Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-24

M lSS isdul MdltllSNss NouilI IL
Bluffs girl, who served overseas as
one of two delegates sent by the
Iowa Federation of Women's clubs,
leaving in January, 1919, landed in
New York last Sunday.
Varied have been her experiences
abroad. Her first duties were at
Dinard, France, a former summer
resort on the northern coast of Brit
tany, which was given over to a
leave-area for the A. Z. F., which
went there on permission. The fol-
lowing June, when this resort was
closed she was assigned to Pershing's
regiment, which was stationed in
Paris during the Olympic games.
Miss Matthews, as one of the II girls
in Y. M. {. A. uniform, did entertain
ing for this regiment, which was a
composite one, being picked men
from the first six regiments. While
there she had the unusual experience
of seeing General Pcrshing and his
men, on July ID, march through the
Arch of Triumph, in one of the great
est parades history has known.
During those seven months of
service Miss Matthews had acquired
such great respect and love for the
French people that she was loath to
leave them. On learning that with a
little better knowledge of the Ian
guage she might enlist her services
with the reconstruction committee
of the Methodist church to do work
in the devastated regions, she went
to the famous Yersin sisters 70. an
intensive course in French, during
which time she lived with family
Nto spoke no English. Very soon
her efforts were rewarded and with
fo,n,er Omaha gitl, Miss Emma
Robertson, known to Brownell Hall
students as "Bobble." she was as
S:Sned to moral and physical piece
CT reconstruction work at Chateau
Thierry. The heavy exposures and
fa'iguing duties, however, oo;;ged
Miss Matthews to discontinue this
for time, after whicl: the committee
scEt her to Toulon, a large naval
por, on the Riviera, where she has
since been stationed. She was given
six-story hotel to fix up as a social
service plant, and with this has &C
complished great results.
The first floor is confined prin-
cipally to large recital and class
room and a chapel. The second
floor has a cafeteria, with seating
of over 200, and the third,
fourth and fifth floors are rented out
to working women. The creche, or
Birds Nest" as it is called, occupies
the sixth floor. Here baries from IS
days to two years, all children of
working women, are cared for under
the direction of a physician, gradu-
ate nurse and her assistants.
In the building there is also an
educational department offering
classes in English, stenography,
bookkeeping. sewing, millinery, etc.
A choral society has been launched.
employment bureau established and
there will soon be a Boy Scout Of
ganization. Concerts and entertain
ments for the benefit Of the Creche
are often given, and at one held in
May, Madame Chaminade contrib
uted with some of her own piano
compositions.
Miss Matthews was the only Amer
ican in Toulon and states that during
the first few months, when she was
obliged to hire all French help, it
was rather a difficult problem, but
now she is not conscious of any ef-
fort to either read or speak the
language.
When she landed in New York
last Sunday she was met at the
boat by two Council Bluffs girls.
Miss Dora Lyon and Miss Hazel
Long, who are taking postgraduate
courses at Columbia. Miss Matthews
expects to be in Council Bluffs later
for brief stay, Ell route to the coast
where her father is now making his
home.
Prior to leaving Council Bluffs
Miss Matthews was actively engaged
in the Red Cross work of this city.