The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-03-08
Y. ". c. A. OPENS
WORK IN ITALY
Tea and Club Rooms Opened for
American Women.
Aioo Charlotte NIven, Director Of lta!.
Ian Work, Prepares Tor Influx 81
American Woman etudentA

| italy Is now included In the war
work Of the American Y. W. c. A.
!. Miss Mabel Warner of Saiina, Kan,
and Chicago left Paris . few days ago
for Rome, where she will be In charge
of 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 7. w. c. A.
Hostess House at Brest, France.
Miss Warner will open Q tea room
and club rooms where the American
women can gather for social times
Rome is harboring q refuge population
of about 10000 and accommodations
are difficult to find.
The work in Rome was started as q
direct result Of the appeal Of Miss
Charlotte Niven. one Of the National
7. w. c. A. secretaries Of Italy. who Is
spending q few months in France a.
advisor in the French work.
Miss Mven's dreams Of 7. w. c. 4.
work In Italy include the maintenance
Of residence for non-Italian women,
who, she feels. will come to Italy In
great numbers after the war to study
music and art
II believe at this time such q project
Is particularly important because wo-
men from other countries should be
encouraged TO come to Italy to replace
the great numbers Of German women
who flooded 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
Y. w. C. A. to aid the italian Associa.
ton in establishing a center, perhaps
at Genoa, with two American secreta-
ries, with physical and recreatiOnal
training, to act as training school for
italian women. In connection with II
aer plan would include Hostess House
Tor girls passing through the city or
employed there. Such a center would
became eventually the center for oil
Z. W. G. A. work In Italy, both Italian
ard foreign.
In her formal appeal for help for the
.ffrione Cristiana Dele Giovanni 1.-THE
.,a'ian name for Young Women's
, Christian Association) Miss Niven has
emphasized two facts, the poverty Of
he Italian Association on the one hand
md the need and opportunity on the
other for an American program IN
italy at the present time.
Miss Niven's fayorite way OF illus
,rating the frisndiiness Of the Italian |
woman to America Is by telling the
story Of the Italian mother who said |,
she had taken down the picture Of tho !
Madonna which had hung for many |
ears over her bed nd was putting in |
is place one OF President Wilson.
''ln our work in the UniOne we have
bcked trained leadership as we'll as
he material resources to give such
raining. We have had no means to
'ly modern equipment. Consequently
&c have not the visible results Of
I
"Feeble as our work may he, II Il
ot useless. Many girls in all parts Of
ally have told VS. how much the
nione meant IN their lives. Italian
rls ere touchinely grateful for the
aal!est efforts. Fhey respond eagerly
, fr'en;llneas
There is no other agency doing r.
ally what the association Is trying t.
D."
Miss Niven hrs spent the past sevca.
ars In work with the Italian wonrH
,rting rs director ut . hostel. O.
,r'l:ng home for Italian women sta.
nts. ut Florence. She is an Amcri
II from New York. where she WI.
'etifne head Of the C]lristaAora Sci
"ment House.