Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-06
MAKING CAMPS
HOME FOR "BOYS"
That's the Task of Commission
on Training Camp Activities.
How 1t Is Succeeding

| TI1HE great segment Of making the world
Il safe for democracy" has numerous arcs.
One Of the most important in the view Of
the soldier lads and their folks is making
| camps homelike for Sammees. And this is
the huge task that the commission on
training camp activities is successfully
achieving-the mission that is bringing its
members the thanks OF the lads in khaki
and the blessings Of their mothers back in
the home town. For not only is the COM
mission, by movies, music, games, etc,
turning the cantonments into pleasant
places for the drill and discipline of Uncle
Sans potential fighters, but it is also
safeguarding the hygiene and the morals
Of the camps and their environment as
well.
The commission is only six months old,
and 1t has done six years intensive work
in that brief span of days. The personnel
is Raymond b. Fosdick, of New York,
chairman; Lee +. Hammer, of New York
Thomas J. Howells, of Pittsburgh Marc
klaw, Of New York; Joseph Lee, of Boston
Malcolm L. Mcbride. of Cleveland; Dr.
John r. Mott, Of New York; Charles p.
Neill, of Washington Lieutenant Colone,
Palmer e. Pierce, u. S. A.; DR.. Joseph L.
Raycroft, Of Princeton University; Jasper
j. Mayer, secretary.
To supply the normalities of life to nearly
a million and half young men in training
camps and to keep the environs of those
camps clean and wholesome was the two
fold task outlined for the commission
camp have left their families, homes and
friends, their clubs, churches and college
gatherings their dances their town libra
ries athletic fields, theatres and movie
houses-in fact, all the normal social re-
lationships to which they have been ac-
customed-and have entered strange new
life in which everything is necessarily sub
ordinated to the need of creating an efficient
nghting force. the Importance of the COM
missions work becomes apparent An
army in Fighting trim Is contented army;
contentment, for the average man. cannot
De maintained without the normal relations
of life.
Methods of Work
The commission has had priceless and
eagerly ready support from numerous ex-
istent agencies for social and other forms |
OF welfare Except where necessitated by !
novel conditions, it has not created any new |
machinery in its "hit" of rationalizing the |
oewildering environment of a war camp |
ana Its spiritual mission of suppressing |
certain vicious conditions traditionaly as |
Soclated with armies and training camps
10 the Young Mems Christian Associa- |
tlon, the Knights of Columbus and the |
oung Mems Hebrew Association the COM |
mission has looked, for instance, to supply |
a large part of the club life and entertain
ment features within the camp to the |
American Library Association adequate |
nf md
the troops. To organize the social and rec
reational life of the communities adjacent |
10 the training camps the commission en-
listed the services of the Playground and
recreation Association of America which |
mas placed representatives In more than
100 such communities and has harnessed
The lodges, churches. clubs and other local
groups and organizations with the men in
the camps. So, too, such agencies as the
Travellers Aid Society and the Young
Womens Christian Association have been
brought into play in connection with the
problem.