New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-22
Mrs. Roosevelt, Jr.,
Tells Republican
Women of sY' Work
Explains How Troops on
Leave in France Were En-
tertained; National Com
mittee to Meet Weekly

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21-Mrs. Theo-
dore Roosevelt, jr. spoke tonight at
the first evening meeting at the Re-
publican Women's Executive Commit
tee headquarters in Washington. She
was introduced by Senator Calder, who
told something of the plan of the even
ing meetings of the Republican women.
The evening meetings will be held
regularly now at the Republican Wom-
ems headquarters, with different mem
bers of the party, those holding Office
and those who do not, addressing the
audiences. These meetings are part
of the plan of the women for working
to help line up the party for 1920
Mrs. Roosevelt who recently re-
'urned from Europe, described some of
ne her work with the Y. NJ. c. A. there.
She wore the uniform of the women
OF the Y. M. c. A. She said:
Il am going to limit my talk to a
particular branch Of the Y. NJ. C. A.
work overseas that is not very we'll
known IN this Countrywide work
among the men on leave. The French
soldiers could, of course, 20 to their
homes. The English also. Even the
canadians and Australians could go
to England at rare intervals, and
could, at least, hear their own Ian
guase. But there was no place for
our men to go. They were prohibited.
by army. orders, from going to Paris.
where they all wanted to go. They
could not have been turned loose. SO
TO speak, in France, to go where they
Pleased FOR many reasons. So the A.
4. F.. put it up to the Y M. c. A. to
establish leave areas, or centres,
where the men could be sent for their
week every four months.
The famous resort Of Aix-lea-
Balnes, in Savoie, was chosen for the
first centre. Y. M. c. A. pioneer
made preliminary arrangements with
hotel keepers, so that special rates
would be made for our men. In the
beginning the soldiers had to paw for
their board and lodging on leave, but
that plan was soon changed, and short
~ after the leave area plan was in
operation the army paid the expenses
of each man.
"On the last day Of January year
ago, ten of us were sent to Aix-les-
Balnes from headquarters. Our staff
OF workers was complete two days be-
tore the first tranload of our soldiers
arrived. There were about twenty Y.
NJ. Z. A. women to start with and
about the same number of men,
"Of our entertainments dances were
the most popular. Twice week we
would have them. They were rather
difficult to arrange at first, as we had
between twenty and thirty girls, and
between 1000 and 1900 men. To give
each man chance to dance we had
baggage tags printed in seven different
colors, and each man was given a tag
to pin on the back of his collar Then
flag would be raised, and when the
white flag was raised the men with
the white tags could dance; when the
blue flag was raised the men with the
blue tags could cut in.
TOO much cannot be said for the be-
havlor of our men on leave. During
all the months that Aix-les-Baines has
been running, we have never had COM
plant from single hotel keeper about
any damage being done by any soldier
"The Prince of Monaco was so i'm
pressed with our soldiers that he
offered Monte Carlo as a leave area.
When it was suggested that, as Monaco
was neutral, our soldiers would not be
allowed to 60 there, he stated that he
would declare war on Germany the
following day if it would mean that
the American soldiers would be allowed
to 90 there on leave"