The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-14


scenes and for lighting, and on this
stage every night amateur shows are
given. In every group OF ten tnou-
sand men or so, will be found enough
good actors, professional actors as
well as others, to keep a performance
staged every might with the bill
changed every week. Into these big
amusement and recreation buildings
the English speaking soldiers OF Eu-
rope crowd every night. They are the
great safety valves of the army.
French Didn't Know.
The French at first did not see the
need for these safety valves, and 1t
was not until within the year that
the French have seen the wisdom OF
providing places for recreation and
amusement and relaxation for the
men. Indeed, at first the British did
not see the need for these things as
keenly as they should have, and as a
result-one must speak plainly in or
der to have the need emphasized
during the first year of the war, it is
SAID by competent authorities, eighty
thousand British troops were laid
out by the line of social diseases.
More than that, so common were
these diseases among the soldiers
that the shame of them was gone
and many a boy with fear in his
heart, preferred to be in the hospital
camps with those disabled with dis
eases than to go on the firing line.
And so a horrible condition prevailed.
The condition is all changed now II
was one of the things that had to be
learned with the first year of the war
1t is a lesson that America does not
need to learn, for her Allies have
taught her all these things. We will
begin at the point where they have
taken u.s. Y. M G. A. huts of this
type are scattered all thru the Amer
lean training camps in Europe and the
American PamnS n Franco
Catholic Aid
They know no creed or denomina-
ton. Often the army chaplain, who
is sometimes a Catholic, is the NOV
ing spirit in the Y NJ. c. A. In some
cases of course, the Catholics have
their own places of recreation, but in
several cases Catholic priests in the
regular army service, officiate in the
Y. NJ c. A. as leaders of sports.
These Catholic priests, many of whom
are Irish. with the natural Irish tai
ent for leadership, are great sources
of help to the organization and in
war times Catholic, Protestant, Jew
and Gentle, Mormon. and Christian
Scientist are all striving for the same
American end. Naturally, while creeds
are losing their Importance, the
pietistic end of the Y. M. c. A. takes
a secondary place. When a soldier
has brought himself to that exalted
give up his life for his country, and
for an ideal of human progress, it
is rather superfluous to bother him
with any questions about the state
of his soul. The state of his soul is
all right or he wouldn't be on the
job. Religious services are held in
the Y. M. c. A. Sunday and perhaps
one night in the week for those who
care for them, and these religious
services generally are crowded to the
utmost. But the religious end of the
work of the I'm. c. A in Europe is
not overemphasized, and the chief
end of the association is to keep the
men morally and physically fit for
the big work before them
Watch Over Boys
1t may interest American mothers
to know that the physicians and sur
geons of the American army camps
are just as keen that their sons shall
pe PhyslciaIly and morally fit as the
mothers themselves can be. Nothing
dislntegrates an army so quickly as
those conditions spoken of above that
existed in Europe during the first
year of the war. And every medical
rule of the army is made in accord
ance with the ideals of the Y. nj. G.
The American soldier who contracts
social disease in disobedience of the
rules Tor the prevention of infection is
given three months at hard labor and
uses LII &c months pay. This rule
goes not exist in any other army of
the allies. 1t is a hard rule but it is
intended to keep the American soldier
a Well man and decent man
BUT with those rules alone and
without the American Y. M. c. A. our
SpIenCld record in Europe would not
De possible. Late in Septem her
thanks to the cooperation of the doc
tors and of the Y. NJ. c. A. the num-
per OF cases of social diseases in the
american army contracted in viola
tlon OF the rules of the army nhvsi-
Clans were less than 1 per cent. and
1tner armies in France have had as
suit IS due to the American home and
the American ideals of morality in
grained in the American boy in his
chlidhood, and partly this was due
ana IT seems to many observers. large
~ TINS was due-to the work of the
Huts Outside CAMPS.
There is another type of Y. M G.
A. hut which deserves equal atten-
Iloh- 1t IS the Y. NJ. c. A hut to be
found outside of the army canns in
the cities like Liverpool Tondon
Paris, Havre, Bordeaux and the like
me Eagle hut, in London, is the
best example of this CITY hut IT is
lhtenoed for the transient soldiers
passing thru the city on their
military errands. This hut has a
large reception room where American
women of social standing and dis
tinction in the town, stand all day
and far into the evening Welcoming
the American soldiers, giving them a
friendly word, asking about their
troubles and their plans and making
them feel at home. Their baggage is
checked; their old clothes are taken