The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-03-22
Y. ". c. A. OPENS
= WORK IN ITALY
Tea and Club Rooms Opened for
American Women.
MIss Charlotte NIven, Director Of ital-
Ian Work, Prepares for Influx Of
American Woman Students.

Italy Is now included in the war
work Of the American 7. W. c. A.
Miss Mabel Warner of Salina, Kan.
and Chicago left Paris a few days ago
for Rome, where she will be in charge
Of a Hostess House for American girls
employed there by the American Red
Cross. the Embassy and the new TIL
berculosis Commission. Miss Warner
has been director of the Y. w. c. A.
Hostess House at Brest, France.
Miss Warner will open a tea room
ard club rooms where the American
women can gather for social times.
Rome Is harboring q refuge population
Of about 10000 and accommodations
are difficult to find.
The work in Rome was started as .
direct result Of the appeal of Miss
Charlotte Niven. one of the National
Y. w. C. A. secretaries Of Italy. who is
spending a few months in France as
advisor in the French work.
Miss Niven's dreams Of Y. W. G. A.
work in Italy include the maintenance
of a residence for non-Italian women,
who, she feels, will come to Italy in
great numbers after the war to study
music and art.
Il believe At this time such project
Is particularly important because wo-
men from other countries should be
encouraged to come to Italy to replace
the great numbers Of German women
who flooded Italy In the past. many Of
them paid agents Of their govern
ment," Miss Niven said in discussing
her plans.
Miss Niven has asked the American
Y. W. C. A. to aid the Italian Associa-
ton in establishing center. perhaps
at Genoa, with two American secreta-
ries, with physical and recreational
ira thing. to act az training school for
Italian women. In connection with 1t
apr plan would include a Hostess House
or girls passing through the city or
si'r'oyed there. Such center would
ocome eventually the center for all
>. ". c. A. work In italy, both Italian
81 foreign.
N her formal appeal for help for the
."ionc Cristiana Dele Giovanni (the
.nn name for Young Women's
= :ttan Associatio:l) Miss Niven has
':7;..sized two facts. the poverty Of
italian Association on the one hand
.!le need and opportunity on tine
for an American program In
a!y st the present time
'Iiss Niyen's favorite way Of Illus
ting the friendliness Of the Italian
man to America is by telling the
= of the italian mother who said
Lad taken down the picture Of the
szonna which had hung for many
a'.s over her bed nd was putting In
nioce one Of President Wilson.
TN our work In the Unione We have
,cLed trained leadership as well as
e material resources to give such
ming. We have had no means to
" rlodern equipment. Consequently
: have not the visible results of
;nerican and British work.
Feeble as our work may be. Il Il
VI useless. Many girls In all parts If
Aly have told us how much the
lone mennt in their lives italian
lis are tonchin:'ly grateful for the
'allest efforts. They respond eagerly
fr'rndlinesS.
There Is no otter Agency fCinr ip
iG t.- f.
-
Wigs Nlvcn hos spent thp post s,-vo,
as In work with the italian wonle,t
'rt,n2 as director Of hnSiei. a
rrd.ng home for Ttnllnn women sts,
-. at T'nrence. She ~ AZ Al..rr.
:; from Nov York, who're she wa<
etine head OF the ChristadJra SCI.
ment House.