Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06

town to the mother. living in New
Jersey.
He had not. of course. considered in
his calculations the possibility of
changing trains at Washington. Need
less to say, the lad was safely
delivered.
Only a few days ago a colored wom-
an bearing baby I'm her arms turned
up at the Travellers Aid. She was
plainly agitated and explained her
story to one of the woman workers at
the station. She lived in a small
Maryland town near Washington and
had run away from her husband. She
had climbed through a window in her
escape and declared that she would
no longer support him.
This, Of course, was not within the
domain of the Aid and was classified
as "A case of adult delinquency. She
was sent to the Women's Bureau.
The ability to appraise the Condi-
lions and motives of those about them
is a conspicuous factor in the success
OF the women who are devOting their
time to the travelling public's welfare.
AS they sit behind the marble
counter at the station. very few of
the thousands who pass daily escape
their vigilance. Runaway boys. we'll
dressed derelicts, hayward girls. all of
them come within the compass of their
watchful and tireless eyes. Perhaps
an elderly woman is distressed or
confused. Some one was to meet her
and failed to arrive. A mother with
her flock of children requires atten-
ton. They do not need to appeal for
aid The woman behind the counter
is by their side offering her service.
That these workers never cease
their vigilance is exemplified in the
following instance:
One day one of these alert women.
in a rapid survey of the waiting room,
observed a youth wandering aimlessly
about. There was nothing to indicate
that he was not just one of those
dozen reasons may be seen around
the terminal. There was, however.
many boys who for any one of
dozen reasons may be seen around
the terminal. There was, however,
something about this particular youth
that aroused her suspicious. Perhaps
1t was a woman's intuition. Neverthe-
less. her doubt persisted.
Unable to resist the urge, she ap-
preached the lad in the usual friendly
manner but without effect Gently
persisting. she sought to question him.
Reluctantly he told her a weird story.
dicted his former tale. There was no
doubt that the boy was covering up.
Finally he confessed that he was a
runaway.
1t is always the policy of the organ
ization to avoid calling the police in.
1t Is only when, in a case like this.
boy refuses to be detained at the
Woman's Bureau in the role 1odger
that force is exercised. When he is
held in this manner his name does not
go on the police records.
At any rate IL was necessary TO
hold the young man. The police, upon
searching the youth, took from his
pocket a mans size revolver. fully
loaded. From another pocket they
extracted S14 or SIS. all that remained
of SIS he confessed he had stolen
from his father. 1t was the keenness
of a woman worker that may make q
fine citizen out Of a potential crook.
y x x
DEALING with immigrants is an
other phase of the many.sided
functions of the Travellers Aid 1t is
difficult at times, when
one considers that this means allevi-
ating the distress of Armenians. Jugo-
slavs, Czechoslavs. Ukranians and
others Oh the more IdInllldf IOFeISN
countries. Into Union Station they
come, often with nothing more to
identify them than an lllegible card or
tag.
The first aid in such cases is an
What stupendous task |
this presents is easily understood |
when it is said that ITO foreigners, |
20 different countries, |
passed through the hands of the |
Travellers Aid during January. 1t is |
obviously impossible for the society |
10 employ interpreters for this huge |
job, but the problem has been solved |
most satisfactory.
The Italians are disposed of with |
the help of an Italian bootblack in
the station. The more difficult and
languages are interpreted by
of the legations. or in some
instances by students of the Ameri-
canization School
Ignorant of our customs, lost in
he vortex of American complexities,
oewildered by his new environment,
he freshly arrived immigrant offers
what might be said to be resistance
20 the best intentioned efforts to help
aim.
That some really believe that money
springs from the crevices of the side
walks is evidenced by the curious dis