New Britain herald., 1917-11-06
PLAINS. " WORK OF
  ARMY Y. MIG. AMEN
G H. Barnes Addresses Gathering
 Of COngregationahsts

ChQrCuSS n0lO at the f1TSL OOn&T08a. tional church here this afternoon c. sa H. Barnes, general secretary of the local Y. M. c. A. and a man who has
 spent several months in active service < with the soldiers at various mobiliza-
 ton camps. delivered an interesting
 address on "The Army and Navy
 Y. M. c. A. Work.' Miss Bertha
 Morley also spoke, taking as her sub-
 Ject, Conditions in the Turkish Elm Y plre'. The sermon was delivered by < Rev. A. J. Lord and Hon. c. M. Jar
 vts of Berlin presided. This evening ~ At o'clock the ladies of the church Are to serve a supper for the guests.
 The talk given by Secretary Barnes was particularly timely, since at the X present time a campaign is being WAGed to assist in raising funds for more Y. M. c. A workers at the front. x Speaking largely from his own ex- < pNriences and personal. observation, Nr. Barnes said:
 Tt la next to impossible to grasp
 the larGeness of this war and the big ness of the factors and elements that z make up this magnitude. The count z 1n men. munitions, materials and dol S lara h 50 far in excess of our usual 5 calculations that we are becoming x dulled to Impressions of business. It z 1ssonly through comparison with other
 wars of which we are familiar that e1o can realize the size of this one.
 Ss,OOO, 900 Under Arms
 sTn the past, two million was the 2 9Aggest number of men ever opposed < 10 each other in any one year. Now 2h1r4y,eight million are under arms. E xho cost of the twenty greatest wars
 O6 the past 125 years was twenty two < hlllions of dollars. The United States.
 hrouGh appropriation alone has spent X ntneteen billion of dollars to the pre- rent date. s Booming into the war after nearly { Hlrea years of it hadl been waged the United States was in a position to 1onrn much from her Allies ex- 2 Dorlence- There was no need to make < tho same mistakes in preparations as ( had been made by some of the other ; Ngarring nations. Again America was < ln the mood to remember her own k1ttor experience with disease and bad food in '98.
 sAnd 50 we have seen in the past Ha F months preparations begun in g. < Vnry skilfull and scientific way. There ' 1a q drafted army-the organization
 If the industries, the conservation of food and fuel, there are the medical s precautions taken in time to forestal
 The ravages of disease-wooden tn- < Htead of tent quarters. intensive train < lnR in new methods of warfare long ' ln advance of the baptism of shell fire
 -:Student officers training camps and s military training in the colleges and ss host significant has been the attitude ! Assumed by the government ana military authorities against vice and N their eagerness to profit in this respect,
 IS in the other war preparations from the experiences of England, Canada
 and Austria. And this concern for
 the moral welfare of the American
 soldiers and sailors gives the Y. M,
 c. A. with the Christian forces back 2 of 1t its place in the government pro- s gram nd its place in the war.
 s Tt has taken its place alongside inf the Red Cross as a great world wide organization, pledged to follow < the nag of the United States as we'll
 AA the standards of her allies.
 s'Its particular organization and methods of work as we'll as its broad z nxperience in previous war work and lts experience in peace among men of s gnll civilized countries has fitted 1t
 for the place it is called to fill by
 authorities of America, England, \ EfAnce, Russia and Italy.
 .Its task is big one, that of the ' American association a stupenduous one, for 1t Is called upon today to . rnrve not only American forces, but sS Enc forces of the above mentioned al- X hes and the prisoners of war. Last x year the American association was X bexvinE 700, 1000 men and boys under < peace conditions. Now thirty-five e hines that number is its field for ser
 N0o. In other words @ generation of < work is to be done in less than a
 year. This will call for $35,ooo,00o
 which Is to be raised in a country Mide campaign next week.
 Daily Life of Y. M. O: A. Man.
 "The Y, M. c. A. has definite nil-
 kAry status in a camp. It Is there
 by the autE orization of the secretary
 pf war. It Is recognized by the mili-
 kary authorities who provide site
 Tor its buildings, heat, water and light. 3 Dn the other hand it is subject to
 military regulations and Is under the
 chaplain. It remains a civilian or- Kanization in military atmosphere
 And as such offers a touch of home md the outside for men from whom the world Is practically cut off. The s Dccretaries are not exempt from war z Dcrvice and no men are accepted for his work between the draft ages for
 home or overseas service unless re- |ected from military duty, except
 that they may fill in their time in a
 very useful way, before they are
 ealled. Scores of Y. M. c. A. secre-
 saries are serving in the army and A navy until both the home and war
 york is embarrassed for men to car ;, ry on its activities. Don't imagine ss for an instant that the Y. M. c. A aE mans job is an easy one. From the < ltaEdpoint of hours-menial work anc s living conditions, his lot is as hard as v Inc enlisted mans. His day begins < hefnre an early breakfast and he