Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1918-10-17
THE SECOND LINE
OF DEFENSE

rroW the mississippi valley to the
flaming front In Flanders Is not as Tar
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 I'm
the front-line trenches. II her work
faiters. II one untrue torpedo passes
the careful scrutiny Of the inspector,
the lives Of American soldiers pay
the price.
1t is as necessary to keep the Cir,
who makes the shells physically ct
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 mum.
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 In mul-
tiplied. These girls work long hours
and the work Is hard and monotonous,
Furthermore, they work ut high nerv-
Gus tension. On the skill Of their fin
gers and the accuracy Of their eyes de.
ponds the lives Of many soldiers, the
winning or losing Of many battles.
II can't sleep at night because I'm
30 afraid 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.
Nights and Sundays" said another,
II walk and walk, and I never go the
same route twice until I have worn
out all the others, and yet can't for.
get that perhaps some time, somehow,
during the day something may have
gone through that was not quite right n
II was just on the edge OF going
back home" said another. II couldn't
stand II. Then the recreation leader
asked me IL l played basket ball, and
! told her ] was too old. I'm twenty
eight. She insisted that Just try
throwing the ball. and now Tn captain
of the basket ball team. 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 II the employees we're to work
at their greatest efficiency. and through
the ordnance department asked the
Young Women's Christian Association
for recreation leaders, to line up the
girls and direct their free.time pleas
ures.
The government reminded the Y. w
G. A. that as an organization Il always
had had an interest In the right hous.
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 factories
was one Of the essentials In the win.
ming Of the war. The government
could house and feed them. II could
put up recreation buildings, hut when
this was done II was as helpless Ms the
father Of motherless girl. The gov.
eminent Is composite man. He didn't
know what girl should do when the
six o'clock factory whistle blew. He
only knew she needed looking after
and he called to the one woman's or
ganization that for half century had
made a study Of the needs OF girls.
Vaguely, he han an idea that she
should be encouraged TO play. that
she needed wholesome recreation, and
some one, wise and sympathetic m q
careful mother. to guide her social ac-
tivities.
The Blue Triangle sent its play lady
10 salute and 90 to work. Workers are
asked for In recreation buildings Of
oil the % federal Industrial resprva-
tions or munitlOn environments which
have been opened this summer IN sew.
.erai of the states. These reservations
sprung up out Of the very fields In a
few weeks. They are employing tbou.
sands Of workers. Many Of these
women have come from far distant
homes. The government provided
dormitories and mess barracks. In
some places It II putting up recreation
buildings. Where such building IL
not provided by the government. the Y.
w. c. A. will furnish Il. using one al.
ready standing when available. and
building when that IL necessary. All
these buildings. whether government
or nssociation-owned. will operate I'M.
der the sign Of the Blue Triangle. They
will have big living rooms. assembly
rooms for entertainments. club rooms
and gymnaslums. The Blue Triangle
will furnish a program OF service work,
educational classes. games and enter
tainments. Military and signal corps
drills VIII he In charge OF soldiers.
In Washington. the members OF the
Business WOmen's council n Rlup T,f.