Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-15

"Yes. ma'am," he continued good old
y. VI. Is about the last thing we see going
INTO the trenches and the first thing we see
coming out Where can a fellow be sure
of hot food? The Y. NJ. Where can he
see a cinema to take his mind off the
trenches? Lots of the Y, NJ. huts have them,
Where can he hear II little music? Good old
y NJ has Photographs Biggest disappoint-
ment some of US had once was coming back
to a hut near bilets to find that II shell
had gone bang through the phonograph.
Does a fellow want "A quiet hour? He gets
1t in the Y. NJ. Does he want some one to
talk to? Y NJ provides
II used to kind of shrink from Y. NJ.
c. A. man-before the war. ! mean, / had
a silly idea they'd want 10 talk to me about
going TO church, and ask If | drank and
smoked and swore and if my feet otherwise
took hold on hell. But they never talk reli-
gion TO YOU unless YOU start it first. What
they do for you is give you friendship and
comfort. These Y. NJ. G. \. workers that
20 to France seem to be chosen with Il
view to their influence over the boys. Well.
they have It all right. They seem to know
just what to say and do for us. I've known
couple Of fellows that turned religious
just because Of the goodness of these Y. NJ
c. A. people,
Many times have seen English and
colonial boys pouring into y. NJ. G. \. huts
in different places in England and France.
They are sure of shelter, good food and
recreation. In the dining rooms Of the
English huts English women wait on them
for the sake of their own boys: give them
help and Companionship try to withhold
them from the temptations of the street.
In France there is equal zeal. Once | was
in n certain seaport. An English transport
had safely crossed the channel and escaped
from submarines but not from rough water.
The soldiers were disembarkng-yo young, un-
seasoned troops fresh from their training in
England, and now going to "a base camp in
France Some Of them were a little pale
from seasickness: all looked tired. The
glamour Of foreign land had not begun
to inspire them, and some of them. ! am
afraid. were suffering from a touch of home
sickness. Then they saw Y. NJ. &. 4. hut
Some Of them cheered and charged and
went in boldly; others went in timidly.
once inside, they We're all at home. on the
walls. indeed, were French posters instead
of English, but the good old red triangle
was the same. There were the tables for
chess and checkers there were the English
there. above all, were the paper
and ink In a moment every available desk
and table space was occupied by soldiers
writing home. II was very moving sight
Aid Our Own Boys
Now It is our own boys who are over
fort that only the Y. NJ. g. 4. organizations
can give. Letters and boxes from home are
not enough, vital as they are: the ordinary
voluntary canteens are not enough. There
Is no single organization that gives such a
variety Of necessary help as the Y. NJ. c. A.
1t not only gives shelteT--and to the boys
who have known the shelter the word "hut"
will always have blessed connotation-it
not only gives food and recreation but II
gives what every woman will want her son,
husband or sweetheart TO have and what
every father will want his boy to have--a
certain intangible feel of home.
They will be cold, those young men you
love the Y. NJ. c. A. will warm them and
feed them. They will perhaps be depressed:
the Y NJ. g. A. will cheer them. Think Of
the Y. NJ. G. a. as serving for you, as giving
these boys Of yours all you would give
them with your own hands. 1t cannot be
done without money. And those who are
not making emotional sacrifices by sending
men to the front ought to give the more
because they are spared this sad cost.
Wont you give all you can-everybody?
Think of our boys laborng up out of the
trenches after three hard days during which
they could not have hot food, dared not
even smoke for fear of drawing the en-
emy's fire; Gould only sit still under bonn
bardment! DO you want them to be met
at the end of the communication trench
with V. NJ c. A. field kitchen? They
will, IL you give enough. If you don't, they
will march several miles to billets. wet,
dispirited, before they can have anything
hot. Won't you give-give even till IL
hurts? Give the money that will carry
little bit of home to the men who have
taken upon their young shoulders the hard
est part of this war.