Evening star., 1918-07-28

~ ed girls were detrained at New
York the other day. On their
sleeves they bore the insignia
4 \ OF the United States Signal
Corps.
They had come to this Atlantic mort
from as far west as the Pacific,
Full Of zeal they were for the new
Job ahead as telephone operators for
the United States forces in France.
But after all they were girls COM
pletfng the first lap in q long Journey
which was to take them from home
and friends for they knew not how
great length of time.
SO to them all il. was a welcome
surprise to be met by a woman wear
ing the' blue-gray uniform of the
foung Women's Christian Association
on1cial worker and to be told by her
that rest and rooms awaited soua
'ne national headquarters in that
CITY, and that for others the head of
d large private school had turned
over her spare summer quarters.
rms FORM of chaperonage and hos
pitahty for Its woman employees en-
route is one of the duties which the
war Department has delegated to
the T. w. c. A. and the latter has
met the demand satisfactorily. This
same group of girls when they ar
rived in Paris would again be met
py the representatives of the Y W.
z. A., would be taken to the Hotel
Petrograd. which this organization
has recently opened for the benefit
OF American women abroad, and would
go from there to quarters which had
been provided for them.
This is but one illustration Of the
character OF war work at home and
ssproad sr' which the Young Women's
itsen within the past year. Mrs.
James 8. Cushman, chairman of the
Y. w. G. A. war work council, de-
ciared that the recent decision Of
to combine in certain phases of their
activities was one of the most Inn
portant steps that had been taken in
women's work since the war began.
approximately seven hundred Amer.
lean women have taken up definite
and serious work through the agency
OF the Y. w. c. A. and are performing
war work through that organization.
OF these. about one hundred have
been sent to France and are conduct
Ing recreationa1. educational and re-
lief services among various groups
OF American and French. women.
The work of the order in this coun-
try includes the maintenance of host
Sss houses at the camps and canton
inents. where the friends Of the SOL
diers may come to visit their sons,
husbands. brothers and sweethearts
under favorable conditions. 1t also
includes material assistance in the
matter of providing living quarters
And relief and recreational activities
for woman workers in war Industry
! In Washington it is lending its hand
In the great housing problem for the
multitude of women who have taken
service with the government within
the past year. as well as providing
tivities for their benefit.
The latest accomplishment of the
z. w. c. A. in Washington has been
the completion Of q group OF cafe
terias sufficient to feed 5000 woman
Eoyernment workers q day. In addi-
cafeteria service for 500 men Of the
ordnance department at the request
6f this division.
The war work Of the Y. W. c. A. In
France Is but q year old. but is al
ready attaining great results. It
works in France in three separate
and distinct lines. 1t creates home
centers among the Red Cross nurses
and other women engaged In relief
activities: 1t performs q like service
for the American women who have
gone over TO work for the govern
ment. as well as aiding them in the
housing problem. and 1t Is performing
vitality important work among the French
woman rnnnition workers. as we'll. as
among the 1900 girls and women
who have gone from every part Of
their land TO swell the war ministry
ONCE In Paris.
The little homo centers for, the
Army; nurses who are serving IN the
Americans base hospitals are created
by the Y. W. c. A. in cooperation with
the Red Cross and the 7. NJ. c. A., A
hut La built, by the Red Cross on or
near the hospital grounds. One end of
It ii taken by the Y. NJ. C. A.. while one
room ia r. belongs to. the Z. W. c. A.
And. this room becomes. little bit of
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