Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-02-16
AMERICAN GIRLS
GIVE ASSISTANCE:
!; TO EUROPEANS

areas OF american girls VINO are 0S-A
ssiting their sisters in. ton European
of.theswar work council of the Young
Women's, Christian association to the
American people, made public today.
Recreation, education, good cheer
and housing facilities were made
available for hundreds OF girls sen5{3
gagged in work for the Allied troops in
France and girl workers in French
factories. Glasses have been opened
for girls insRuss;ai and4for former In
mates OF Turkish harems. Assistance
has beon given 1901 war brides Of
American soldiers, representing six
nationalities.5 !
The association has had s4s over
seas workers of whom ,265 were i
France. Some of the workers in:
France have been transferred to other
countries since the return Of Ameri-
can troops and the work among
French girls Is being taken over by
French leadership. y
In nineteen towns or cities of
France, American girls conducted
foyers for girls in war industries.
Warmth and cheer, comfortable chairs
in which to read and rest and a cafe
terra were provided for French
dustry while their men folk were
fighting. Recently this part of the
service a been bringing new courage
to girls returning to their homes in
the liberated and devastated\r egions.
81 Clubs Opened.
Thirty sever clubs were opened for
army nurses to help relieve the strain
the dizziness Of routine. The Red
Cross provided the room and the
Young Women's Christian association
the worker, the equipment and the
program. ~ $50
Eighteen recreation. centers were
conducted for signal corps girls,
French army clerks and English
",Waacs," opportunities for fun, ply
steal comfort and good food being
provided by vacation camps and rec.
~reation parks. t
Three hotels were maintained in
! Paris for comfort of American women
war workers on leave Or on their ar
rival in France. Seventeen hostess
houses, with similar functions, were
maintained at embarkation points,
aye areas and in the devastated re-
At present hostess houses are. being
conducted at four cemeteries where
American soldiers are buried-Rom-
agne. st. Quentin, observation-disclosures
and Belleau-Wood-to provide infor-
nation and care for women who visit
the graves Of brothers. fathers. hus-
bands, sons or sweethearts. One Of
the hotels that were opened in Paris
Is maintained as the American Wom-
on club and acts as a central hostess
house, furnishing information, guides
and interpreters.
The association conducted a total Of
81 American centers in France, COM
prising 10 hostess houses, Is clubs for
signal corps girls, 81 nurses clubs,
two hBritish-American clubs, one inter-
&All1edsclub n fourfcemetery centers.
Itshas had a. French centers, COM
prising % foyers. six recreation CEN
tors, four summer camps, four war
bride camps, one hostel and one
emergency training school.
Aid Russian Girls.
Assistance was given to Russian
girls In Petrograd, Moscow and Sa-
mara despite revolution, lack Of food
and personal danger, five secretaries
being sent from the United States.
Gymnasium work. English, Frendh,
Russia, bookkeeping. stcnography and
music were taught to $50 girls in
Petrograd and 165 in Moscow. Can
teens were opened for Russian girls,
who would almost have starved
y When, late in. 1918, the Bolsheviki
forced the associations workers to
leave soviet Russia they went to
Archangel and V~ladivostok and, estab-
lished hostess houses for American
troops n clubs for Russian girls.
The girls club at Archangel had more
than 500 members, largely girl refu-
s'asi Italy the association maintained
ten centers and fifteen American sec
%retaries to aid American women wal
workers and thousands of Italian
:. girls.
Twelve secretaries arc now serving
in the Near East. Clubs and classes
t.shaYe enlisted the interest of more
: Ethan 500 Constantinople, girls. Other
ISivas, Harpout and Arabkir. Girls
. released from. harems are learning do
nestle science and lace making and
gymnastics-"how to live and how to
play"
II The association has aided the Polish
Grey Samaritans to undertake recon
Estruction work in their. country, has
sent a commission to Czecho-Slovaki
land made a survey with a view to well
fare work, has maintained foyers and
hostels in Belgium. Rumania and
Serbia and has received appeals for
aid from Greece, Lithuania and Je-
~rusalenh
Assistance was given to war brides
Lat passport offices n embarkation
tpoints abroadaan on voyages to the
limited States. The aid included lOdg-
Fling and care at ports abroad, instruc-
Etion in. English and talks on Ameri-
can customs. currency and geography.
On arrival lin the United States the
secretaries helped take are of the
brides until they had Joined their hus-
bands or thei husbands families. The
work was made more difficult by the
fact that in many cases husbands and
wives could not recognize each other
on meeting after n long absence.