Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1909-04-16

the religion OF good deeds, and Sc
even the most ignorant coolie in the
ranks could comprehend it.
Recreation, diversion, accommoda
ton and inspiration were the aims OF
the Y. M c. A. rooms. Here a soldier
could find place to write home and
free stationery. Every one of the
three and a quarter million pieces OF
stationery, bearing the Christian
name, as it did, became a silent
evangelist for the Christian propa.
ganda Into the remotest corner OF
the empire it carried the news that
Christians were brothering the man
at the front. And, naturally, every
letter written told of the comforts and
pleasures provided by this Young
Mems Christian Association. Could
the most bigoted Buddhist in the re-
hottest rural region, cherish ill-will
toward a religion that was so helpful
to his son and his neighbors?
Bathhouse, teahouse, barber shop.
music hall, library, tailor shop, writ.
ing room and lounging room were all
combined in these Y. M. G. A. quar-
tiers. The men were supplied with
innumerable games, including base
ball (the American national game has
become ubiquitous), archery, fencing
and fishing tackle. This last enabled
the men to vary their meager diet and
at some places literally hundreds of
men would be found lined up along
the bank of a stream fishing for fun
and dinner. 1t takes little imagina-
ton to read into the following figures.
just issued, a novel and far-reaching
nation, and called forth from every
general in the field, and from the
prime minister and minister of war
the strongest expressions of approva
and gratitude. Three quarters of a
million different individual soIdi $
were touched by the work. About
1,566,000 soldiers entered the II diff
ferent branches during the war, some
men more than once, of course, which
explains the enormous total Eighty
eight thousand obtained buttons, soap,
thread, patches, etc. Books were Dor
rowed by $4,000 men, and 152, 900 used
the associations barber supplies The
laundry facilities of single branch
were employed by $4,000 soldiers. In
addition, hundreds of visits were made
by the workers to hospitals and bar
racks and camp at distance from
the association bases.
After the days work was done, the
secretaries generally had to stay up
late at night putting the overworked
hair-clippers into condition for the
morrow. The wounded mems hair
was cut by the secretaries themselves.
A pathetic incident of the sort of
ministry required is related by Secre-
tary Hubbard: "One day a man ac-
costed him with Will you please wash
my face?' l looked at him and saw
that he certainly needed it, and that
both arms were in sings, his hands
having been shot away. He had not
had chance to wash his face for two
weeks before he was wounded. So l
started in But soap and water had
no effect on that accumulated dirt, so
| finally had to scrape the man clean.
Then | cut his matted, bloody hair,
and when l got through the man was
weeping for gratitude He could not
utter word of thanks-and when the
politeness of the Japanese deserts
him, he is in a pretty bad way"
A New Feature of the Army.
All this work was done by a force
OF only Al secretaries, the Americans
who initiated and largely directed it
being c.. V. Hubbard, V. w. Helm,
George Gleason and G. S. Phelps
help on the part of the soldiers, and
by military details officially appointed.
The officers themselves freely CO.
operated. In the matter of outdoor
sports and indoor entertainments the
soldiers gave unlimited assistance.
But the best friend of the secretaries
was the graphophone, of which the
men seemed never to tire. Now one
hears these machines at work day
and night all over Japan.
Since the return of the army, per-
manent Y. NJ c. A. headquarters have
been established, by the urgent re-
quest of the army officers, at Liaoyang
and at Port Arthur The governor
general of Lioayang peninsula made
a personal subscription of thousand