The Elbert County tribune., 1918-10-11
THE SECOND LINE
OF DEFENSE

wide as the River Sosn,ae. The giri
In the munltion fnctory in the middle
West Is very close to her brother In
the front-lne trenches. If her work
fslters. ~ one untrue torpedo passcs
the careful scrutiny OF the Inspector.
the lives OF American soldiers pny
the price.
II Is as necessary to keen the girt
who mnkes the shells physically ai
and high OF courage as the man who
fires the gun.
The glory and excitement OF wnr
are foe the man In khnki- Grinding.
nonoiouous labor far away from the
nsing flags and martial music Is the
portion Of the girl who makes mum.
tions
Que and a half million women aud
girls have marched into the service Of
the uuited 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 muni-
tion cantonmcut the number Is null
tiplicd. These girls work tong hours
and the work Is hard and monotonous.
Furthermore. they work at high nerv-
ous tension. On the skill of their FIN
gers and the accuracy OF their eyes do
pends the lives of many soldiers. the
winning or losing of many battles-
II can't sleep ut night because i'ru
80 afinid ! may have passed on some
thing that was not quite true" said
one young girl not yet N her twentles.
who inspected hundreds OF torpedoes
every day.
Unless something can make this girl
forget at night. and find some rest. her
hand Will lose It's cunning.
Nights and Sundays said another.
81 walk and walk, and l never 20 the
same route twice until | have worn
out all the others. and yet | can't for
get thnt perhaps some time. somehow.
during the day something may lave
gone through that was not quite right"
II was just on the edge Of going
back home" said another. "I couldn't
stand IT, Then the recreation leader
asked me IL played basket ball, aud
i ] told her ! WIS too old. I'm twenty
\ eight She insisted that ] Just try
throwing the ball and now TIM captain
of the basket boil tenn play tennis.
and can set up and 'wig-war, and
4 they're going TO make me forewornu
J of the room. That would have fright
ened me to death once. But every
thing is different now, that we have
our War Service club"
Tho war department had sccu the
need of occupations for out-of-wprls
I "a Al. .,tis
nt their grentest efficiency. and through
the ordnance department asked tie
Young Women's Christian Association
for recreation lenders, TO line UP thr
girls and direct their frcc-tinie pleas
ures.
The government reminded the y. w
e. A. that MS an organization II nlwgt'
had had nn interest in the right hous
Ing of girls, in the right feeding ut
girls. and in the right education ol
girls, and that the intelligent cnre ot
these girls in the munitions f8ctorie!
was one Of the essentials In the win
ming of the war. The government
could house and feed them. 1t conlt
put up recreation buildings, but whei
this was done II was us helpless as th'
father of motherless girl. The gov
ernment rs a composite man. He fidn'
know what n girl should do when th'
+ six O'Clock fnctory whistle blew. IL
. only knew she needed looking afte
| and he chilled to the one woman's or
, gnnlzation that for half q century hai
/, mnde study of the needs Of girls
T Vaguely, lie had an idea that sh
7 Il. I.a
she needed wholesome recreation. an
some one. wise and sympathetic rs
/, carefni mother. to guide her socinI DC
tlvItles.
/ The Blue Triangle sent its play lad
. to salute and go TO work. Workers pr
/, asked for in recreation buildings o
sll the % federal industrial reserve
tions or inunition cantonments wficl
have been opened this summer in ses
, eral of the states. These reservation
sprung up out of the very fields In
few weeks. They are employing thot
sands of workers. Many OF .thes
I women have come from far distnn
homes. The government provide
dorrnltories and mess barracks.
some places 1t is putting up recreotio
buildings. Where such a building
not provided by the government. the
w. c. A. VIII furnish It, using one a
ready standing when available, nn
building when that Is necessary. a
these buildings. whether governmeI
u or association-owned, will operate III
i der the sign of the Blue Triangle. The
win have big living rooms. assemb
:, rooms for entertainments, club room
=. and gymnaslums. The Blue Triung
10 WIZ iui nisi, piost"pp y, l'' ~ ~,
| faI ..,onfs AIiilt.ar.l md ainnaI nnr1