The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-28
HELPS WOMEN
WORKERS IN FRANCE

For the first time in three years
I have laughed" The French wom-
an who said this to the Young Wom-
ems Christian association commission
in France is only one of a million
French women and girls of all ages
and from all parts of the country
whose life as munitions worker mas
been made less dull and less monot-
onous by the Y w. c. A. during the
past year
The commission, which Went
abroad in April to study conditions
and see what had been done, has re-
turned, and with the members, Mrs.
James s. Cushmau, chairman Of the
war work council; Miss Mabel Cratt"'
general secretary; Mrs. 7. Coleman
dupont of the finance committee, ana
Miss Ella Schooley. financial secTe-
tary. came Miss Henrietta Roelofs,
executive secretary for France, ana
Miss Blanche Geary economic secFe-
tary. who opened Hotel Petrograd.
the hostess house for allied women
in Paris Both are home on leave.
The woman Of France is strug-
Cling with Century-old traditions
which have prevented her from en-
tering tho world of industry or pro-
fessional life Now she is forced into
d
| force and the Y w. c. AS purpose
! in going into France Is to strengthen
( the morale Of these women soldiers,
thus Mrs Cushman defined the WORK
/ In telling of the work done Miss
Roelofs said: our first idea for work
/ in France was to have social and rec
reation work with the munitions
makers. We found that French WON
on had never had any conception OF
how to do social welfare work. ina
girls who worked In powder facto-
rifs were housed in Cantonments.
Their houses were like military bar
racks, gray dreary and dull. a long
hall runs through the center and the
rooms are curtained off on either side,
We painted gray walls a light blue.
we hung curtains supplied books ana
entertainment and a place in which
to meet and rest. The government
provides physical necessities ana coed
nourishing food. but there is no pro-
vision made for amusement ne
government gave us half a harreck in
some centers and we built houses in
others. We bought the pretttest cur
tains we could find. cushions. tables,
games. and did everything To make
the 'Foyer des Allies" as they are
called homebke.
The women flock to these clubs
every noon hour. They are free from
u 10 and they come for light re-
freshments. hot tea. coffee, chocolate,
or light sandwiches that we serve,
and they sit around chatting, listen
lnr TO the music or writing. We nave
had letters from poilus at the front
thanking us for cheering their women
They say that they at the front are
more contented when they kno"
that their women are being cared for
and that they can fight better be
cause of it, The huts at the oase
hospitals are not romantic-tust TEN
porary buildings made pretty by the
Y w, c. a. secretaries. our worn
with the Red Cross nurses Is hostess
work. The secretaries give short lee.
lures and arrange parties. dances an
arusements to take the nurses awaJ
from the monotony Of their work.
Miss Crafty, who. as general ma.
. tional secretary, is in charge Of 2,59'
: secretaries in this country, Furop'
and the Orient, says: More than
: wear before we went TO war with Ser
p. MANY we We're asked through rep
resenta tive of a French WON ens com
: r7ittee. to do some sort of recreation
or welfare work in France. Now TN
Young French women are becomini
accustomed to going out into th'
. world They are just beginning Il
, learn that they can be at home GU
I in the world.
The French government has al
! ready begun TO consider the prob
lens that will arise after the war
= They are planning to change IN
, machinery in munitions factories t
make other articles and in that wa.
have the women make the thing
that will be needed during the recon
structIon period Thousands OF WON
! en- will not be thrown upon the com
munities. without money, without
9 work. They will be carried along witt
, the work for reconstruction for man
= years after the war