The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-20
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
TNEORMATION BUREAU
by FREDERIC j. HAsKIN. Director.
WashinEtOn. d. C.
OTHER THINGS A SOLDIER NEEDS

shakes, Music and Fun Are just as
Necessary as Beans, Bacon and
Bunk.
WASHINGTON. D. c., Dec. 1.-THE
first scout that went out from the
United States forces at Camp DeVens,
Mass, was scout of new kind. He
was a social scout, but none-the-less a
part of the regular army organization,
for he represented the Recreation as
ISOLATION of America, which IS
branch of the commission on training
camp activities of the war, depart
ment.
The quartermaster's corps supplies
the soldiers with necessaries, such as
the commission with essentials, sucn
as smiles and relaxations-
The smile sleuth from Camp Devens
faced quite a problem. Boston was
thirty-five miles away and worcester
eishteen-both too far to serve as
sources for the kind of Intangible sup
plies that he was seeking But there
were half a dozen smaller places
within a radius of ten miles so ne
picked the most likely looking OF
these, which was Ayres' populae ,l
three thousand, distance from camp
only three miles. He sought out
prominent citizen and explained the
case at some length.
Il want invitations to dinner for TWO
enlisted men," he concluded
The social scout went back to camp
and spent four hours selecting the two
men. For it was vitality necessary
that the two men should make a MT
In order to make a hit they must be
men of the sort that would probably
be congenial to that particular proml-
nent citizen and his family
This does not mean that the scout
intended to discriminate in favor OF
men of any particular social status In
But he realized that all social rela-
tions are and must be founded upon
congeniality.
Now a man in khaki loses, to great
extent, his social identity. The occu-
nations. companions, clothes and hab-
its that made up his social personality
before he became a soldier, have all
been taken away from him In the
community to which he IS transplant
ed he has scant means for getting IN
touch with the people that would ap-
peal to him, and they have even
greater difficulty in finding him.
Hence the need for the social scout
Exercising his judgment, and no
doubt also his luck, he selected the
two men that he thought would suit
and they did. Their dinner invitation
resulted in arrangements, in which
sundry feminine brains had large
part, for a dancing party. The two
first men supplied the others from
among the friends they had made in
camp.
Meantime the social scout had been
diligent.in other quarters. had secured
other invitations, and selected other
men to fill them. Within few weeks
there might be seen at Camp Devens
every evening a line of about fifty
automobiles which had been sent by
the people of the town for soldier
guests.
This is only one of a number of ac-
Invites which are being carried for
ward by the commission to supply
those things which are no less neceS-
sary to men than food and clothing.
In a camp like Camp Devens, which
contains thirty-five thousand men,
while the entire civil population within
a radius of ten miles is but seventeen
thousand, there are naturally not
enough smiles, or at least not enough
sn1ilers, to go around. It is not wise
to give more than three thousand
men leave at one time. But there are
numerous ways of entertaining those
who have to stay at home. The Lib
erty theaters. which are going to open
the first of the year, the Y. NJ. G. A.
auditoriums, and the two large chau-
tauqua tents in every camp will ac-
commodate about all of the men that
stay home.
And the entertainments at these
places are planned with a full under
standing of the soldier psychology.
They are not designed, primarily 10
improve the mind-although they do
that. too. They are intended pri-
marily to divert, to make a man laugh,
thrill and forget himself. They offer
such plays as Cheating Cheaters,"
such operas as 20, Boy" A lecturer
who wanted to discourse to these
young disciples of the arts of de-
ST. T1i-
not get a chance. And the refusal
was no reflection upon the desirability
of being kind to birds, either.
The experience of those who are
concerned with entertaining the SOL
diers seems to show that the modern
warrior is a good deal like the war
riors of all other ages. Singing, dane
ing, feasting and good fellowship are
what he Graves For that matter, who
doesn't crave them? They are for all
serious and dull things in life, and the
soldiers reaction is greater because
what he faces is more serious and his
daily routine is more dull than in
most civilian occupations.
Lots of interesting experiments in
promoting good fellowship are being
tried at the camps. At one of them a
college night was held. Standards
were erected bearing the names of
alma matters for the men to rally
round. Old friendships were renewed
friendships that might otherwise
Lave been forgotten-and the evening
ended in an earsplitting burst of com
petitive yelling of college wells and
singing of college songs.
Not all the good fellowship is be-
tween men who have come of similar
environments and social traditions,
either. For example, the captain of
a company wanted a chauffeur A
young enlisted man who had followed
that calling applied for the place, and
with him came a friend and boon com
panion, anxious for his success.
How do 1 know you are a good
chauffeur?'' the captain demanded
Can you give any rec lamentations ?'
Il can testify to the fact that he is
darn good chauffeur" put in the