Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1918-11-14
A WALLED CITY,
OF WOMEN

.''s
inside n high wall IN France within the
last year. Its square fiat houses stand
In straight ever rows and along n
side Of the city wall is a long dormi-
tory for single women. There are many
more of them than of the families In
the drab little houses. The village 10
full of women-Old, young, middle
agcd-whose faces. hands and hair
slowly are turning yellow from the
powder which 1t Is said will eventually
affect their lungs. But most Of them
are refugees and the fact that they
are giving up their good looks, their
health, and perhaps their lives In the
munitlon factory. Is of little moment to
them. They have come into the walled
town from ruined villages and devas-
tated farms with their frightened little
children. their despalrlng old people,
carrying all their earthly possessions
In tiny bundles. In their individual
lives there is no future; in all their
world there Is no interest but the con.
quest Of the Hun.
No one comes into this little war
community that centers around the big
new munitions plant but those who
work. Because Of the danger and the
blighting yellow powder, the work Is
highly paid and all the workers are
volunteers.
The women wear overalls or apron
dresses, some Of black sateen, some
nondescript. The dnli garb harmonizes
with the following faces and despair
Ing eyes.
Into this modern walled city of. de-:
spalr the Blue Triangle has flashed the
first message of hope. The Y. w. G. A.
foyer Is the only recreatlonal center
within reach. The cars which find
cafes at the end Of the line a mile
away, stop running at seven O'Clock to
save fuel. The city Is three miles
from the factory.
MY problem" writes tho Y. W. G.
| A. secretary In charge. us to keep the
women occupied In the evenings, to
give them good healthy amusement SO
that they will forget their sorrows and
go to bed and sleep. physically tired
out from playing"
She goes on to tell of some of the
| women and girls who ONE to the
foyer:
"Thcre Is n pretty little round, rosy
| checked girl here who Is just beginning
to show the effects of the powder. The
| roots of her hair and her forehead ARE
a pale yellow. The palms of her hands
are a deep burnt orange AMI her hands
| and arms II bright yellow.
l. "lhcre Is an cx-professional dancer,
an interesting girl who enjoys the
foyer and helps entertain the other
| girls. There is Il professional pianist
| who does her bit ut the noon nnd V @
ming hours. There is M rough-and-
ready girl who speaks English, whose
father was an lnnkeeper In northern
France. There is Il pretty little girl
who Is engaged to II French soldier
win still Is rejoicing over the five min
utessshe had with him recently during
an air raid. Ills mother is the care
taker here and he Is one of six sons in
| the war. Two Of them are German
military prisoners. two arc civil prls-
Oners In Germany AMI two are soldiers
In the trenches. Her home in the
north of France was destroyed and she
escaped with a small bundle of such
things as she could carry In her hands.
"There Is a sweet-faced girl who
was n lacemnker in Valenciennes, who
came direct to us from the German
ridden section after Il hard experience
in getting away"
These. are the women the Blue Trl.
angle Is helping to forget--perhaps
only for an hour at a time--the hor.
rors that have blackened their hearth
stones and darkened the world.
my foyer" the secretary writes
Consists of n hall and two large rooms
with cement floors. One has a writing
table and paper, pens and ink, sewing
machines, a cupboard with teacups In
1t, q large table with papers and maya
zines, easy chairs and my desk. The
other ROOF has a plano, more tables
chairs, ironing boards and a Victrola
There uTe uulIltIucu pEeuSlk piCtuiCs
and American and French war posters
around the room. The walls are paint
cd gray and white"
Saturday evenings they sing ant
dance. "First they have q chorus
writes the secretary, such as LIE Revt
Passe' or the 'Hymne des Amateurs OF
something equally thrilling, and at thu
final notes of triumph a voice at m!
ears begs, I'm polka, mees.' The polkt
finished, there Is a call for the 'Hymn'
Americain' and we sing the Star
Spangled Banner lie Drapeau Etoile.
In two languages"
These foyers have been established
in several munltion centers In France
Each one hns a cafeteria, a recreation
hall and rooms fitted up as res
rooms, writing and sewing rooms. A
night these rooms are filled witt
French girls learning English, book
keeping or %aenography, that they ma
work In the offices of the America