Pueblo chieftain., 1921-02-22
BY Frederic J. Haskir.

Washington, d. c.. Feb. 1.-Two
hundred and fifty pretty girls properly
chapcroned. arc delivered by rail every
Saturday at Camp Dix, New Jersey.
The soldiers. the girls. and all others
concerned hope that these weekly i'm
portations can be not only continued
but increased. For there are some
10000 soldiers at Camp Dix. and they
bank the gymnasium 10 deep when the
girls arrive, each seeking what is SO
hard for an enlisted man far from
home to set-the companlonship OF a
nice girl.
This movement to supply the army
with girls is a new thing and II is
in critical stage. Tho work is being
carried on thru an army organization
known as the Bureau OF womens Re-
lations. This bureau establishes a
club. or perhaps several of them, in
each OF the camps which arc occupied
by our standing army. Each club is
in charge of woman whose duty II Is
to provide the men with entertainment
by giving dances and parties. The
soldiers may bring their women friends
and relations. II they have any, and ir
not the hostess provides the girls. Tho
work is immensely Popular with the
mon and also with their commanding
officers. Generals Wood. Edwards.
and many others have endorsed tho
work. and even called II indispensable.
Their endorsements arc needed. be-
cause tho work cannot go on unless
congress appropriatcs at least 5000. 600
for the purpose. 1t is n small amount,
but small items arc just the on~ that
congress likes to prunc out OF an ap-
preparation bill. Hence tho army Is
conducting vigorous propaganda TO
convince congress and the people that
this Bureau OF Womcn's Relations,
which is now being carried on with
leftover war time contributions, ought
to be made n permanent part OF tho
army. And their propaganda brings
out some interesting facts about our
peace time army. and about soldiers
and girls.
The first fact pointed out by Miss
leading tho work. Is that our present
army is an army OF boys, who have
enlisted for the purpose or getting an
education. There arc exceptions, Of
course. Tho veteran hard boiled is
sim figure in the army, But the
great majority OF the enlisted men arc
boys from 10 to 90 years OF agc, who
have been attracted by tho widely
advertised educational opportunities
which tho Army is now offering.
These. in n word. arc boys Of college
age. who could not afford n college
education. and have Joined the Army
instead. Many of them are young
men who want education in mechanic
al and engineering lines. Many OF
them arc young immigrants who
wants to learn tho language and the
history Of their new country.
The point made by the Army-ss
represented by Miss Phipps-is that in
advertising itself as an educational OPP
portunity. and thereby getting tho ser
vices of a lot of ambitious young men
Of tho most formative age, the Army
has assumed n new and heavy rcspon-
sibility. Those boys arc going 10 be
what tho Army makes them. And
probably no one will deny that the
kind of feminine society they enjoy
is one important factor in their maxi
ing.
The commanding officers. while
fully aware of this large, humani-
tartan Wow of the subject. are com
pclled to consider tho practical phase
OF the matter first. They are primar-
lily concerned with the effect OF this
hostcs work on the morale of their
commands. and it ia from this stand