Y.W.C.A.

Evening Star, Issue 15140, 24 March 1913, Page 6

Y.W.C.A.

In the Young Women's Christian Association Hall, yesterday afternoon.. fuilv 50 ladies assembled to listen to Mrs E. Heycock's address on 'Mission and Y.W.C.A. Work in the Argentine Republic' The speaker dwelt first on the cosmopolitan nature of the people of the Argentine, and its wealth, luxury, and temptations. They had not ignorance V> deal with but prejudice against tho Bibk. Tho religion of the Republic was Romiin Catholicism, and that reigned supreme. It was only lately that a marriage ceremony could be performed save by n priest, but that had been altered, and now the only legal marriage was bv the Registrar. Touching on the Y.W.C.A. work she referred to the dangers that met the lonely girls who came from all parts of the world, tempted by the high salaries offered. The dangers could not be too strongly emphasised. At their table as many "as 10 different nationalities and languages were often represented. Salaries "and wages were good, but there was no weekly haKhohday, very few public ones—only Christmas Day and Good Friday. Sunday was "" T^ sfc da y- and no church bells "rang. The Travellers' Aid Department was k-pi, constantly employed, mooting, welcomi'.-.: and often following np and "rescuing fron peril those who sought their protection. Ihe mixture of .Spaniards and Mexica's among the inhabitants made it difficua to work among them, but anion.' tha Spanish girls some little hid bcen°don> and a Mexican secretary was in training to help. These girls were difficult to reach, as they had not the liba.--.y that English and American girls enjoy, and for this reason these latter were often misunderstood and misjudged.