The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-11
YIN. {. A. SOLVES
ARMY'S PROBLEM
1t Keeps Tommy Atkins Out
of Mischief When Days
Work Is Over.
10000 MEN AND WOMEN
Society Women Mend Soldiers Clothes
and Write His Letters When
.... He Is Sick.
i.I Cable to IN. Washington Herald.

Special Cable to Inc Warrington herhd
London. April 3.-Americans who
and who want to get an IDEA o. the
kind Of soldier that makes up Lord
Kitchener's new armies should not fail
to VISIT the former White City," in
the extreme west End Of London,
where 5000 young Engiishmen. scots
and Iriskmen are being trained before
they tro sent TO the front.
The b. st time 10 vIsi: this garrison
town is at S o'clock in the afternoon.
when he day work is ov,- and you
have a chance to Sec Tommy Atkins
at case. At o'clock sharp the Dugie
blasts summon the men. not to work
but to rest and enjoyment.
One OF the problems facing Lord
Kitchen er when he CARED raising his
millions Of men was this: What are we
to do with these thousands when the
days work Is over: How ire We to
keep them from getting into mis-
chief?
1t was the Y. NJ. Z. A. that solved
the problem. Lord Kinnaird, the pres
ident of the organisation. Immediately
decided the moment had come to
transform the Y. M. c. A. into a
patriotic organization of the first mag
nitude. and he has succeeded wonder
fully we'll.
10. Six Hundred tenters.
The Y. NJ. c. A. has now no less
than 500 centers distributed every
where where British soldiers are fight
ing-in Flanders, in Northern France,
In Egypt. Malta, India and through
out the United Kingdom, where Tom
my is being taught to defend his coIn-
try. Its budget will probably reach
&c 000 nm haf0re the war OyAr
Ten thousand men and women have
enlisted as volunteers under the gen.
eral secretary. Mr.. Chamberlain. and
many society ladies have found a new
field for their energies. now that II
Is certain that there will be no Lon
don season this year
They mend the soldiers clothes,
darn his stockings and write his let
tiers when he is sick. In the evening
they entertain him VITA amateur
theatricals and concerts. they make
tea for him and present him with
Bibles and New Testamenta.
There is no lack of funds. for every
body has sent in donations. Queen
Alexandra made the beginning with
a clubhouse soon to be opened at
Aldershot by the queen herself end
to he <nown under the modest name
Of Queen Alexand-ia's Hut" Queen
Mary has donated anoIher hut some
where" In France. Each of these buts
costs about $1,000 and there are al
ready more than 500 Of them.
Free Lessons Given.
The Y. NJ. C. A. has ordered and
now nearly has distributed 10000. 900
sheets Of letter paper and envelopes.
Thousands of soldiers receive free les
sons in French and German, but the
hatred Of the latter language Is SO
pronounced that II was founI very
difficult to get Tommy to take les
sons until he was told that a knowl-
edge of the German language would
be useful to him when he invades
Germany.
The British Y. M. g. A. mas also be-
come popular among the French, and
General Joffre has permitted 1t to
erec. twenty huts along the front,
which is even more than the English
military authorities have permitted.
AS soon as Tommy enters the prem
Uses of the Y. NJ. c. A. he Is perfectly
free. restricted by no military rules.
three or four thousand people. Here
and still his behavior las been beyond
praise everywhere.
At the former White City the T. NJ
c. A. has taken possession Of
gigantic circus which easily holds
Tommy Atkins enjoys himself like a
child. knowing taat he is the pet of
the nation.