The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-10-26
NOTHINGTOOGOOD
FOR BOYS In THE
TRENCHES, SAYSY
WAR WORK NAN
j. j. Virgo, Field Secretary
OF British Y. M. @. A.
In Fargo
"Y" MEN WORK
UNDER FIRE
Many Workers Killed Of
fering Succor To In
jured

Nothing, nothing, nothing is too
good for the boys in the trenches
who are fighting to save the civiliza-
tion OF the world"
This is the message brought to
Fargo today by ]. J. Virgo, London,
England, Y. M. c. A. field secretary
for the British empire, who is in
Fargo as a guest Of the state ''Y"
war work committee, and in the
interest of the $780, 900 campaign for
the work in North Dakota, Nov. IL
10 is.
Speaks Tonight.
At o'clock tonight, Mr.. Virgo
addresses an open mass meeting at
the First Baptist church. This
morning he made two talks, one be-
fore the student section Of the state
conference at the First Presbyterian
church, and the other before the stu
dents at Fargo college.
At noon Mr.. Virgo was an honor
guest, and spoke at a dinner tender
ed him by the state committee and
conference delegates in the Fargo
"Y" auditorium, and this afternoon he
is scheduled to speak before the gem
eral conference of the war work
committee and district chairman at
the Y NJ. @. A.
TOO few people realize what the
doing for the men in the trenches"
said Mr. Virgo.
Il have travelled 100000 miles with
the troops, have toured $4,000 miles
visiting the yarious hattie fronts. eK-
cept the Russian. ana have round
the red triangle, the mark OF the ".
M. G. A. everywhere.
Everywhere from the front in
Flanders to distant Mesopotamia, 1
have visited these little dugouts,
many OF them but a few hundred
yards from the front lines, from
which the Y M. c. A. ministers to
the wants and needs OF the soldiers.
] have discovered that the generals
consider the work an Indispensable
adjunct to the fighting, and have
heard the declarations of soldiers
that they would die but for the COM
forts given them by the 7. M. c. A.
Il remember statement by a
young soldier who stepped up to one
of these little " dugouts not more
than 500 yards from the front line of
trenches. Hello there, you old Y. M.
G. A., he said, i suppose you will
soon be in the front trench.
Many Workers Killed.
Many of these workers have been
killed because of their closeness to
the front, and are taking the same
risks as the soldiers, though they
carry neither the death dealing rifle
or the glittering steel, only touch
Of home.
"The work of these men is largely
under shell fire. / have seen them
carry on their comfort giving labors
under the fire OF hundreds Of can
non. I was in one bombardment
lasting two and a half hours, and I'll
tell you that / got enough to last me
for life.
1T is under such conditions as
these that " workers are carrying
on their great work. Oficers and
men swear by the association, and
evidence that the work of the asso-
citation is helpful is manifested in the
fact that on every front have visit
ed, and seen conditions under whicn
the men were fighting, witnessed
their magnificent courage, the men
have repeatedly illustrated their
fine spirit
.'The work back of the lines Is
highly important. The association
has arranged for the very best con-
cert talent for parties back of the
lines, thousands of parsons from
England have given up their church
es for set periods and carried charac-
hundreds OF prison camps In all
countries have been visited, and IT Is
safe to say that in Germany the lives
of hundreds of allied prisoners have
been saved by the ~ men.
And another thing, the association
has waged q winning fight against
venereaI diseases. The men have
been given lectures showing the
physical harm, the moral degrada-
tion, the debasing Of manhood and
the disIoyalty to their army in un-
fitrfng themselves for the job for
which they enlisted.
Il couldn't add anything to what
has been said," he said, except one
little incident that came under my
notice.
I'm q recent allied advance, in
which some of the elaborate Ger
man dugouts were taken, the soldiers
found a piano. A young fellow in the
party, who could play, seated him-
self i'm front Of 1t, and was going to
play. He was stopped by the order
OF a lieutenant, and upon examina-
ton it was found that bomb was
SO placed as to. explode when a key
was struck. The exploding Of that
bomb would have meant death for
every man in the dugout."
Protect Men on Leave.
Men on leave in London are proc
tected from the harpies who would |
waylay them and take them to places |
OF IN resort. Every troop train that
(Continued on page III