The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-01-03
The SECOND / E;
OF DEFENSE

today ms the distance from Paris IN
Berlin The Atlantic ocean IS not as
| wide as the River Somme. The girl
| In the muniion factory in the middle
| West Is very close To her brother in
| the fronf-line trenches II her work
| falters. II one untrue tornedo passes
the careful scrutiny of the inspector.
The lives of American soldiers pay
| the price.
II is as necessary to keep the girl
who makes the shells physically fit
md high of courage as the man who
| fires the gun.
The glory and excitement OF war
are for the man In khaki. Grinding.
n1onotonous labor far away from the
flying flags and martial music Is the
portion of the girl who makes muni-
tions.
one and half million women and
girls have marched Into the service OF
the United States government. to take
the places Of the men who have been
called to the coIors. With every draft
and with the opening Of every muni
tion cantonment the number is null
tiplied. These girls work long hours
and the work Is hard and monotonous.
Furthermore. they work at high nerv-
Gus tension On the skin Of their fin
gers and the accuracy of their eyes de
pends the lives OF many soldiers. the
winning or losing Of many battles.
Il can't sleep at night because I'm
so afraid ! may have passed on some
thing that was not quite true" said
one young girl not yet In her twenties.
who inspected hundreds Of torpedoes
every day.
Unless something can make this girl
forget at night, and find some rest. her
hand will lose Its cunning.
Nights and Sundays" said another.
II walk and walk. and I never go the
out all the others, and yet I can't for
get that perhaps some time. somehow.
during the day something may have
gone through that was not quite right"
Il was just on the edge OF going
back home" said another. Il couldn't
stand 1t. Then the recreation leader
asked me II I played basket ball. and
! told her I was too old I'm twenty
eight. She insisted that just try
throwing the ball, and now I'm captain
of the basket ball team. I play tennis.
and can set up and 'wig-wag.' and
they're going to make me forewomaD
of the room. That would have fright
ened me to death once. But every
thing Is different now. that we have
our War Service club"
The war department had seen the
need of occupations for out-of-work
hours II the employees were to work
mt their greatest efficiency. and through
the ordnance department asked the
Young Women's Christian Association
for recreation leaders. to line up the
girls and direct their free-time pleas
ureS
The government reminded the Y W.
c. A. that as an organization It always
had had an interest in the right houS-
ing Of girls. In the right feeding Of
girls. and in the right education of
girls, and that the intelligent care of
these girls In the munitions factories
was one Of the essentials In the win
ming Of the war. The government
could house and feed them. 1t could
put up recreation buildings. but when
this was done 1t was as helpless as the
father Of motheriess girl. The gov
ernment Is composite man. He didn't
know what girl should do when the
six o'clock factory whistle blew. He
only knew she needed looking after
and he called to the one woman's Or
ganization that for half century had
made study Of the needs of girls
Vaguely. he had an idea that she
should be encouraged to play, that
she needed wholesome recreation, and
some one. wise and sympathetic as a
careful mother. to guide her social ac-
hvities.
The Blue Triangle sent it's play lady
to salute and go to work. Workers are
asked for In recreation buildings Of
all the % federal Industrial reserva-
tions or munition cantonments which
have been opened this summer in sew.
eral Of the states. These reservations
sprung up out Of the very fields in
few weeks. They are employing thou
sands Of workers. Many Of these
women have come from far distant
homes. The government provided
dormitories and mess barracks. In
some places IT Is putting up recreation
buildings. Where such a building Is
not provided by the government, the Y
w. G. A. will furnish 1t. using one al
ready standing when available. and
building when that Is necessary. All
these buildings. whether government
Nr n DoQOcI n tiOn- -Oyvno1 will oporoto mn
der the sign Of the Blue Triangle. They
will have big living rooms. assembly
rooms for entertainments. club rooms
and gymnnsiums. The Blue Triangle
will furnish program Of service work
educational classes. games and enter
fainmentS. Military and signal CORDS