The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-15

certainly demand real care, not only
for physical ailments but they will be
lonesome and mentally distressed by
the entirely new and strange sur
roundings They will need entertain
ment"
The late Maj. Gen. Frederick Fun
ston spoke of the Y. M. c. A. work
on the border last summer as follows:
II am glad to say that all of US APP
preciate the wonderful work being
done on the border by the Young
Mems Christian association. 1t is a
great institution. OF course, all of us
know what it did in the Spanish
American war; but 1 believe on this
occasion it has done even better. On
a recent inspection of the border,
saw these Y. NJ. C. A. buildings in
every camp, and they were filled with
soldiers in every instance. The Off
GERS told me that especially in the
lonely towns and camps on the lower
Rio Grande, the Y. NJ. c. AS were
godsends to the men, 1t takes a big
institution to care for the needs OF the
one hundred and fifty thousand men
on the border, the biggest command
since the Civil war
Need Is Great.
I'm Europe the need of this care
will be greater than ever, MI Geer
said land the association promises
to do everything in its power to re-
lieve the monotony and to supplant
the ordinary temptations of camp life
with good wholesome exercise and en-
tertainment."
Kansas share of the War Work
fund totals only $4,000 with a prom
Used expenditure of nearly 100000 in
the state camps and mobilization
points At Fort Riley a permanent
army Y. NJ. C. A. building will prob
ably be built before winter and one
is already stationed at Fort Leaven-
worth. Each division of 5000 soldiers
will have a single building for their
recreational hours
An idea of the entertainment man
aged and offered by the association to
the encamped soldiers may be gath
cred from the following list of re-
Quirements for an army of a million
men, which will be recruited soon, ac-
cording to the selective draft measure
of the government. The associations
of the United States will furnish:
Two hundred association buildings.
Twelve hundred experienced asso-
citation secretaries.
Two hundred pianos and piano
players.
Two hundred and sixty-eight thou
sand feet of film day.
Two hundred graphophones and
10000 records.
Three million sheets of writing pa
per daily. IL
Forty thousand pounds of ice per
day. :z ,.4- 4srtca
Ten thousand pens day and many
barrels of ink. si
Ninety-five automobiles and trucks.
Magazines by the hundreds of tons.
A Bible to every man.
Kansas to Furnish 10000.
Kansas, according to the apportion-
ment of the war department, will fur
nish $4,000 men, for all of whom the
oil nd live
entertainment and exercise. The ac-
companying cut is a reproduction of
the standardized Army Y. NJ. building.
Fifteen such buildings were erected
and used during the border scrapes
of last summer. These are still in
use by the army now encamped there.
and they are really enjoyed as the
second home of the soldiers.
Following is an extract from let
ter received in Topeka from one of
| the soldiers at Ell Paso:
Camp, Stewart, Ell Paso, Texas, October,
Dear Pal:
! It's raining tonight; a good night to
back home and l feel as if you ought to
know something about the work of this
| life saver, the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation. You will find it wherever there are
men, and there are men here on the border
tonight The ~, is here good and strong
Since our shack opened the Mesa Bar
and Bills place pretty well deserted.
Mother gets more letters and the United
States government gets more efficiency. If
you have loved ones at home, you can't re-
sist the open ink bottles and the pens
and paper 1t makes you ashamed to think
that the ''Y" is more interested in your
loved ones than you 1t hands you out
! religion in doses a man take. 1t
! tightens up the halter that gets loose when
a man gets away from home. 1t assures
| you that some one is interested in you, no
| matter who or where you are.
| The building proper costs $4,000 and
equipmer: and furnishings make the
Il total cost of each shelter nearly
/ 700. Kansas, with one of the
Il largest can ps III the nation, must benz
/ every effort to care for the nation
men and &c make camp life more en-
u joyable 1or those men who will soon