Charlevoix county herald., 1917-11-16
Y.M.C.A. STANDS BY
CLEAR TO FRONT
TEACHES FOREIGNERS TO BE
GOOD SONS OF UNCLE SAM
CURES HoMEsIcKNEss.
FOLLOWS SOLDIER ACROSS
oup-Outs Cheer Soldier Last Thing
Before eattIe-"Last Evidence
That Somebody Cares"

Michigan through the Y M. c. A. 10
IN the midst OF the big drive TO raise
. million and quarter dollars for the
American soldier. The man and the
woman who have been TO Camp Custer
do not ask What for?" Those who
have asked Michigan soldiers in camp
what they think of the Y NJ G. A. do
not ask What for?"
The great lighted buildings In the
rain and cold OF a late autumn after.
noon, u place for homesick boys to
hear music and play games and read.
they are what the Y NJ G. A. Is pay
tng for.
A bunch OF foreign boys. sitting
eager, interested, before a Y. NJ G. A
teacher, learning to speak the Ian.
guage OF Uncle Sam-that IL what the
Y. NJ. C. A. is paying for A thousand
OF these foreign-speaking sons OF Am.
erica are being taught to speak and
write and read, to get i'm touch with
what the country Is doing through the
newspapers and the men around them
Men at play On the drill grounds af
ternoons. men at play In the big clean
buildings at night-that Is what the
Y. NJ. c. A. is paying for
This is In Michigan, here at home
II Is only the beginning of the story
Of what the Y. NJ c. A. is doing
Standing BY Overseas.
When the soldier goes out from
Camp Custer down to the sea to 60
across the Y. NJ c. A. will go along
In great tents or buildings at the EN-
barkation points along the coast, when
the first great sweep OF distance from
home has brought its inconsistencies
the Y. NJ. C. A. with It's piano, its
lighted rooms, its games will be there
II will be there tn the boys OF Michi
gan just as II has been at Camp Mills
on Long Island when the National
Guard armies OF the East have come
down 10 the coast to take ship.
When Michigan boys land In France
the Y. NJ. G. A. will be there, Il Is
there today meeting other boys who
have gone over and IL will be there
then when IL is needed a thousand
times more than IL is needed on Mich.
isan soil. great as the need is here
The soldiers OF Michigan will be I'm
strange land. land SO busy that II
has no time to entertain the men OF
other lands; there will be no one to
talk the language, and there will be
the hard temptation OF women whose
Invitation needs no language The Y.
NJ. G. A. will be there with the bright,
clean buildings, the songs OF home
and the friendly men.
Finally when Michigan boys 20 down
to the trenches. when they go out to
so over the last great top, In dug.
out within the range OF close fire. the
Y. NJ. G. A will be present. With
q "God-speed" and a cup of hot choco-
late the Y. NJ C.. A. will give the 'qast
evidence that anyone cares" For
three weary years the British Y. M. G.
A. has been down there behind the
thin, red line behind fits army. Now
the American army Is coming and the
American Y. NJ G. A. is coming too.
Filling the holes. filling the vacant
spaces in the lives OF the men behind
the battle fronts, spaces that have
been filled with companionship with
wives and mothers In American homes,
this IS the business OF the Y. NJ. G..
A. overseas
Not preaching, not telling the men
not to sin but acting and giving the
men healthy activity and clean amuse.
ment to take the place OF reckless de.
bauchery In foreign towns full OF bad
liquor aud worse women-this IL the
Job Of the Y. M. G. A.