The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1918-08-09
BY ROBERT n. MouLToN.

n.
; !
AR brought the men OF America to
the camps of the country. II
brought the women, too-mothers.
~ IN wives, sisters, aunts sweethearts.
0V \ The government had made its
\A plans for the men. but 1t had made
! them without thought of the wom-
Then the women came to WIS.,
1t their soldier relatives The camp
commanders looked at the stream of femininity
coming steadily toward them and asked what was
to be done. Then the department began
to think Of the women, and finally 1t asked the
Young Women's Christian association for help.
The Hostess house was the answer.
Eighty-fve OF these unique establishments
either In operation or are definitely un-
der construction. They put up only at the
direct request of the camp Communicates. Some
OF the commanding officers were a little doubtful
at first to the practicabilitySof the scheme.
Now these officers asking for second
and third Hostess houses In their environments.
Wherever colored troops stationed. build
in9s are erected for their and social vel
fare work under trained colored leaders Is car
Asd
These centers Of hospitality under the
supervision OF the departments connie
saon on training camp activities. They
q part of the governments war work. The war
work council Of the Young Womens Christian
association promotes them as one phase Of the
associations work for the country In this ma
8qpal emergency.
since women are allowed TO come TO canton
znents to visit their soldier folk places must be
provided for their recreation Camp Lewis at
American Lake Washington state 10 seven miles
long. Camp Lee, Virginia, contains 10000 men.
0Aoh camp covers acres of ground laid out In
the bewildering monotony Of company streets
lined with barracks.
\ The discomfort of the camps for visitors is
often extreme. The thermometer went down
10 ~ degrees below zero at Camp Devens, Mass
last winter. The Kansas mud at Camp
Funston could be put in a mucilage bottle and
used for glue. Camp Doniphan, Okla. some
ttmss hides itself In dust And as for
heat In summer. visitor has been able to
decide where the thermometer goes the high
est The Hostess houses are refugees for the
elderly parents, worried wives and admiring
fftepds whose love Of the soldiers draws them
10 the camps
One phase alone OF the Hostess house work
would Justify their existence. Each house 10
. directory, a street guide, map. telephone
exchange finding bureau and writing room
for visitors When a soldier is under orders
for France" his family come to bid him good-by
II II IL within coming distance At one canton
ment a father. mother and three sisters came
hurrying. Their particular soldier was not at
the entrance where they were to meet him. Like
sensible people they went straight to the Host
sss house. There they learned that the camp
had three entrances.
TIE hostess by the aid Of telephone and mes
sanger PACED each Of these statiens. The man
was found at Of them and brought to the
Hostess house.
This is surely greet improvement on the
game of cross tag" 30 often played by excited
families with their impatient soldier sons among
the barracks. At Balboa Park, Cal, they call
the hostess 1.-The lady who finds your friends
An interesting feature of the Hostess house
u that the architects In charge Of the construc
ton are women Miss Julia Morgan is on the
Pacific coast. Miss Fay Kellogg has charge Of
the Southern neld Miss Katherine Budd build
In the middle West
The general plan of construction IL the same
sdepted to local conditions large room II
Usually divided into two parts by huge chin
nay with nreplaces on both Mdss. In winter I
lsaping IRE gives cheer and warmth. In sum
mer evergreen branches ill the big stone open