The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-10-07
1By W. n. Ellisl

volunteer for the nations service is a
lawyer. Among his clients are wealthy
corporations and his income Is big Tie
IL "a power In his profession and IN his
city. One hour Of his time means sue
cess for his client and wealth Tor the
lawyer. lie Is wlnt his friends call n
busy man.
For the last week this lawyer has
been living In the barracks at an army
cantonment. Three times "a day II Is
his duty Ia polish the floor of IA rough.
hcwn shack with n broom. Between
sweepings he sells chewing gum and
soda water. standing behind a counter
In "A white cap and an apron. He talks
To soldier youths who come To him for
advice and aid In adjusting themselves
to their new life and surroundings. lie
has learned 10 operate "A moving picture
machine. and at nights this lawyer
spends an hour or two grinding out
reels of custard pie comedy and bucolic
romance.
There are several hundred promi.
nent men who are doing as he is
lawyers. bankers, merchants be-
yond middle age, To whom the war
brought an ambition for service which
their money and their ability To counsel
and advise could not satisfy. They
wanted 20 he at the front. or as near
to u as they could get They wanted
To feel that they are part of the mil
itary organization of their country
They ached to get into Va uniform.
They found their place through the Ma.
tional War Work Council of the Young
Mems Christian Association
Introducing Y. VI. &. \. Ia Trenches.
This council was organized when Y
NJ. e. a. leaders realized that the mo-
bllization Of MILLIONS OF Young men I'm
American army camps gave the assOcia.
ton its supreme opportunity. The
council set out To take advantage of
this opportunity by an expanded pro-
gram of service. a program which Is
attracting the attention of Americas
allies TO "a point where they are send
ing calls to come and help them. Mill
tary leaders of other nations are COM
ing to regard the work of the Y NJ.
G. A. as of primary necessity in their
army organization
II is not going too far to say that
the T. III. c. A. has been adopted as a
part OF military strategy Commanders
Of armies are admitting that when they
speak of ''the morale" of their soldiers
they also mean ''the morals" Sin de-
stroys patriotism love Of humanity and
pride in democracy
Thus Russia, regenerated Russia, has
sent to America for 500 Y. NJ G. \.
secretaries for her army. soon after
the American eXpeditionary force un-
der General Pershing reached French
soil. General Petain commander,in-chief
of Frances armies. sent To the United
states request to the National War
Work Council for additional buildings
like those with the American army"
to be erected in Paris and on the Swiss
border for the leisure hours of the
poilu home on leave.
Recently there came "A request from
the commandments of the Italian
armies for 80 Y. NJ. c. A. buildings and
200 secretaries for service on the Oson-
so and at the nome bases of King Eman-
uePs troops There is something in
the American army which the Y. NJ
g. A. supplies. and Americas allies are
looking for il. In Russia where the
first contingent of American secreta-
iies is due to arrive soon, among the
workers in the Y. NJ c. a. camps will
be many Greek orthodox priests; In
Italy, a majority of the secretaries VIII
he Roman Catholic priests and iaymen.
They will work with the army chapiains
as they do in the United States army,
and be a part of the military organi-
zation in everything except In name.
II is an important field. therefore,
which Is attracting the lawyer, the
banker and the merchant, eager for ac'
tive service. The man with s1,0O0.00O
invested In liberty bonds is not salts
fed that he is doing his fun snare until
he makes an attack on the board floor
of an army Y NJ. G. a. building win
4. broom. The merchant who contrib
uted $4,000 to the Red Cross passes
ont confections over the counter 10 the
soldier youth and feels that he mas
atoned for his physical inability to carry
a gun or dig trench. He is az the
front. and he is working lie is
mart of Uncle Sans army.
WHY There Is Dearth OF Workers.
The organization of this volunteer
work is supervised by the association
in the city nearest each army canton
ment Thus, the association III New
York enrolls volunteers to serve in the
army cantonments where the soldier
candidates from New York are being
trained. An association in one city has
that it will provide twelve
of these volunteer secretaries for
national army cantonment near that
eity so long as the cantonment remains.
This association has business men as
signed to serve in this camp for weeks
i'm advance. One prominent society man
has agreed to serve as "a volunteer sec
retary during the entire war. veal
thy lumber merchant will spend two
weeks in the camp. A bank In this
same city is sending three of its prin-
cipai officers to the army Y. M. c "A.
in the nearest cantonment to serve
In performing this service the volun'
teers are solving a problem which Sc
riously threatened to upset plans OF the !
National War Work Council. last spring |
the problem OF the dearth of secre-
tsries The colleges and universities
Il oil IN