Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-04
Expected Government Probe
to Find Out What Has Be-
come of All Brides Will Be
Made Shortly
BY BURTON LEE
leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
(Cnnrrinh 1000 !

Ueased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1929
WASHINGTON, May 2.-Advices
from Portland, Me, that a drive"
has been undertaken there to relieve
distress among the German wives
of American soldiers recently re-
turned from their watch on the
Rhine, have focused attention here
on one of the outstanding problems
of the American army.
An investigation probably will be
ordered in the near future to learn
just what has become of the for
eign wives of soldiers since their
return to this country; to determine
into what walks of life the women
have been led, how many have will
fully deserted their husbands, how
many have been driven to despera-
ton in an attempt to live on a pri-
Yates meager pay, and what is the
condition among those, with chill
dren, who have attempted to keep
their new "homes" together.
The government will not spare it.
self in an investigation, for such an
inquiry, whether conducted by the
war department or by congress, is
certain to lead to the question as to
where government responsibility for
the soldiers wives ended. The army
permitted the soldiers to marry
abroad-especially those stationed in
Germany. The army provided trans
portation to America for the wives.
Should the army provide ample
quarters for these wives after land
ing them on American soil? in most
instances, it is said, this is being
done. Evidently no provision was
made for the wives who were trans
ported direct to Portland, Me. 1t
is estimated in the reports here that
between IS and 70 German wives are
living on charity in Portland, with
other contingents expected from the
army of occupation in short time.
Number Here Unknown
No estimate yet has been made
of the number of German wives
who have been brought, or are be-
ing brought back to this country,
by the American "doughboys." 1t
is said that more than 1000 French
wives were brought back by the
American eXpeditionary forces.
Aside from furnishing transporta-
ton for these women and a number
of children, the problem did not
worrT" the war department very
much. The soldiers of the temper
airy army were soon discharged and
they and their wives became local
problems after that. Hundreds of
the marriages naturally have come
to grief.
There were many cases of deser-
ton, both by the wives and by the
husbands and scores of the French
women have been sent back to
their homes by friends or by pub
lie subscription. Homesickness
ended many of the romances of
war.
The problem of the German wives
have belonged to the regular estab-
lishment of the army-men with a
year or more to serve with the
colors after their return from the
Rhine. Furthermore most of the
German wives are bringing child
rem with them. They and their
khaki-clad sweethearts were mar
ried-some of then-more than two
years ago.
Saddest of all has been the dis
illusionment of the German wives
as to their prospects in life since
they reached America. In Germany,
at the present rate of exchange, the
thirty dollars a month of the dough-
boy was a fortune. AT the time
when German marks reached three
h1Indre6 tn thn 6n11a1, W
dollars month amounted to the
normal equicalent of more than
$4,000 a monitor about $4,000 a
year. Of course the money did not
actually amount to that much for
the purchasing power of the mark
rapidly declined. At it's worst, how
ever, the doughboy's salary in marks
amounted to far more than a frau
lein of the Rhineland ever dreamed
of possessing.
Make More Than Husbands
In this country $50 has been found
to be $30-and hardly that
Wives have found that they could
go out as cooks in New York and
earn from $50 to $50 a monitor
twice as much as their husbands,
confined in barracks. This has not
made for domestic happiness. Wives
with children have not been able
to go out so freely, and consequent
| ly have suffered the greater physi.
cal privations.
General Robert Lee Billiard, in
command at Governors island, has
done everything possible to provide
| i0lS the German wives landing in
| New York harbor. Some 200 apart.
Irents were prepared for them at
| Fort Slocum, which is on an island.
| The wives were not content with
| life there. They came to see Amer
ica, and wanted to see it first, so
thev rapidly drifted into New York
| City. and many, many of them have
| been swallowed up there.
AT Camp Dix, N. j., there are now
| $50 German and French wives liv'
ing with their soldier husbands in
! government barracks. But Camp
| Dix is TO be abandoned. The sol.
| diers are to be scattered to various
| posts The army cannot pay for
the transportation of any wife mar.
rie1 to a man below the grade OF
! first sergeant. The private soldiers
have no money for this transporta.
| ton either
| During the last several months
| General Allen has forbidden soldiers
| below the rank of sergeant to marrN