The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-23
AMERICAN WOMEN
NEEDED IN FRANCE
Boys Must Have Mother Live UntII
Last One fs Home Again.

Every American woman who can go
TO France or other regions where
American soldiers need their normal,
uplifting association and service,
should go there. declares Helena
Smith Dayton. the novelist. who is
doing \. NJ. G. A. work in the French
$Ssrs| ,.--e~~>.4. On esxk-4i a "SV Il
York. Mrs. Dayton conducts big
Y. NJ. C.. A. canteen in the Rue st.
Anne near the office OF the provost
guard. where 5000 or more American
soldiers go each day to register in and
out of Paris.
The Y M. c. A. is needed until the
last American boy is out OF France"
wrote Mrs. Dayton, telling of the SOL
diers battle of Paris. The enlarged
canteen makes our place much live
lier. photograph with a million
records. castofYs of American homes is
going all the time The American SOL
diers capacity for noise is something
to admire. and there's one raucuous
song. sung in a vaudeville whine about
that's the sort OF girl I'd like 10
make my wife. you bet. that Is slowly
driving us insane. But bless their
hearts IL they enjoy that noise ma
chine. I stand 1t.
Some of the boys are such splen-
did types They look as If they step
ped out of the idealzed war posters.
The Battle OF PARIS hasn't touched
EN- yet and our Job is going to be that
Il doesn't We will work our heads
of to make the canteen the best place
in Paris for off time. 1t makes me
rejoice that they have this place.
There ia very little for our boys to
do that Is wholesome in this town
Here are easy chairs, books, writing
tables, and an open fire and some one
to talk to. That's all these boys need
to keep EN- safe and they ought to be
mighty appreciative OF the ~ and
most of them are.
TT you could only see the lonely
American boys in Paris, think they
are Ioneiier in Paris than In the
camps. or at the front Paris OF the
nnoney-spending tourist means moth
ing in their young lives. They are
SO homesick they almost die Of Joy to
speak TO an American woman.
Yesterday had a boy from Water
bury ask II I'd ever been In Connect
cut. He was standing alone-fa.a cor
ner, . great big freck1ed- faced sandy
haired kid. Just out of the three hos
pitfalls and his letters were with his
regiment and he didn't know how to
get them. so took all the names and
turned 1t in to he Strengthened out
for him. The work here to be done Is
SO tremendous-~little things In them
psychological way.
Every American woman who can
come over and be Of use ought to
come. cannot tell you how neces-
sary and truly urgent the need is It's
bigger than one can realize without
getting on the inside of facts here
"I marvel at such big organiza-
ton az the Y. NJ, G.. A. taking so much
personal interest In trying to place
workers in the most congenial and eff
fectfve positions.
Most OF the men who come TO our
ca nteen have been wounded or gassed
but many are quite sound again,
though many are minus fingers The
types are almost unnelievable-one
from, but they are all good Americans
and almost woop when they speak OF
the United States.
THE hours OF " canteen work are
long and it's hard work. but when you
are away from II you get terribly I'M
patient to get back to the job.
''one of the boys brought In little
American kitten born on a transport
coming over ana all the soldiers went
craHy over II. You never saw any
thing so funny or so touching as the
way they looked at that tiny kitten.
had II In the corner of my arm as
sold Gigs chocolate and the rest
Of the stun. and tho boys crowded
around petting It and playing with IT
ana saying in awe-struck tones: Gee,
It's m American kitten. what do You
know about that
They were perfectly dippv about
II because it's mother was what they
declared an honest to- God American
cat' One big fellow said. Say II
anyone pufls any funny STUFF on that
cat they'1 get their dial spoiled tDial
means face.) Tho kitten is a real pet
a bout the canteen.
TT shows you n United States kit
ten means 20 much to them. then
American women over here have a
very big place. How big a place words
|cannot express. The soldiers run to
a ~ woman like children TO their
mother with an their troubles and
questions We have to be a perfect
information bureau and their conf
dence that we can solve any problem
for them II staggering
"One husky came in yesterday and