Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-07

w TASHINGTON d. c., May 2.-Take an ordi-
w nary town with normal social conditions,
w and suddenly pour forty thousand men into
it, Formerly the sexes were about equally repre-
sented; now, there are about five hundred men to
every woman. Add to this abnormal condition the
abnormal lure of the uniform for feminity in gen
eral, and you have the problem that women officer
cites have recently been detailed to solve in Ameri-
can training camp towns.
The offcerette is entirely wartime product.
She has appeared suddenly and unoStentatiously In
every town in the vicinity of training camp, I'M
heralded and distinguishable only by the small
badge of office which she wears beneath her coat
Although a policewoman, she avoids the use of
uniform, and, although detective, she has no need
for theatrical DISCUSSES. Her personality is
disguise enough-for she may be your mayors
wife, your daughters school teacher the chair
man of the ladies' guild of your local Methodist
church, regular plain clothes policewoman
Early in its work the department commits
sion training camp activities decided that the
problem of protecting young girls in training camp
towns one for women. Accordingly a separate
committee protective work for girls was ap-
pointed, headed by Miss Maud E. Miner, we'll
known sociologist, who was at time probation
officer in the night court of New York City. Other
prominent women serving on this committee are
Mrs. Baker, wife of the secretary of war; Mrs.
James B. Cushman, of New York; Mrs. William F.
Dun1ner, of Chicago; Mrs. Duncan McDufhe, of
San Francisco; and Mrs. Daniel G.. Nugent, of ST.
Louis. Mr.. John Egan, of Atlanta, and Abraham
F1exner of New York. also members.
This committee is responsible for the officer
cites, well other ingenious institutions for the
protection of training camp town girls. 1t has a
subcommittee in each of these towns, where work
is divided into two sections protective and reform
alive. The personnel of this committee includes
town and county officials, mnmbers of women's
clubs and other interested organizations and in
dividuals who are willing to contribute their
ices to the cause. Usually trained social worker
is sent out by the national committee to get the
work under way.
Miss Virginia Murray, trained social worker.
for example, sent to Atlanta short time ago.
With the help CT the city officials and civil and
military police Miss Murray succeeded in establish
ing house of detention for feminine offenders; in
appointing a corps of pocewomen, and in equip
ping free ward and dispensary for delinquent
girls. Atlanta will carry this work itself
Each training camp town has its peculiar
problems to solve in protecting young girls. First
there the girls of the town who perfectly safe
in normal times, are carried away by the general
excitement of and patriotic emotion. And, Sec
ond, there the young women who flock in large
numbers to the training camp towns, inspired by
the opportunity for higher wage by the lure of
the military uniform.
The second phase of the problem is frequently
complicated by alarming lack of housing facili-
ties to care for this sudden influx of women work
ers. At Camp Funston, Kansas, for example, the
committee experienced great difficulty in providing
housing facilities for 200 women employed laun-
dry workers at the camp Naturally the first effect
of uncomfortable living Accommodations is to turn
large number of women in search of recreation
upon the street
Hence housing and recreation are the chief
factors in the program of the committee pro-
tectve work for girls, and, fortunately various
CARNATIONS have come generously to the aid of the
committee in this respect. In town in the vicin-
ity of a southern training camp, where hundreds of
employment, the Young Women's Christian
citation has established model village. Dormf-