The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-03-23
INTENDING Line
OF YANKS ARE
GIVEN SERVICE

ny IDAH MGIONE GIBSON
Author Of Confessions Of "a Wife"
Who Iias just Returned From
Trip 10 the War Zone Under
the Auspices Of the American
Red Cross and The Star
7 wish . could make you over
here understand what the Red
Cross tsnteen means Ia the
American soldier In "a strange
land.
lie gets here n little taste Of
home: he gets American food,
sandwiches like mother used 10
make and coffcc. tea and choco-
late.
I stopped n while In the splen.
did eant~~n presided over by
Miss Givenwiison nj camp Of
10. 200 of our m~n.
Miss Giycnwilhon ~ slender girl
and she reminded me OF nothing 30
much as flame darling here and
there. She and her most efficient
corps Of young women are soldiers
IN tn. true sense Of the word They
work until they drop from cxhaus'
ton and bear hardrhips that the av.
erage American woman cannot un.
derstand. much less endure.
Nearly every young woman
that ! have spoken TO since
came back Ia. said. "Oh. how I
wish ! could go over there" The
girls over here seem 10 think the
girls over there are having cork
ing times.
Miss Cisen~ilson had been at this
cantecn when I was there less than
three month";. but with the excep
ton Of one other young lady. she
was the only one who had been able
to stand the hardship. All the 9th.
ern had nuceumbcd TO cold and hard
work.
Get Up Early
These girls get up before 6. and
with the weather below zero they
make their own fires IN their bar
racks Everything n FROZEN up.
even tooth brushes have TO be thaw-
ed out before they can be used.
Then over 90 the cantecn. for the
men begin 60 com. in at half past 6.
The bis Red Cross hut is warm.
There are "a piano. a Nictrola, a
number OF tables. where one may
play dominoes or checkers. or write
letters home. but It's greatest attrac-
ton is the counter at which eats arc
sold
For 6 CENTS soldier can buy two
sandwiches. "A cup OF coffee. tea or
chocolate. and there Ia always a line
Of American soldiers. from the open.
Ing Until tn. closing. at o'clock at
night
Too Tirvd TO Talk
Right here, please r~m~mb~v
these girls arc on their feet all
this time. As they tumble into
b~d until the next morning b.
fore light, they arr usually 80
tired they have very little TO say
Ia each other.
Every American mother knows
you cannot fln up the American boy.
and I accused some OF the boys OF
getting their cups OF coffee and
sandwiches. and making way with
them a. they slowly wendell their
way back TO the end OF the line
again.
Jam. cheese. sardines and ham: ali
are made into pasies that can be
easily spread on war bread.
Spread I 900 Sandwiches
This bread. which IL rather hard
Of crust. IL SLICED. usually by Ger
man prisoner. many OF whom are de.
tainod 10 clean up the hut
The sandwiches are then spread
by the girls. sitting nj long table
spread 900 sandwiches with
cheese paste on Christmas day. and
the others did better than I. for. be
Ing new. ! was not very expert
Every boy tries TO stop moment
TO say something to the girls at the
counter. Indeed. one young chap
said to me. II am not always
hungry when I 20 20 the hut. but
get so homeSick 10 talk America nese
with an American girl. that just
go over and buy a sandwich for the
excuse OF saying. Gee. but you're
looking fine this morning. you must
have had a letter from home.
WORK u. Hours Daily
Every ono OF the young women in
these cantecns is working IL hours
a day. quite as hard ms tho soldiers
that are drilling outside. and many
of these girls have had maids to
do their hair ut home.
Aud yet you seldom hear word
OF complaint over the hardships they
are enduring.
when a girl begins TO complain.
you can be sure she will not stay
long: she is better off back here
I'm America. where she can find fault
because Mr.. Hoover has asked her
not to eat white bread or some other
little sacrifice.
IL Is the American spirit which
you will find permcating those girls
who work over there in the Red
Cross as thoroly as Il does our sol.
diers. and II makes one proud. not