Evening star., 1941-11-03
Dean Of Women al
o. P. N. Helps New
Girls Get Settled
Mrs. Chambers Counsels
Newcomers on All
Manner of Problems
BY MALvINA STEPHENSON

BY MALVINA STEPHENSON.
With her soft Virginia accent and
her sympathetic smile, Pauline
Baker Chambers is making things
easier for the hundreds of. Govern
ment girls pouring into Washington
every month.
Off1cially the nurse consultant at
the ONCE of Production Manage
ment, Mrs. Chambers is like a COL
lege dean Of women" to the femi-
nine newcomers faced with the
complexities of booming Washing
ton.
II try to be 4 big sister to the
new girls coming here to work in
the defense program she said, her
blue eyes peering seriously through
rimless glasses. II try to advise
every girl as If she were my own
little sister. I put myself in her
shoes. considering what would be
my problems in a strange. big place. "
Knows the City.
And Mrs. Chambers is self
made authority on the art of living.
She knows Washington and she
keeps a finger on its pulse. Add to
this her experience in nursing and
in the business world.
Life is faster IN a boom town,
and housing facilities here are very
limited" Mrs. Chambers observed.
Girls have more temptations than
in the home town. But think 1t Is
largely an individual problem. 1t
depends on the individual girl,
whether or not she can learn to
take It,"
Night life among Government
workers is definitely limited, how
ever, by low-scale salaries. And the
present ratio of 10 girls to each boy
doesn't help the date situation.
OF course, Mrs. Chambers isn't
painting any rosy picture of living
conditions in this busy Capital. But
once the girls arrive. she does every
thing possible to make them happy
and contented in their new sur
roundings.
Varied Services.
Mrs. Chambers is usually called
on to counsel girls on housing. rec
reation and miscellaneous problems
of orientation. She may identity
an employe to get a check cashed'
suggest an evening OF entertain
ment or provide shopping or trans
portation tips.
While we were talking, q young
girl in gay plaid dress stepped up
to INQUIRE, Have any apartments?
NV cousin and I would like to take
one together, but guess It's just
impossible to nnd a small one near
the downtown section" Il could
have given her the results OF q
seyen-hour survey-only one unfur-
nished apartment at $40. impossible
on a small Government salaryD
Mrs. Chambers usually suggests
a boarding house at the outset. and
offers the names Of several room
exchanges. You may flnd an
apartment in the want-ad section.
If you move swiftly enough.
she adds:4 t,,''., 49, --a.' ..-''
DAY and Night Caiis. '''o'
Mrs. Chambers calls come day
and night. Recently, she entered her
apartment after ONCE hours to hear
the, phone jangling4 It was mother
and little son In the vicinity OF an
expensive hotel. She wanted an eco
nomical location In that neighbor-
hood. Mrs. Chambers happened to
be familiar with quarters nearby,
and the bewildered newcomer was
soon happily situated for the night.
Sometimes an emergency call Will
come from q stricken girl. Five op-
erations she has witnessed, and
many more times given assistance
to those confined in their quarters.
A girl absent from the ONCE three
days automatically goes on Mrs.
Chambers calling list.
Mrs. Chambers has a way Of In
spring confidence In the manner OF
Eleanor Roosevelt. who originally
suggested the appointment OF q
dean of women" to William Knud-
sen. President Roosevelt is reported
to have said about his wife, Any
body will tell Eleanor anything"
People also seem to get a particular
pleasure in conf1ding in Mrs. Cham
bers.
While we were talking, the phone
rang again. It was one OF the O.
P. M. stah men proudly announcing
a new baby in his family. And In
that block-long ofice room. Mrs,
Chambers would be the one he'd
choose to tell about 1t.