Banner Campfire
Girls at the White House (Banner Campfire Girls #3)
Julianne DeVries
World Publishing,
1935
*Note on image: While this is clearly not at the White House, I wanted to try and get the dust jacket image I have on my copy. This is the generic image of the edition I have, just swap the title out. : )
Genre:
Realistic, Mystery
Description
The Banner Campfire girls consist of five girls: Mabel
Chapman, Lenore Rivers, Dolores Rodriguez, Alice Blake, and Anita Brooks.
Number three in this series, The Banner
Campfire Girls at the White House, opens on the last day of school with the
five girls bopping kids over on the backs with their schoolbooks. Alice
unfortunately ends up bopping a handsome stranger on accident. Later that night
the girls meet at Holly House where their troop leader, Mrs. Florence Evans,
has a surprise for them. It turns out they have a guest, a Mr. George Thompson,
who happens to be the handsome stranger that Alice bopped! It turns out that
George has a mission for the Campfire girls as he is the personal
representative of the president of the United States. He is to bring the girls
to the White House on a secret assignment of which they have been chosen due to
their wonderful prior commitment to the mission of the Campfire movement. The
girls spend the rest of the night quickly packing and arrive early the next
morning at the airport.
As the girls spend some time catching up on their sleep,
George receives a message from the president about how the Robinson people are
trying to stop the passage of the Coe bill. This bill would have been passed
already except for the political pressure put on it by the Robinson Syndicate.
The bill would have “materially raised the standards of living among the poor
class of people” (p. 51). Once the girls arrive in Washington, they wait for
the car that will take them to the White House and learn about their mission
and the importance of secrecy. Their cover story is that they were invited as
guests to the White House as a reward for some Campfire work they've done. The
girls are shown to their rooms, get washed up and dressed, and have dinner with
the President and the First Lady.
The next morning the girls are shown the office where they
will begin working. They spend the morning making program plans for fellow Campfire
girls throughout the United States. Essentially, the girls’ mission is to get
other Campfire girls across the nation to spread awareness of the importance of
passing this bill that would allow them to “teach less fortunate girls of their
age and appreciation of the better things in life” (p. 84). Later that night,
George has procured seven tickets to the best show in town. It is a show that
actually satires the entire Washington government. What the Campfire girls
don't know is that in a small nearby field a plane has landed with five men in
it who are briefed that the girls are “leaving the hotel now” and soon
thereafter the girls do not notice the small dark car that is following them to
the theater. After the show they decide to stop for some ice cream when they
hear the roar of a car. Luckily, George shouts a warning and the chauffeur's
quick reaction avoids the car from slamming into a big statue in Lincoln Park.
Telling the girls that it is just an accident, George takes them to get their
ice cream but sneaks away to make a phone call to the president to report what
just happened.
June, July, and August pass while the girls continue their
work at the White House. Senators and congressmen have been getting reports
that the Robinson lobby is starting to lose ground and influence. However, the
girls still continue to double their efforts. Everyone assumes that the bill
will pass, but Robinson himself will not admit defeat. He decides to take his
only weapon left, money, and visits the girls at the White House. There he
offers to pay them whatever price they want to stop doing their work against
him. Mabel, in polite late 1930s speak for a girl, tells Robinson where he can
shove his money. George finally comes clean and tells them about the car
accident and how it really wasn't an accident. The bill is going before the
House of Representatives the next day so he is going to announce everything
about their involvement the press. He also informs the girls that if the law
passes it will officially be named after them. The next day he takes the girls
to see the passing of the bill which easily moves on to the Senate where it
passes again and the girls see the president sign it into law.
School will be starting the next month (September) but since
the girls have been busy working the president invites them to stay in the
White House for the rest of the month as tourists. One evening when the girls
return from a gala at the Russian Embassy they hear that the president needs to
see them as soon as possible. It turns out that a few gangsters remain on
Robinson's payroll and as a servant was cleaning the girls’ rooms that night
she discovered men hiding under the beds. There were a total of three men there
but one of them escaped. Thinking about the incident overnight, Alice devises a
plan. She wants the president to go on his annual vacation one month early and
leave the girls alone in the White House under the assumption that the man who
escaped will try to make another attempt to get the girls.
The girls spend two uneventful weeks cooped up in the White
House were Mrs. Evans fears for their psychological development because of the
effects of confinement. She suggests using their “handicraft” skills to make a
symbol that represents the Campfire girls to present to the president and his
wife. While the girls decide to go shopping in town for supplies, Anita and
Lenore volunteer to stay behind. Lenore decides to spend some time painting
while Anita decides take photographs of the gardens around the White House.
When everyone returns Anita finds her photos confiscated because no one is
allowed to take photos of the White House and a few hours later they are
informed that her photos happened to catch the arm of a man hiding in a nearby
bush—the man who happens to be the gangster who escaped. They find him and he is
promptly arrested.
Now the interesting thing is that it appears that all the Campfire
Girls books in this series were actually two separate stories combined into one
novel. At this point, the second story, “The Secret Mission”, begins.
It is now October and the girls are back at Holly House busy
doing homework. A number of students have been missing school lately due to a
really bad influenza outbreak. When Anita arrives home that night she finds out
that school has officially been closed because of the flu. Mrs. Evans begins
calling all the girls to inform them that their good friend, George, is coming
back into town and she wants the Campfire girls to plan a party for him. Anita,
while excited, is sure that there is some purpose to his visit. She finds out
on the radio later that night that Vincenzo Maricopa, public enemy number one,
has escaped from jail. After George's party he talks to the girls and admits
that because the girls did such a good job in the White House during the last
visit the government is seeking their help again with this escaped con. This
man is very, very clever and knows all the secrets of the G-men. They want the
girls to attempt to locate him and they will do the rest. The girls leave town
immediately under the pretense of escaping the flu.
The girls land in Boise where they discover the gangster
supposedly has a secret location in a confectionery shop. The girls pose as the
six Fenton sisters who are from Chicago and down on their luck. The old man in
a candy store tells them that he has some apartments upstairs and that they can
talk to his son-in-law about getting a job at the nearby factory. All the clues
seem to be lining up to suggest that the son-in-law, who likes to stir up riots
in the labor movement, is the gangster they are looking for. To make their
stories seem realistic they go to the nearby furniture shop and buy some
furniture to be shipped to their rooms above the candy store. Unbeknownst to
them, when the furniture is delivered they do not see a mysterious man hop out of
the truck and go into the building. They also fail to hear downstairs in the
store the sounds of yelling and of the old man being beaten nearly to death.
When the movers finally leave everyone hears a door slam downstairs and glass
break. They happen to see a shadowy figure ran into the alleyway and soon
discover the old man. The old man tells the ladies that his son-in-law killed
his daughter and has beaten him in the past. His son-in-law, Vincent Martin,
was mad that he rented the rooms and the old man admits to hiding him from the
police but says that Vincent said he's going to be headed to Honolulu. Knowing
that they are now on the trail of their gangster since Vincent Martin was one
of Maricopa’s aliases, Mrs. Evans realizes that someone must've overheard them
talking and tipped him off to their presence. They suspect their cabdriver and
fear something happening to them. Evans jabs her lipstick into the drivers
back, pretending to be a gun, and commands him to stop and they are shortly
rescued by some of the G-men who have been tailing them. Vincent is going to be
going to Honolulu and there is only one boat from San Francisco that can get
him there so the girls must quickly board a train to make sure that they are
also on the boat.
At the San Francisco terminal the girls are picked up by two
men from the government who found out that Vincent is hiding in Chinatown
disguised as a Chinaman. The girls are to go see one of their informants, Wah
Lee, the man who knows everything there is to know about Chinatown. The girls visit
him and are directed to the gambling establishment of his friend, Ah Sing. A
young Chinese girl who speaks in a “confusing mixture of Chinese and pidgin
English” (p. 213), Chao Nan, takes them to Ah Sing. Turns out, Chao Nan is a
friend of Mrs. Evans. She happens to be a Campfire Guardian from China. At the
gambling house, one man asks the girls if they want to see a special game being
played. He takes them upstairs to a room and locks them inside with him. They
attacked him with a chair and flee out a partially hidden door which
unfortunately leads to another locked door. He follows them in but the girls
ambush him and end up locking him in the hallway. In the main room they set up
a trap to get him. Mabel whacks him with a chair pretty hard and they discover
that the man is Vincent in disguise. A huge fight ensues and the room nearly
catches fire. Luckily, the window breaks and the girls yell their code word and
eventually the G-men show up.
Later on back at their comfy hotel room, the girls see
George and bombard him with questions. Vincent is in the hospital and will face
murder charges among many other things. They all head back to Washington and
make a side trip to George's house to visit his wife. Back in Oakdale they end
up having a surprise party inviting the girls back to town. There is a very odd
little side story about a famous musician that Mr. Evans has hired to play at
the party. This man, Mr. West, and had some legal troubles with some contracts
and hired Mr. Evans as his lawyer. One of the men that he had upset, a Mr. John
Hart, had threatened to kill him. After the party, West disappears and Evans
goes to search for him. In between two cars in the parking lot he finds a
bloody handkerchief and eventually finds Mr. West slumped over in the garage. A
doctor comes and examines him and says that he's just a very deep sleep.
Dolores finally wakes him up by splashing water in his face. Mr. West says that
the red bloodstain was actually from some gargle that he uses to help train his
voice and that he must just be very, very tired. Later on the girls receive a
letter from George that informs them that the original thief from the White
House who was arrested actually escaped again and, as it turns out, he is Vincent.
He will now face even more charges and the girls will receive certificates of
valor and merit for all their hard work.
Thoughts and
Nuggets of Wisdom for Research
In researching the Banner Campfire Girls I have come across
conflicting information about how many books are actually in the series.
According to the dust jackets of my edition of this book there were supposedly
four books in this series. However, it appears that there may have been as many
as six to eight books are that later on they were possibly combined as two
stories in one to make four books. Or it could be the other way around and they
were actually two stories in one and later on were broken up in later editions
of six to eight books. My overall impression of this Campfire Girl series, as
there are many, many, many Campfire and Girl Scout related series books, is
that if it were the 1930s and I was a girl forced to go and be a Campfire Girl
I would want to be part of this Oakdale group. The fact that it is 1932 and the
president of the United States, who at this time would've been Herbert Hoover,
is actually asking for the help of some 16-year-old girls is an astonishing
plot point for the time in which the book was written. Most of the Campfire Girls
books did actually focus on Campfire activities and were meant to express the
mission and values of the actual organization. Of course, a few of them ended
up going the way of the mystery series and clearly the Banner Campfire Girls is
part of that group. However, what I find most astonishing is the fact that
instead of presenting a message that girls are only good for cooking and
cleaning and growing up to be a wife and a mother here we have five young girls
who are actually, though unrealistically, really doing something with their young
lives besides sitting around sewing and playing with dolls. I have been able to
locate another copy of a book from the series which happens to have what
appears to be the first story of them at Holly House and the story of them
flying all over the country. Once again, these sound like excellent plots
showcasing very strong female characters for girls to look up to in the 1930s.
On one historical side note, Hoover's wife, Lou Henry
Hoover, was indeed the National President of the Girl Scouts of the USA from
1922 to 1925. She served as president again after she left the White House from
1935 to 1937. So while the timing doesn't quite equal real-life, Mrs. Hoover is
probably the inspiration for the president's wife in the story.
The first thing that strikes me most about the books is the
banter that occurs between the characters—the girls among themselves, George
among the girls, and even Mr. and Mrs. Evans. The banter between the girls can
seem cruel at times and typically has to do with the girls’ physical
characteristics. While the stereotyped character of the “tubby” sidekick is
often played out in series books (especially prior to the 1960s), it is usually
a boy sidekick. The first thing that caught my eye with the Banner girls is
that poor Mabel is constantly referred to as being the plump girl who can eat
like an entire city that was starved for a year.
In general, the girls are briefly described in the
beginning. Mabel is running and the narration reads “because of her excess
weight was still panting from the exertion of running” while Lenore is called
the “red-haired madcap” and Dolores is “taller than the rest with dancing, dark
eyes that belied her dignified carriage”. Anita is just called “merry little
Anita” while Alice is described as having bobbed, golden hair which is a
perfect setting for her “small, delicately chiseled features” (p. 13-14). We
learn early on that the five girls are part of the 20-member Wa-Wan-Da Camp
fire group of Oakdale of which “young and pretty” Florence Evans was Guardian.
Readers are told that “the girls have gone through many exciting adventures
together in connection with their Campfire work, their most recent escapade
taking place at Holly House where they discovered a secret tunnel and a pirate
chest. Holly House, where all Campfire meetings were now held, had been given
to the girls during the past winter as a token of esteem from the town of Oakdale
for turning over to charity a reward given the Campfire Girls by the United
States government for the apprehension of a smuggler” (p. 15-16).
When the girls met George, they all tell him various
nicknames he can give each girl if he so chooses. Lenore says he can call Mabel
“Mabel, Fat, of course, or Tubby.” Mabel says he should call Lenore “Red” while
Alice says “lanky or Slats” would fit Dolores. Dolores tells him Alice should
be called “Darling or Angel” and it seems no one cares to give poor Anita a
nickname as she is left out (p. 46-47). There was a minor accident that ended
up with Anita falling into George’s lap and she says, “Well he ought to be glad
that it was me at least, instead of Mabel. If she had landed on you, Georgie,
even your own mother wouldn't have been able to identify you” (p. 47).
Toward the end of the case when the girls’ efforts are
covered in the news, each girl comments on what the papers said about her: “Laughing
and teasing one another over the amount of publicity each had received, the
girls merrily accuse each other of having obtained more mention than the rest
combined.” The passage reads (p. 107-108):
“Delores must've paid
the reporter for this,” announced Mabel, pointing to her paper, “he calls her
the captivating, the beautiful Miss Rodriguez. I always heard you can never
believe anything you read in the newspapers and now I know it.”
“You’re absolutely right, you can't,” agreed Dolores, “the
ignoramus that wrote this calls you the sweet tempered and lovable Mabel
Chapman. Of all the drivel I have ever read, that's the worst. That reporter
must be deaf, dumb and blind as well as crazy.”
“Look,” giggled Lenore, “it says here I'm the Titan haired,
statuesque Lenore Rivers. I'll have to look that up when I get home. Maybe that
reporter has a punch in the eye coming to him. And Alice, according to this, is
the demure, blue-eyed blonde whose ceaseless efforts spurred her comrades on to
victory. Such a fibbing!”
“This paper calls Anita the trim and efficient Miss Brooks,”
tittered Alice. “I guess that's because she must've trimmed the reporter pretty
efficiently.”
“And I'm the young, charming, strategic and courageous
source of constant loyalty and inspiration,” laughed Mrs. Evans, reading her
paper.
But shocking most of all is the treatment given throughout
to Mabel’s weight. On page 27 when the girls are invited to Washington with all
expenses paid, Lenore says, “If the government is going to pay Mabel's food
bill the national debt will be materially increased. You'd better wire the
hotel to lay in an extra supply of groceries. You don't know the girl’s
capacity. Once you get started, there's no stopping her.” On page 35, in
response to some playful ribbing from Mabel Anita lightly punches “Mabel's well
padded ribs.”
When the girls get on the plane to head to Washington they
didn’t get a chance to eat breakfast before heading out and Mabel and Captain Martin
(who is flying the plane) have this conversation (p. 56):
“When do we eat? I'm so hungry I could eat this plane!
Hasn't anyone got a few sandwiches or something in their pockets? I'll even
settle for one sandwich and a piece of cake.”
“Perhaps I can help you out. I've got some concentrated food
tablets here. Two of them ought to satisfy your cravings for a while at least.
There are enough calories and vitamins in them to keep a normal person alive
eight hours without other food.”
(Lenore sneaking in) “They won't do her any good then, Mabel
isn't a normal person. Anyone who eats as much a she does, couldn't be normal.”
“Pills! Vitamins! Calories! Bah! I want food, real food,
something to sink my teeth into! I want something to eat!”
Mabel also appears to be super clumsy as well as she loses
her balance in their room and falls into a servant. The scene is described humorously
poking fun at her weight yet again (p. 76-77):
“This time, however, in effort to maintain her balance, she
lunged forward at the same time that one of the servants stepped directly into
her path. The result brought howls of laughter from the other girls and Mrs.
Evans while the unfortunate servant’s coworkers discreetly placed white gloved
hands over their very undignified grins. Butting him squarely in the middle,
the flying Mabel threw the astonished servant across Mrs. Evans' bed and
crashed down on top of him. The sudden onslaught was more than the delicate
Chippendale bed could stand and with a resounding crack, it collapsed burying
both the servant and Mabel in its sorry wreckage.”
At one point when George is giving the girls a tour of the
White House grounds he looks at Mabel and says, “. . . and for Mabel's
information the children here have a habit of rolling eggs on the lawns here
every Easter. We'll look around later and maybe she can find a few leftovers to
stave off the ravishing pangs of hunger until dinnertime” (p. 88).
During the “Secret Mission” storyline when the girls quickly
leave their party and head on an airplane again, there is a pretty humorous
story of how Mabel was going to be prepared for a long flight this time (p.
153-154):
“As she spoke, Mabel removed her coat and with it a large
package which she had been concealing under it. Holding the bundle on her pudgy
knees, she carefully untied the string and as the amused Mrs. Evans and the
others watched, Mabel triumphantly held back the paper, revealing all the
untasted leftovers from the party neatly tied up in a napkin. The farsighted
and ever hungry Mabel had even thought to fill a large vacuum bottle with hot
coffee and as she spread out her feast on the floor of the plane, her
appreciative and really hungry friends gathered around to partake of the
spoils. Some sandwiches, cake and coffee were passed through the opening in the
glass partition to Mr. Thompson who grinned and nodded his thanks while
pointing a questioning finger at Mabel. That rotund individual had taken
everything edible she could lay her hands on so that when all had eaten their
fill, there was still enough left over for another substantial snack.”
Mabel only really gets two cracks back at the other girls
when they go swimming and she tells Lenore, “If you wore a yellow bathing suit
at least, they'd think you were a freak banana and let you alone” (p. 135). On
page 20, she scolds Dolores saying, “How many times must I tell you to take a
bath before appearing in public?”
Bathing suits are also discussed in the first story and seem
to be a pretty racy style for 1932: “The bathing suits worn by the Campfire
girls and their young leader were of the modish, abbreviated type, backless and
cut away at the sides and as their lithe young bodies flashed through the air
from a springboard or cut through the water in a race, an artist, had one been
privileged to witness the scene, would've found a perfect composition for his
brush and canvas” (p. 17-18).
In terms of living conditions there is only one part that
really stuck out to me which was the description of Mr. and Mrs. Evans’
sleeping conditions: “Early the next morning the telephone’s loud and insistent
summons roused Campfire Guardian Florence Evans from a dream in which she was
initiating the president of the United States in the ways of Campfire. Sleepily
opening one eye in the hope that she would be rewarded with the sight of her
husband getting out of bed to answer the phone, she sighed as she saw that he
had resorted to his favorite trick of pulling the pillow over his head and
pretending not to hear. The telephone stood on a small table between the twin
beds . . .” (p. 29). This quickly brought to mind the images of prim and proper
husbands and wives who slept in twin beds and not together.
In terms of other parental elements, there is at least a
brief mention of the parents’ anxiety about letting their girls go off to
Washington. However, since parents rarely get a prominent place in series
books, their fears are quickly dispelled: “Five proud fathers were summoned
from their places of business to drive jubilant daughter and tearful mothers to
the Oaks Hotel and thence to the airport. As the six cars bearing the
adventures drew up in front of the modern, new building that housed Oakdale's
only hotel, anxious parents gathered in knots on the sidewalk to compare notes
and confer with one another on the advisability of allowing their daughters to
undertake such a mission” (p. 34).
I was pleasantly surprised to see the effort in explaining
airplane technology and travel to the anxious parents. Since flight was still
something that many Americans had not had the chance to partake in during the
1930s it was interesting to see how it was handled in this story as the girls
fly twice (and in previous volumes had already undertaken a flight around the
world). A long passage on pages 39 and 40 detail this:
“Airplanes and airports were no longer a matter of curiosity
to the girls. A year before, the national headquarters of the Campfire
organization had sent them, together with Mrs. Evans, on a trip around the
world via plane and they were as accustomed to that mode of travel as the most
experienced pilot. Mr. Thompson too, seemed to be as familiar with airplanes as
his friend Captain Martin but to the parents of the girls, such close proximity
to plane was in itself a novel experience so, partly to occupy the remaining
time but chiefly to satisfy their curiosity, the girls, obtaining Captain
Martin's permission, took their folks into the roomy cabin of the big plane.
The girls were delighted with exclamations of surprise when their mothers and
fathers discovered the many conveniences and comforts possible in air travel.
Next, the curious parents crowded around the cockpit were Captain Martin
explained the various instruments and their uses. Their amazement knew no
bounds when the captain showed them and explained the many safety devices with
which the plane was equipped. The rocket flare system, the automatic control
device, the mechanical course finder and many other features, all of which
received careful daily attention, brought a chorus of surprised comment from
the curious group. Captain Martin was as pleased as a little boy showing his
newest toy to an admiring audience and the audience was open in their
admiration as a little boy would believe them to be. As they left the plane at
the end of Captain Martin's brief lecture on aeronautics, Mrs. Chapman, Mabel's
mother, expressed the views of the other parents as well as her own thoughts on
the subject of flying, which, until now, she'd always considered highly
hazardous. “Now that I know something about it,” she remarked to Captain
Martin, “I don't believe it is dangerous as I thought it was. In fact, I
wouldn't mind trying it myself one of these days if I had the opportunity.”
It goes on to say that “Shining eyes and broad smiles were
eloquent testimonials and high praise of flying. Aviation had 10 new converts
that day” (p. 42).
Technology is also briefly touched on with a scene about
radio listening, which was one of the big family pastimes prior to the 1950s.
On page 144 it reads, “Switching on the radio, Dolores turned the dial to the
wavelength of the station in a distant city and as the girls listened to the
music that came through the loudspeaker, they sank back in their chairs in
utter enjoyment and relaxation.”
Also interesting for a girls series book was the attention
given to the political background of their visit to Washington. An interesting
passage occurring on pages 51 through 54:
“It was to the financial interest of Samuel Robinson and his
vast Corporation that such standards be kept at a low level. Raising them in a
large outlay of money, which they could more than afford, in improving their
far-flung properties but greed and avarice dominated the group and they were
loath to part with their money for the betterment of the large part of the
nation. The president, however, was determined to bring about the success of
the measure and to that end was summoning the campfire girls to his assistance.
Through them, he hoped to reach girls of their age whose families were at the
mercy of the Robinson Syndicate, through economic necessity. By teaching these
girls, with the aid of the campfire organization, an appreciation of the better
things of life, the president believed that they would soon reject their
present mode of living and insist upon improved standards. The Robinson
Syndicate, through its various companies, owned the houses in which their
families lived, controlled the stores from which they purchased their daily
necessities and dominated by directorships the factories and shops in which
they worked. In this way, the unfortunate people had no alternative but to
accept what was given them and so long had they been held under the yoke of
economic oppression that they blindly accepted their condition. Such blind
acceptance was not necessary for, had they only known it, organized refusal to
accept such conditions would have brought immediate changes for the better
since the Syndicate owed its very existence to the people it was oppressing.
The Coe bill would have forced the Syndicate to make these changes but as long
as the people these changes would benefit had, as yet, made no protest, Samuel
Robinson saw no reason for spending so much money. The president knew the bill
would be defeated unless some opposition to the Robinson lobbyists could be
found. After many conferences with his close advisers, the president of the
United States finally accepted his wife's plan to enlist the aid of the
campfire organization, of which she was national commander, to combat the
influence of the lobbyists. If the plan succeeded, the protests of those
dominated by the Syndicate would easily defeat the lobby and the bill would
quickly pass a both national legislative bodies, the House and the Senate and
would become a law as soon as the president signed it. Almost every city and
town in the United States boosted one or more camp fire groups composed of 20
girls and the Guardian. It was to be the duty of these groups throughout the
country to carry out the plans and programs laid down for them by Alice,
Dolores, Mabel, Anita and Lenore under the direction of their leader, Mrs.
Evans for the social and economic rehabilitation of those unfortunates who are
being held under the thumb of the powerful Robinson Syndicate. While the
nationwide project was underway, the five girls and their leader were to live
at the White House as guests of the president of the United States and his
charming wife. There they would receive monthly reports from campfire groups
all over the country and send out their plans, programs and suggestions. Their
mission in Washington and their residence at the White House were to be kept
secret as much as possible since, if the Robinson Syndicate were aware of the
plan before the project was started, they would stop at nothing to block it.
Once the project was started, however, the Syndicate would be powerless against
it.”
The president himself even gave a very impassioned speech to
the girls about the importance of their mission (p. 70):
“The Robinson people must be defeated and I am depending on
you girls and your able and charming leader to do it. You must succeed.
You cannot, you dare not fail. I'll put the Army and the Navy and the Secret
Service department at your disposal if you want me to, but you got to
lick that bunch of crooks. The attorney general's office and the Department of
Justice have been unable to get one scrap of evidence against them. They're too
clever to be caught that way. Our only hope lies with you. United States of
America expects you to do your duty and you must not fail! If you want
my help or device at any time, you can reach me through George here and if I'm too
busy, as I'm afraid will be the case more often than not, he'll advise you or
put you in touch with the proper person.”
Later on readers get to see a private moment into the
thoughts of the president (p. 74):
“The Campfire girls were his last hope in his fight against
the powerful Robinson Syndicate and as he sat there, he prayed silently but
fervently for their success, further victory meant the victory of the people
over corruption and oppression that went into the grip of unscrupulous men on
the throw to the nation. The Coe bill, once it became law, would materially
reduce poverty and unemployment, the handmaidens of crime, and the president of
the United States had pledged himself to an unrelentless war against all three
ugly evils. He had already done much to wipe their glaring blocks from the
escutcheon of the nation of which he was chief executive but one large, hideous
stain remained and that stain was the one owned by Samuel Robinson who also
numbered among his questionable possessions dishonest politicians who could
wield great power. The Coe bill would crush them forever they were fighting
with all their powerful influence against it.”
There are, of course, moments of stereotypical girly things
but, at the same time, moments of pure amazement that would have had girl
readers in 1932 staring at the book and the five Campfire girls in awe. We
learn that “Among other things, the girls had been taught typing at school and
soon the busy clicking of six typewriters going at full speed filled the room
as each girl mapped out her plans and programs for camp fire groups all over
the country to follow” (p. 79). When Robinson himself stops by their office to
attempt to bribe them to stop their lobbying the girls present very unfeminine
behavior when “They surrounded the bewildered Samuel Robinson who tried to beat
a hasty retreat, and vainly tried to find the door to make good his escape.
While the air was thick with threats, many of them coming from Mrs. Evans
herself . . . Alice darted swiftly to
the door, picking up an armful of books as she went and every time the
beleaguered Samuel Robinson tried to make his exit, she beat him back with a
well aimed book while the others harried him about the room, pelting him with
whatever they could lay their hands on” (p. 100-101).
There is one brief mention of jobs in the 1930s. When Mrs.
Evans attempts to get a job in the “Secret Mission” to get on the inside of the
labor movement, she comes back from the factory and tells the girls, “I was
never so surprised in my life. I thought a busy and important man like the
general manager of the big factory would be hard to see but I could've been
calling on a neighbor for all the difficulty I had in getting in. And then
getting a job was too easy, too. I'm beginning to be suspicious. All I did was
ask for it and I got it. I'm to sort shackle bolts, whatever they are, and
receive $18.50 a week for my pains. Not bad, is it?” (p. 181-182).
And, last but not least, is mention of race. There is an
interesting duality here. On their train to San Francisco, the girls encounter
a porter who from his dialect alone is clearly meant to be African-American. He
talks in heavy phonetically spelled dialect: “It sho' am snowin' somethin'
pow'ful outside, ma'm. Ef we gitz ez fur ez Silver City t'night, we's gwine ter
be mighty lucky, yowzah. I bin travellin' on dis yere road fo; ten yeahs but ah
ain't nevah seen nuthin' like whut it is t'night. It sho' is bad, yas ma'm, it
sho' is bad” (p. 198). However, when the girls meet the Chinaman he has no
dialect at all: “I am that humble and undistinguished person. Will you permit
me the rare honor of inviting you as well as the other equally charming ladies
to my miserable quarters? Pray forgive my poverty.” However, there clearly are
the stereotypical descriptions of the “yellow” people as Wah Lee is described
as “staring at his guests through his thick, horn-rimmed spectacles, Wah Lee
smiled slowly, his wrinkled, yellow features and sparse graybeard looking even
more yellow in the reflected light of a broad bladed sword hanging against one
wall” (p. 210-211).
Humm . . . since the girls had already traveled to vast
countries in a previous volume (of which one was China) maybe they aren’t as
scared of Chinese people as they are of the African-Americans living in their
own country.
