at camps where there are
colored troops. Such houses are in
operation at Camp Upton and Camp
DIX. Other camps to have theirs
Dor
Originally $4,000 was enough to
build. and equip a hostess house.. but
the cost here, Is in everything else,
a gone up. Lumber. wages. furni-
ture has increased in price. Trans
portation for material is unbelievably
delayed. But the houses must be
built. A house today costs in the
neighborhood of $4,000.
Hostess houses have only one justt-
hcation-what they accomplish.
"A woma came hurrying into the
hostess, house at Camp Meade last
week, explaining to the director that
she a come on a surprise visit to
her son, had only a short time to stay,
but wasn't able to locate him.
The director took her in the hos
tess car. They discovered the sons
barrack after a good deal of search
ing, with the help Of a sergeant and
were told that the son had been dis
charged dishonorably a month before.
The son name was James Smith.
The sergeant said he had found an
other James Smith in the same bar
rack, but this wasn't the soldier they
were hunting.
The mother was almost overcome
with disappointment. After the party
returned sadly to the hostess house,
the sergeant 'phoned that he was
sending the other James Smith any
way. although this James insisted it
couldn't be his mother.
In a few minutes, the substitute
James opened the door of the hos
tess house and stood completely dazed
before the woman. why, it is my
mother" he stammered. IT had no
idea she was in this part of the coun-
fry.n