The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-04-14
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC i. HAskIN. Director.
Washington, d. c.
An EPIDENnC WANDER-LUsT.

New York, April 9.-Ever since the
war the world has been in the grip
of tremendous vanderbilt. People
do not seem to be able to settle down.
/ The emigration of families from the
west to the east has increased to such
proportions as actually TO frighten
some of the western states. and even
on the eastern coast, which is attract
ing SO many newcomers, the popu-
lation keeps chifting about in a most
irresponsible and restless way.
Much of this travel is without plan,
and may almost be said to be I'M
premeditated. People just get up and
move whenever the idea appeals to
them, journeying as far as their
money will take them, and then count
ing upon a job or some friendly cir
cumstance to tide them over until
the next nomadic impulse seizes them
At least, this is the way il looks
to the Travellers Aid Society of New
York City, which has had to rush to
the aid OF $4,000 such irresponsible
travellers during the past year. This is
about twice as many as required as
sistance last year,
War Started Stay-at-Homcs
IT don't know that a general discon-
tent is responsible for it." said TRAY
eler's Aid when interviewed at the
headquarters of the society at 460
Lexington avenue here, the other day.
It's more a general 1oose-footedness,"
she declared, puckering her brow in
a desperate attempt to define the
exact cause of so much unprecedented
travel. You see. the war uprooted a
large number of people and planted
them in new environments. Young
women, who had always lived with
their parents in small towns, went to
| distant cities to do war work, and
young men. who had never been away
from their home villages. were
whisked from one point to another,
both in this country and in Europe.
They just sort of developed the habit
of moving ever so often.'
Because men are better able to take
care of themselves when suddenly
stranded in a big city, the work of the
Travellers Aid society is confined
largely to the rescue of venturesome
young women. This is one of New
Yorks greatest problems-the fact
girls, who have become disconnected
in their homes. and who hope to find
growing room for their cramped per-
Sonalities in the city. The latest
statistics regarding these damsels are
worth mentioning: sixty eight thou
sand of them were reported to the au-
thorities as missing" during the past
year. of whom four thousand COM
pletely disappeared in New York alone.
So the Travellers Aid Society is kept
busy bounding these ambitious but
irresponsible young women, seeing that
they get into the proper sort of lodg-
ing houses and employment bureaus.
A Travellers Aid meets every incom-
ing train and every incoming boat TO
New York, and with an experienced
eye picks the runaways out from the
crowd. After handling so many of
them" one of the aids explained,
you get to know them by their ex-
pressions." Many of them arrive
plentifully supplied with money, which
Increases the danger they run from a
class of persons which Is said to exist
entirely from the exploitation of these
ignorant young adventures. The
money, it usually turns out, represents
the family savings to which the trav-
eler has literally helped herself be-
fore leaving home.
Movies the Leading Lure.
1t is estimated that at least seventy
five per cent of the number who fall
into the friendly hands Of the Travel
ers' Aid society are motivated by the
desire to 20 into the movies. They
either wear their hair in Mary Pick
| ford cuHs. or they walk with a
stealthy. mysterious glide which is
supposed 10 be an imitation of Theda
Baras. You would think that the
Travellers Aids would grow weary of
again, and perhaps secretly they do
suffer from excruciating boredom.
but they never show it. And they
never attempt to discourage the de-
, termined movie star. They know it
would do no good. Instead, in each
instance, the T. A. manages to look
immensely interested, as if the propo-
sition were absolutely novel. and to
address the young woman thusly:
"An right. if you want to go in the
movies the best thing for you to do
is to make a tour of the movie agen-
cses, and I'll go with YOU
At the end of the second or third
day, the tour usually ends in a man
ner which would meet with the com
/ plete approval of the movie authori-
] ties. even tho the applicant for star
dom didn't. 1t shows an exhausted
and sadly disillusioned heroine falling
\ happily en- the neck of a forgiYing
parent. who has suddenly arrived on
the scene at the psychological moment
thru the strategic duplicity Of the
T. A.
Happy BINDINGS in Real Life.
! In fact, the T. AS are as tireless
and vigilant in creating happy end
| ings as most of our American novel
lists. And, as one of them remarked
Sometimes it is also extremely diff
cult as, for instance. in the really
| tragic cases of young women who
come to New York lured by matri-
monial hopes scattered carelessly
abroad by some obscure matrimonial
agency. According to the Travellers
Aid society. these agencies constitute
an actual menace to the country, and
it heartily wishes that the Lusk com
mittee would use some OF It's infinite
leisure in suppressing a few of them.
The other day, for example, one OF
the Aids stopped a pretty little blond
girl as she walked a trifle bewilder-
eddy thru the Pennsylvania station
here. Pointing to the society's badge
on the label of her coat, she asked il
she could be of any assistance.
IF you would be so kind as to help
me find this address" said the girl
handing the Aid a letter.
The Aid saw at a glance that the
letter was from one of the western
matrimonial agencies on the society
blacklist. 1t offered the young lady