Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-09-04

! New York, Sept. Am twenty mill
tary camps along the Mexican border
extending from Brownsville on the gulf
to San Diego on the Pacific, thirty
eight big Army Y. NJ. c. A. buildings
rear themselves above the cities OF
white tents. They are the coolest
places in the camps-Screened from
! flies: dry in the heavy rains; we'll
lighted at night; comfortable and
home-like. The buildings are centers
which the men appreciate 50 greatly
that their facilities are used to the
utmost during leisure from camp work
and drill and thruout the evening
hours until the bugles sound taps.
All day long the graphophone whirls
out music. In the evening groups of
soldiers put on the records OF popular
songs and their voices ring out into
the Texas night in rolliCking choruses.
And they like to sing hymns too. If
there is no record for what they want,
some fellow who can play sits at the
little folding organ and leads in the
grand old hymns of the church or
faster meas ures of one of the Billy
Sunday collection. Some of the more
opulent branch associations have a
piano, rented by the month, and this
is rarely silent.
Club Houses For Men.
Reports to the National Headquar-
tiers of the Army Young Mems Chris
tan Association, PA East Twenty
eighth street, from the $50 secretaries
in charge Of the buildings. say they
are crowded with troops night and day
In fact. the simple frame structures
are looked upon as the club houses of
the men and are being used continually
as the centers of the social and re-
creative life OF the camps. Al the
same time, q weekly program of re-
ligious work is carried out and clean
living is tactfully but vigorously urged
as the standard for soldiers of the
United States.
The work is thoroughly organized
and its efficiency and widespread in
fuence for good are highly praised by
General Funston and the commanding
officers associated with him. Seere-
tary Baker, of the war department.
and General Scott, chief of the general
staff, recently wrote letters commend
ing the associations work in helping
to preserve the morale OF the camps
"Write Home" Reads Sign.
From the opening day of each build
ing, writing paper by the thousand
sheets has been given out at the sec
retaries' counter and letters by the
bushel are daily sent homeward. In
every building is the sign-"Write
Home" a reminder to many thought
less and careless young men. Up TO
the end of August the consumption of
writing paper averaged about $4,000
sheets a day.
Forty tons of magazines and other
reading matter were sent to the as
ISOLATION buildings on the border be-
tween July 1 and Sept. l, and there
were many individual shipments from
soldiers relatives and friends. When
the soldiers are not writing letters or
listening to the graphophone. they are
reading. Domino and checker tourna-
ments are going all the time with full
entries. If the quoits are all IN use,
any Y. NJ. c. A. secretary can produce
horseshoes as good substitute.
Movies and Vaudeville.
At night there are the movies and
impromptu entertainments, with talent
furnished by the men themselves.
There is surprising amount of good
talent among the troops and While the
programs are not always up to the
highest vaudeville standard, they fur
nish a lot of amusement and good
wholesome fun for the men. Only
those who come early are able to get
into the buildings at all.
When all the motion picture equip
ments are installed, thirty buildings
can be turned into movie" theaters
every night. if necessary. The motion
picture film trade has generously
aoreed 70 nrnYide free film service for