The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-03-21
Y. ". c. 4. OPENS
4, WORK IN ITALY
Tea and Club Rooms Opened for
American Women.
Miss Charlotte kIven, Director Of itaI-
Ian Work, Prepares fer Influx Of
American Woman Students.

Italy f. now included In the war
work Of the American Y. W. G. \.
Miss Mabel Warner of Salina. Kan.
and Chicago left Paris a few days ago
for Rome. where she will be ia charge
OF q Hostess House for American girls
employed there by The American Red
Cross. the Embassy and the new tn
berculosis Commission. Miss Warner
has been director OF the Y. W. G. A.
Hostess House at Brest, France.
Miss Warner will open IA tea room
and club rooms whore the American
women can gather for social times.
Rome Is harboring a refuge population
OF about 10000 and accommodations
are difficult to find.
The work In Rome was started rs a
direct result Of the appeal or Miss
Charlotte Niven. one OF the National
Y. W. &. A. secretaries Of Italy. who is
spending n few months in France as
advisor in the French work.
Miss Niven's dreams of Y. w. g. A.
work I'm Italy include the maintenance
OF a residence for non-Italian women,
who, she feels, will come to Italy in
great numbers after the war Ia study
music and art.
II believe at this time such a project
IS particularly important because wo-
men from other countries should he
encouraged To come to Italy 10 replace
the great numbers Of German women
who Hooded 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
" W g. A. to aid the Italian ASsocia
tiOn in establishing a center, perhaps
AT Genoa. with two American secreta-
rles. with physical and recreational
trimming. n act as training school for
Italian women. IN connection with IL
her plan would include a Hostess House
for girls passing through the city or
employed there Such n center would
become eventually the center for all
Y. W. e. A. work in Italy, both Italian
and foreign.
In her formal appeal for help for the
Unione CriStiana Dele Giovanni (the
italian name for Young W"men's
Christian Association Miss Niven has
emphasized two facts. the poverty OF
the Italian Association on the one hand
and the need and opportunity on the
other for an American program In
Italy at the present time.
Miss Niven's fsvorife way Of illus
traring the friendliness of the Italian
woman to America IS by telling the
story Of the Italian mother who said
she had taken down the picture OF the ]
Madonna which had hung for many
years over her bed nd was putting k
its place one Of President Wilson.
In our work In the Tnione We have
lrcked trained leadership as well as
the material resources 70 give such
training. We have had no means to
buy modern equipment. Consequently
We have not the visible results OF
American and British work.
Feeble as our work may he. II IL
NOT useless. Many girls ia all parts Of
Italy have told us how much the
Cnione meant in their lives. Italian
girls are fouchingly grateful for the
smallest efforts. They respond eagerly |
Ia frIendiineSs.
There is no other agency doing in
Italy what the association is trying TO |
do"
Miss Niven has spent the past seven |
years in work with the Italian women.
starting a. director 81 hostel, or
boarding home for Italian women stu
dents. ar Florence. She Is an Ameri-
can from New York. where she was
Dnetime head Of the Christadora Set
tlement House