Evening star., 1922-05-03

AdviceS from Portland, Me-. that
drive" has been undertaken there to
relieve distress among the German
wives of American soldiers recently
returned 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 very near future to
learn just what has become of the
foreign 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-
tion in an attempt to live on. pri-
Yates meager pay. and what is the
condition among those, with children.
who have attempted to keep their
new homes" together
Whether conducted by the War De-
partment or by Congress. such an in
quiry would lead to the question as
to where government responsibility
for the soldier 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 also have provided
adequate quarters for these wives
Some Provided Homes.
In most instances, it Is said. this
| was done. This was particularly true
| of the returning soldiers who landed
, in New York. Evidently no provision
was made, however. for the wives who
arrived by transport direct at Port
land. Me. 1t is estimated in the re-
ports reaching here that between six
ty-five and seventy German wives are
living on charity in Portland. with
other contingents expected from the
army of occupation in a short time.
No estimate yet has been made OF
the number of German wives who
brought back to this country by the
American "doughboys." 1t is said
that more than 1000 French wives
were brought back by the men of the
eXpeditionary forces. Aside from fur
nishing transportation for this num-
ber of wonderland a few children
this particular problem did not worry
the War Department very much. The
soldiers of the temporary army were
soon discharged and they and their
wives became local problems after
that. Hundreds of the marriages nat
urally have come to grief. Many Of
them were matters Of convenience at
the best and soon were ended. There
were many cases Of desertion, both by
the wives and by the husbands and
been sent back to their homes by
friends or by public subscription.
Homesickness ended many of the ro-
mances of war.
The problem of the German wives
is more difficult. Their husbands have
belonged to the regular establishment
of the Army-men with year or
more to serve with the colors after
their return from the Rhine. Fur
thermore, most of the German wives
are bringing children with them.
They and their khaki-clad sweet
hearts were married-some of them
more than two years ago.
DisilIusionment of Wives.
Saddest of all has been the disillu-
sionment of the German wives as to
their prospects in life since they
reached America. In Germany. at the
present rate of exchange the s5o
a month of the doughboy was for
tune. At the time When German
marks reached 800 to the dollar this
$40 a month amounted to the nor
NAL equivalent of more than $4,000
month-or about $4,000 a year. VI
course, the money did not actually
amount to that much, for the purchas-
ing power of the mark rapidly de-
clined. At it's worst, however, the
doughboy's salary in marks amounted
to far more than a fraulein of the
Rhineland ever dreamed of possess
ing.
In this country $50 has been founo
to be s30-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 90
mestic happiness. Wives with chill
dren have not been able to go OUT SO
freely. and consequently have suffer-
ed the greater physical privations.