El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-11-15
THE Y. M. C. A. ANIL
H FIGHTING MAN
(From The outlook)

Fathers and mothers and sisters and
sweethearts who have been and will be
bidding goodbye to drafted men, taking
trains for the environments or to blue.
Jackets ~thronging the decks that are to
carry them overseas know that to our
soldiers and sailors the Young Mems Chris
ttan association is an anchor to wind
ward.
What is that anchor? 1t is represented
usually by a one-story building, say 40
feet vide by 100 lung-a great warm room
fun; Of friendly men. There is a cup of
coffee in the corner. At the back Of the
room many feet of motion-picture film are
being reeled Off. There is the sound of a
piano, Of familiar tunes, of massed sing.
ing, of the records Of a talking-machine.
There are piles of .hymn-bvoks and popu.
lar song books. There are stereopticon
and lantern slides; boxing gloves and
baseballs and bats, and the paraphernalia
OF basket ball, volley ball, quoits, Of wrest-
ling and other athletic bouts teach Young
Mems Christian association center has a
physical directory. There is a soda water
fountain. There are oar and towels and
matches and candles and blankets. There
is a library with free books. There are
lectures and courses in French and other
subjects. There is a typewriter. There
Is a chance to read and talk and lounge.
Above all, there is plenty Of free writing
paper, pens and ink, and comfortable
chairs chairs and tables--a contrast to
the stub pencil and the bit Of scrap paper
and the back Of a board held on a fel-,
lows knee In the cold camp outside.
Because the Young Mems Christian as.
sociation makes it SO easy to write, thou
sands more of soldiers letter have gone
home than would otherwise have gone.
Every such letter is one more clutch OF q
mans soul to preserve him from forgetfiil-
ness and rec~klessness, no matter whether
he be a h0mesick recruit or a seasoned
troop. We civilians do not realize the re-
action when the duty of drill is done for
the day.
Here is where the Young Mems Chris
tan association comes in. 1t eases down
the man to the normal and does not let
him plunge to the abnormal, Every Young
Mems Christian association center is some
reminder OF home warmth in the midst of
the new, raw, chilly camp environment,
where old friend and old habits and the
steadying influences of home are left be-
hind, and many social influences Of re-
straint are lacking. At such a time the
soldier, facing the perils of commercialized
vice, needs the wholesome influence Of
men and women living normal lives.
To keep men clean, SO that they may
live straight and return SO. or, If they
must give up their lives, so that thew
may die ~clean--this is the first task of
the Young Mems Christian association.
TO do this it is expanding its army and
navy undertakings as fast as our govern
ment is expanding its army and navy.
In every camp there is a Young Mems
Christian association ~building-or hunt"
as it is called-for every five thousand
men: 1T is one story high. In this coun-
try it costs about $4,000, abroad about $751;
600.
Nearly 1000 Young Mems Christian asso-
citation secretaries are now engaged in
war work. BY July 1, 1918, the work will
need 1000 more. Who will 60? Fortu-
nately the two colleges Of the Young Mems
Christian association, as well as its six
summer schools, providing war-work
courses, have already trained 1886 men.
Hundreds more are now in training. Some
1000 men from many callings In life
have applied for warSwork service. but
the standards-physical, mental, social,
6 tiritual-are high, and many who apply
cannot be accepted.
Nor can such a work be confined to our
own men. General Pershing says: The
greatest service that American can imme-
djately render France is to extend the
will follow. The work will be started at
associations work TO the entire Freuch
army" Has any body Of men in the