The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-11-02
Grand Work Is Being Done
By This Organization
SAFE HARBOR FOR THEM
Proper That American People
Should Finance SOCiety's
Enterprise


blooded, khaki clad young Americans
with a thrill of life running up theil
keels, a few hours of spare time on
their hands, and their pockets full OF
money, in land of wine and women
Picture a thousand such groups and
if you cah a hundred thousand more
and you will have some idea of the
American army in France, when il
isn't at work, and the same kind of
an idea of the work confronting the
Y. NJ. C. A. War Work Council, in pro-
viding clean wholesome entertain
ment, and maintaing the morals of
that host
That is only part of the work be-
ing done by the Y. NJ. c. A. The work
starts at home, before your boy ever
sees the army, they stay with him
while a rookie" at one of the vast
cantonment camps, are with him
when he embarks for France, and it
is safe to say "Y. M. bloke" will
probably be at the wharf Somewhere
in France" when he lands, waiting
for him with a cup of hot coffee and
a fist full of doughnuts. Wherever
the American soldier goes, even in
the front line trenches, in the bomb
proof dugouts the Y. M. G. A. Red
Triangle and all that goes with it,
goes with him.
Their Offer Is Service.
All they have to offer is service,
but it is a service which stops at
nothing and has no limitations. 1t
provides the maximum of home COM
forts for the fighting man. Provides
someone to cheer him up when he's
"off his feed" gone gummy," or is
just plain "down in the dumps" The
service provides an antidote for all
his ailments, the ailments that the
army physician can't reach and
couldn't diagnose or treat if he could.
The Y. NJ C. A. was ahead of the
army in France. Association buildings
were up, ready and waiting for the
American troc~~ "-''~- they arrived.
All the popular magazines were on the
reading tables, the writing room, in
vitfng them to drop a Line to Moth
err" was equipped with pens, ink, and
paper, and stamps were handy at the
desk A look around and there is a
real United States soda fountain all
ready for business, with all the well
known notwithstanding beverages on
tap. Free Movies Every Night" reads
a sign over the door, but why keep
it up, it's only a part of what the
Y. M. C. A. is doing for your boys in
France.
Public Should Finance Work.
Why shouldn't the public finance
this work? The strain under which
the soldier works is for the public.
The public benefits by his gains and
loses by his losses. The soldier be-
longs to the public, the Red Triangle
to the soldier, and it's up to the public
to keep it where it will do the men in
khaki the most good.
All other organizations have to
take back seat, when compared with
the Y. M. c. A. in war work. 1t is the
strongest organized moral force, at
work in the world today. 1t has proved
the greatest foe of vice and liquor, in
the war zones Of Europe. It's the chief
amusement center of every army
camp in this country, but with only
the one object in mind, that of con-
serving the morals of the fighting
men.
The only social meeting place for
the soldiers in France, outside of
small French wine shops, is the as
sociation building provided at every
American camp. American troops are
unaccustomed to the simple moderate
drinking Of the French peasants. In
hundreds of French towns close up
to the battle fronts, the only pros
porous business in evidence, is that
done by the wine and liquor shops.
"Sammies" will be shut up in just such
towns, perhaps for months this win
ter, and the task confronting the Y.
M. C.. A. to provide sufficient enter
tainment, and diversion for the men
during the long winter evening is a
gigantic one
Y. M. C. A. Equal to Task.
The Y. M. c. A. will be equal to
the task however. They have demon
strated that nothing is too big a job
for them to tackle. The War Work
Council is expanding its work as rap
idly as the army grows, and is keep
ing pace with it. New buildings are
going up daily, and competent men
are being selected for the executive
positions. Materials are being ship
ped to France by the boat load, for
the troops already there, and to be on
hand for the army which will doubt
less go overseas this winter.