Arizona republican., 1917-09-15
War Relief and Social Service 1T Europe
 1iI

There is no question that the suffer ings of the people of Poland have been very great; when the history of Poland during this war comes to be written, the world will stand aghast at the story of her sufferingS. It is great pity that these various schemes for relief did not succeed The Rockefeller Commission, however, up to the time 1 left Germany, did continue to carry son some measure of relief, and succeeded in getting Tn condensed milk, to some extent. for the children of that unfortunate country. These negotiations brought me in con- tact with a number of Poles resident m Berlin whom 1 found most eager to do what they could to relieve the situation I wish here to express my admiration | for the work of the Rockefeller Com mission in Europe. Not only were the | ideas of the commission excellent. and business-like, but the men selected to carry them into effect were without ex- | ception men of high character. pos- 1 sessed of rare executive ability.
 i As I have said in a previous chapter I was ridiculed in the American news l papers because l had suggested, in an- 1 swer to cable of the League of Mer- ev. that some work should be done for | the prisoners of war.
 Great Work of the Y. M. C. A..
  | work undertaken by Dr. John R. Mott and his associates was suggested by my answer or not-that does not mat l ter But this work, undertaken by the l American Y. NJ. C. A., certainly mat l tered a great deal to the prisoners Of war in Europe. Doctor Mott after ] serving on the Mexican Commission, [, has gone to Russia as a member of the commission to that country
 X ,fsysaf ion l1a1 1a1 by Doctor Mott who, was most ably as sisted by the Rev. Archibald C. Harte, 1 took up this work, which was financed. 1 I have been told, by the Mccormick | family of Chicago. Cleveland H. Dodge, John D. Rockefeller and others. Mir. Harte obtained permission from the German authorities for the erection of meeting halls and for work in German camps. When he had obtained this authorization from Germany he went to Russia where he was able to get a similar authorization.
 1 At first, in Russia, as l have heard, the prisoners of war were allowed great liberty and lived unguarded in Siberian vilaces where they obtained milk, read. butter. eggs and honey at very reasonable rates. As ahe war went on, they were more and more confined to iarracks and there their situation was
 
 dark at in the afternoon and remains dark until 10 the following morning. Of course. I did not see the Russian prs- on camps. The work carried on there was similar to that carried on in the German camps bv MT. Harte and his band of devoted assistants.
 I was particularly interested in this work, because l hoped that the aid given to the German prisoners of war in Russia would help to do away with the great hate and prejudice against Americans in Germany. So I did all I could not only forward MT. Harte's work, but to suggest and organize the sending of the expedition of nurses and doctors which l have already described, to the Russian camps.
 Of course, Mir. Harte in this work did i not attempt to cover all the prison camps in Germany. He did much to help the mental and physical conditions of the prisoners in Ruhleben, the Eng fish civilian oarD rear Per'in Th" American Y. M c. A. built great hall
 wdhere religious exercises were held, iplays and lectures given, and where
 prisoners had a good place to read and write in during the day. library was i esta blished in this building
 The work carried on bv the Y M c. A. may be briefly described as coming under the following heads: Religious 1 activities. educational activities, work shops and gardens, physical exercises and outdoor sports, diet kitchens for
 convalescents. libraries and music in
 cluding orchestras, choruses and the
 like ?
 When left Germany on the breaking of diplomatic relations, a number of
 these Y. M. c. A. workers left with me , German Women's Qualities in War
 The German women exhibited not
 able qualities in war They engaged in
 the Red Cross work, including the , preparation of suonlies and handag ges for the hosDitals. The first day of mo-
 bilizatOn saw a number of yOurg girls [ Tt every railway station in the country I with food and drink for the passing | soldiers. At railway functions and ter
 minals in the large cities. stations were
 established where these Red Cross
 workers gave warm meal to the sol diers passing through Tn these ter , miral stations there were also womer : 'vnrtars nossessed of sufficient skill tC