Mexico weekly ledger., 1919-07-31
WAR WORKER
NOW VISITING HERE
Mary Higginbotham Has Had Many
Experiences in Work for the
United States
STATIONED IN SWITZERLAND
NAV Return to Old Position in Wash
ington, d. c., Where She Was
Before Leaving u. s.

Miss Mary Higginbotham, who has
Just returned from doing war work in
Switzerland with the U. S. Military
Attache there arriving in Mexico and
is visiting with her father H. j. Hig-
ginbotham who resides west of this
city. She returned only a few weeks
ago on the Emperator.
Miss Higginbotham formerly was
employed in the war office at Wash
ington, D. C. Shortly after the arInis-
tice was signed she and thirteen other
girls from that Office wer ordered to
Europe to assist in work there. The
fourteen made the trip across on the
ship Martha Washington. After ar
irving in France, they were separated
and assigned to different posts
throughout western Europe. Of the
company she was the only n assign
ed to work in Switzerland. Stationed
at Geneva, she was for some time the
only woman in the office of the United
States Military Attache who could
speak English, although there were
two men there able to use the
Language. Later an English girl was
assigned to the office which she said
made things more pleasant.
The groupe of girls who went over
were all d~emobolized on July first,
but Miss Higginbotham said she did
not know where one of them was. Az
ter their separation in France she
said they became practically lost from
each other. She returned to the Uni
ted States only a few weeks ago on
the Emperator which is the second
largest ship afioat. On board were
1920 persons who were passengers,
Of the entire number she was the
only one who was not in a uniform
All of therest, both men and women
had been in a service that required d
uniform. Her work was not of that
nature even though it was war work
of a most important kind.
During the war" she told a Led,
ger representative late Wednesday af,
ternoon, "Switzerland suffered a great
deal. Even though not an active par,
ticipant in the great struggle she was
greatly harrassed on account of the
conditions which were forced on hel
by the surrounding nations. The fooc
conditions were pretty bad. If one
had the price things could usually b.
found, but it was only for the price
Butter was one of the rare things the
Swiss had. All of their milk was useC
for cheese, consequently the Americans
who were in Switzerland were greatly
. inconvenience when it came to having
as much butter as they were used to-"
mot only was food rather scarce
but also fuel. During the winter, ev-
eryone had to wear a coat almost all
of the time. No one was really warm
| from artificial heat during the entire
cold weather. Just enough coal was
used in the furnaces to keep the rad
iators warm so the chill would not be
in the air. This made things much
more pleasant than having to work il
a really cold office she said.
"All Europe is seething. Practic
ally every country is infested will
Bolshevists who go about secretly o
openly preaching their doctrines. Fv
cry country seems to be just on tn
verge of a revolution. Switzerlan
itself has been shaken by some strike
that almost threatened to result ser
iously. Almost all of the other coun
tries have had and are having tn
same experience. However, all ar
fighting it as well as they a and ar
attempting to keep the "Reds" out G
their territory she told the reporte'
Miss Higginbotham also said tn
meatless periods of war times obsel
we'd in Switzerland were measured j
weeks instead Of days as they were j
this country. Even up to the preser
time the pre-war standards have nj
come back and food is not nearly s
plentiful as it was in former day
The people though are not in as ba
a condition as they were during Il
real war period.
Miss Higgenbotham will visit wit
her parents here indefinitely. A
though her former position in the WI
department at Washington is beir
held open for her she has not decide
whether she will accept it or not.