Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-19
TELEPHONE GIRLS
SERVE IN FRANCE
Women of All Allied Countries
Play Important Part
in War.
OPERATORS UNSATISFACTORY
Pershing Calls for Americans
Able to Speak French and
English.
OPERATORS UNSATISFACTORY
TRv Associated Press.1

ASHiEGlON, May lS.-Since the
early days of the war women Of the
allied countries have distinguished
themselves in various lines OF war
work. Whether fighting shoulder to
shoulder with men in the Russian
Battalion Of Death" driving ambu-
lances over shell-torn roads. nursing
in military hospitals or performing a
thousand and one duties at home,
women have taken an important part.
However. there has been thrown
open new field in which the American
woman already has demonstrated her
infinite resourcefulness. innate versa
tility and racial capacity for speedy,
accurate work. The new task is that
OF operating an American telephone
exchange. often short distance be-
hind the trenches in France.
In modern warfare the telephone has
assumed such Importance that fire.
quently it is referred to as the nerves
OF the army. 1t was not to be ex-
pected that General Pershing's expedi-
tionary forces were to rely on foreign
systems OF telephone communication.
abandoning the more expedient service
which this nation, as pioneer in the
field. had developed. Accordingly. vast
quantities of telephone material were
taken overseas and installed by the
army signal corps. During 1917 men
operators and French women were used
for the work, but neither group was
satisfactory.
! The great difficulty was procuring
| operators capable Of speaking both
| French and English, who were neces-
| sar. in order to maintain accurate
| communication between the French and
| American armies. In November last
year General Pershing called upon
| headquarters Of the signal corps to
forward overseas as soon as possible
Il force OF 100 trained operators. able
TO speak intelligently in both tongues.
EFFORT MADE TO FIND
OPERATORS IN LOUISIANA
Believing 1t possible to obtain
| operators with command of both
| lar guages in parts OF the continent
| where there were large French popu-
| lations. an effort first was made to Till
the quota from the French pioneers
| OF Canada and Louisiana. Want ads
| were placed in the French-Canadian
! papers, but from more than 800 APP
| plicants only six could be considered
| Then the announcement was published
| in newspapers of this country, and
| from 2,4o0 applicants there were pro-
! cured twenty-five experienced opera
tors and twenty-five possible eligibles
Al the present time $500 applications
have been received, and from that
list the first group of 100 was selected
and sent across, $50 more are now in
training school, and reserve force Of
! 400 more is o. file.
Under existing regulations wives of
army officers or enlisted men are not
| eligible to those units. Unauthorized
! stories to the effect that wives Of army
| officers had found it possible to re-
| join their husbands in France by en-
| listing In the phone units. caused the
offices Of the signal corps TO be flooded
with applications, which necessarily
had to bo rejected
| Each applicants character and ability
was certified by her previous employer
| before she was considered. psyche
| logist rave tests to the prospective
| operator, using methods employed by
| the army In judging qualifications OF
| officers. Also. since the work to be per-
formed was largely OF a confidential
nature. and would give the operat tors
| carefully guarded information as to
! troop movements. each candidates
loyalty and motive for applying for
service were investigated thoroughly
On January Il the first group en-.
tered the training schools for instruc-
lions in advanced telephony Practice
WAS given in the largest New York
! exchanges, and was followed by short
term at military environments. so that
the young women might acquire some
familiarity with military terms. Lee
| lures were delivered to the recruits
by officers OF the signal corps. special
| emphasis bein. given to the imprt-
ance OF lines OF communication in
modern warfare. Talks upon personal
hygiene were given by women sur
| geons.
On March tho first contingent
sailed. and few weeks later American
officers in France were agreeably sur
prised by hearing over the military
| phones operators who used American
terms. gave splendid service, and who
could translate the message Of a
| French officer to an American. Other
groups sailed during March and April,
and were stationed In groups of ten
at supply depots or debarkation bases
WOMEN OPERATORS WEAR
DISTINCTIVE UNIFORM
The uniform worn by the women
operators was designed and prescribed
! by the Army War College 1t con.
sists OF a coat and skirt Of navy blue
| serge. tailored shirtwaist OF navy blue
Palm beach cloth or similar material
and the straiSht-brimmed hat Of blue
felt, with the official orange and white
cord OF the signal corps. On the left
sleeve OF the coat is the brassard OF
white whipcord or doeskin, bearing
! small devices indicating the rank of
the wearer-chief operator. supervisors
| or operator.
1T would DO impossible to brigade
American troops without these girls
| declared Captain l.. J. Wesson. who re.
cruited the unit. They are going to
astound tho people over there BY the
efficiency Of their work. In Paris IL
| takes from forty to sixty seconds to