Semi-weekly herald., 1916-10-30
STATE COMMITTEE COLORADO
Y. NJ. c. A. WORKING WITH
TROOPS AT THE BORDER

rado Young Mems Christian Associa-
ton was so well pleased with the
work done among the Colorado
troops at Rifle Range during the
summer that it is continuing its work
among the troops at the border.
When the Colorado boys arrived at
their various places of encampment
one of the first things which greeted
them upon arrival was the Y. NJ. c.
A. Shack which extends cordial well
come to every man in uniform. The
Colorado State Committee is financ-
ing this work carried on for these
men from Colorado. Today the State
Committee is sending secretary to
Brownsville to supervise work for
Colorado men.
Far away from home and friends,
Colorado's volunteers in the nation
cause are putting in "a hours a day
in the dull routine Of camp life. For
tunately they are not at war between
men, but our soldiers are fighting the
heat, dust, mud, drilling in camp,
sometimes doing lonely outpost duty
in the mesquite, cactus and sand, al
ternated with long hours of nothing
to do.
The Government has provided amp
ly of good stout clothing, substantial
food and good camp equipment. For
the rest, these sons and brothers and
friends of people here at home are
thrown on their own resources.
To men living under these circum-
stances the Y. NJ. C. A. temporary
building-frame structures-are the
coolest places in day time and the
most cheerful places at night They
are veritable homes for lonesome men
away from home. Every day and
evening our men visit these places by
the hundreds.
Here are provided reading and
writing rooms, with good books, plen-
ty of magazines, writing paper and
games and hundreds of our boys
make liberal use of all of these priv
ileRes.
Assailed by Grave Dangers
Aside from the routine and drill,
social life of the soldiers is pitifully
thin and monotonous. Young men,
ordinarily accustomed to wholesome
diversion at their work and recrea-
tion, are confronted with the awful
monotony of military camp life on
the unhospitabe border. In the lack,
but for the Y. M. C. A. of wholesome
influences and proper diversions, lies
great danger. An army always at
tracts swar1ns of camp followers -
men and women parasites who profit
on the lonliness of the soldiers-their
longing for entertainment. On every
hand the soldiers are assailed by all
the loose temptations that designing
people could throw in their way.
Saloons, gambling hells, and worse
places are housed in shacks or adobe
houses, striving for the soldieres'
money and are willing to ruin them
morally ana physically to get it.
In this atmosphere the Y. NJ. C. A.
has thrown itself-providing lectures
talking machine concerts and movies
- program of helpful religious
meetings with the singing of the old
hymns of the fireside at home - a
never-failing barrel of ice water is
on tap ever welcome in the awful
heat, and secretaries in charge who
love men and try to serve them.
On the border the Association is a
center of good moral influence in tho
camp. The program is attractive and
helpful and is always in charge of
broad-minded, strong hearted, whole
souled secretaries ready at all times
to lend hand or tighten the burden
OF their friends in Khaki.
Raymond B. Fosdick, one o! the
lea ling preachf rs of New jersey rec
cntl. visitcu the border anl u;.n re
turn wrote tie following letter to
the Secretary Of war:
81 came to the conclusion, after a
thorough inspection of the camps
that the Young Mems Christian AS
sociation is the best organized thing
on the whole frontier. The buildings
are crowded day and night, in fact
they are the club houses of the regi-
ments and are used as such contin.
ually. General Funston and his as
sociated commanding officers spoke
in the highest terms of the influence
of the organization of the army, ever
bringing up the subject voluntarily
although | was down there on no er.
rand relating to Y. NJ. C. A. work
The efficiency of the Y. NJ. c. A. wa.
what particularly appealed TO Cen.
eral Funston and his aides"
The State Committee as a Sc wit