Licking Valley courier., 1918-11-14
THE SECOND LINE
OF DEFENSE

from tne MISSISSIPPI valley to the
flaming front in Flanders Is not as far
today as the distance from Paris to
Berlin. The Atlantic ocean is not as
wide as the River Somme. The girl
In the munition factory in the middle
West Is very close to her brother in
the front-llne trenches. If her work
falters, If one untrue torpedo passes
the careful scrutiny Of the inspector,
the lives of American soldiers pay
the price.
It is as necessary to keep the girl
who makes the shells physically fit
and high Of courage as the man who
fires the gun.
The glory and excitement Of war
are for the man In khaki. Grinding,
monotonouS labor far away from the
flying flags and martial music is the
portion Of the girl who makes NUM-
tons.
One and half million women and
girls have marched into the service OF
the United States government, to take
the places of the men who have been
called to the colors. With every draft
and with the opening Of every NUM-
ton cantonment the number is null
tiplied. These girls work long hours
and the work is hard and monotonous.
Furthermore, they work at high nerv-
GUS tension. On the skill of their fin
gers and the accuracy of their eyes de-
pends the lives of many soldiers, the
winning or losing OF many battles.
Il can't sleep at night because I'm
so afraid l may have passed on some
thing that was not quite true" said
one young girl not yet in her twenties,
who inspected hundreds Of torpedoes
every day.
Unless something can make this girl
forget at night, and find some rest, her
hand will lose Its cunning.
"Nlghts and Sundays" said another,
81 walk and walk, and l never go the
same route twice until l have worn
out all the others, and yet l can't for
get that perhaps some time, somehow.
during the day something may have
gone through that was not quite right"
II was just on the edge of going
back home" said another. II couldn't
stand II. Then the recreation leader
asked me II I played basket ball, and
told her / was too old. Pm twenty
eight. She insisted that / Just try
throwing the ball, and now I'm captain
of the basket ball team. I play tennis,
and can set up and 'wig.wag,' and
they're going to make me fOrewoman
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"
The war department had seen the
need Of occupations for Out-of-work
hours If the employees were to work
at their greatest efficiency, and through
the ordnqnce department asked the
Young Wbmen's Christian Association
for recreation leaders. to line up the
girls and direct their free-time pleas
Ivernment reminded the Y W
Q. 4. that as An organization II always
had had an interest In the right h0us
Ing Of girls, in the right feeding Of
girls, and in the right education Of
girls, and that the intelligent care Of
these girls in the munitions factorie,
was one of the essentials in the win
ming Of the war. The government
could house and feed them. 1t coulC
put up recreation buildings, but wher
this was done 1t was as helpless as tn,
father Of motherless girl. The gov
! ernment Is composite man. He dldn'
know what girl should do when tn
six o'clock factory whistle blew. II
only knew she needed looking afte
and he called to the one womans or
gsnlzation that for half century ha,
: made study Of the needs of girls
Vaguely. he had an Idea that sh
should he encouraged TO play, tina
j she needed wholesome recreation, an
+ some one wise and sympathetic as
: careful mother, TO guide her social aC
: tivitles.
The Blue Triangle sent Its play lad
To salute and 20 TO work. Workers ar
asked for In recreation buildings o
: nll the 90 federal Industrial reservI
!, tlons or munition cantonments whlc
u have been opened this summer In Sc,
u eral of the states. These reservation
= sprung up out Of the very fields In
= few weeks. They are employing thoI
i sands of workers. Many of thes
" women have come from far distaT
y :, homes. The government provide
dOrmitorieS and mess barracks. !
;. some places II Is putting up recreatlo
= buildings. Where such building
u not provided by the government, the )
e w. c. A. will furnish II, using one n
ready standing when available, m
|" building when that Is necessary. A
y these buildings, whether gOvernmeI
" or assoclutlon-owned, will operate III
u der the sign of the Blue Triangle. The
y will have big living rooms, assemb
II rooms for entertainments, club room
= and gymnasiums. The Blue Trlang
y will furnish a program Of service wor
- - educational classes, games and ente
y, y, tanments. Military and signal corr
W drills will be In charge OF soldiers.
"a In Washington. the members Of Il
Il Business Women's council, Blue T.
=, angle league of the Y. W. G. A., maj
.,r up of girl government employees, dr.
70 twice a week under an army oiIlc,
- and between five and six o'clock
nd these days long lines Of motorcars a
j, parked to watch the drill.
Id Wherever possible the recreatl
We equipment includes field somewhe
for nut1nnr snOrts