Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-07-23
WIFE OF THE SOLDIER
Best Place for Her is Back at
Home.

Home.
Shall the wives and relatives OF
American troops abroad he permitted
To 20 TO France in the Red Cross. J.
VI. e. A., and other activities?
The war departments ruling against
il has been a source OF controversy.
especially among those who think that
graduate nurses should not be barred
| from service simply because kinsfolk
| happVn to bc in the army
There has been steady drive on
I through members of the senate and
house. who on behalf of millions of in
tcrcstcd constituents have sought to
know the reasons of the government
and il modification was not pos
siblc.
| Lieut.. Gen. PcytOn g. March. chief
of staff of the United States army has
very positive views on the subject. and
| il was after consultation with Gen.
| Pcrshing that the war department
came TO the present decision. What
/ General March says. however. to many
organizations. including IN" Red
Cross and Y. VI. &. ~, who have been
bcsrcchng him to chang" his policy,
| is based also on his own eXpcrlcnc"
with the cXpcditionary forces in
France in the period that elapsed be-
fore relatives of the troops w"r" bar
red.
Men Worry for Wives Safety.
II want to make it clear" b" de-
clared, that the army welcomes In"
service OF women abroad. They ar"
invaluable in Tn" work OF the Red
Cross and the Y. NJ. G. \. and hav"
don" and can do much TO help on In"
other side. I:ut "" hnv" found il
necessary to make Il Limitation for
exactly the same reasons which acti-
at"d the British and French authorl-
ties.
| AT first there WAS no limitation
| And the wives and relatives of British
| officers and men crowded the villages
and towns back of the lines. Al In"
very time when Il German drive waS
being made, the interest of the officer
and soldier was divided. Ii his VIII"
and relatives were near Il part of tn"
line that was being attacked. h" w"r-
ricd about their safety. They. ON the
other hand. impOrtun"d the COM
manding officers for permission To find
their relatives at the front and de
tcrIninc il they were safe.
FINALLY the British government
was compelled. as a military measure.
to prevent the wives. daughters and
sisters oi nrn in the army from going
to France. Why. the wife of French
officer even ii she Is only ten or mr.
teen miles from her husbands post.
/ cannot get permission To Sc" him.
| Had Experience of Our Own.
$50 We adopted the same rule. AS a
matter of fact. we had some expert
rncc OF our own when | was abroad.
| ! was in command of "a camp at tn"
time that air raids and attacks wcr"
being made around Paris. Many Of
tia officers and men hav" wives or
| swccthcartS in Paris. was over
whclmrd with requests for furloughs
| by the men themselves. who wanted
to find out il their dear ones wcr"
safe.
"Thc relatives came i'm the guisc
of Red Cross and Y. 81. G. \. workers
hut II was only natural for them to
want to get in touch with the men of
their families.
"Thc thing we must do Is to keep
the American soldier concentrated on
the business in hand. which is fighting
the enemy II We permit any distrac-
tion we will not have that whole
hearted interest which is so essential
in war.
| How can We get enough women If
we har the wives, daughters and sis
tcrs of American soldiers? Why. as
sumo that there are four women in
| Americans now in France. There isn't
any such average. hut If there wCr,
/ that would bc about 100000 II Is
conceivable that out of the remainder
of our population we cannot g"t 25.-
O0O or 10000 women. which is the csti-
mate | have frequently heard as Ia
the number needed In France?
Ruling Absolutely Necessary.
| Aren't there 10000 or even 100000
women who can Sfound out of the
90. 900. 900 who want to do their part
i'm this war and who will not bring tn
France that distracting interest which
may interfere seriously with the spirit
and strength of our fighting force?
believe there are more than that num-
| bcr available. And much of the work
for which ii is argued that women are
needed can he done in the United
States 10y men well above military
age. Roth Great Britain and France
are using men Of mature years in their
Y. NJ. {. \. and other relief work and
I am sure there arc many in America
who would like to avail themselves
OF the opportunity.
Il do not wish to seem to he dis
couraging any one who can he OF real
service in France. but il has been my
observation that most of the requests
and petitions to have us modify our
policy come indirectly from women
who have husbands or brothers in the
army abroad, and their fundamental
desire is to get near those men. This
shows plainly what their effort would
bc on the other side were they per-
mittcd passports to so to France. II
is ruling We regret having to make.
hut one that is absolutely necessary to
| win the war. and one that is not go
| ing To he changed"
Organizations lnsistent.
General March has usually succeed