The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-03
Soldiers Themselves Are Doing
All They Can.
$50, 900 is THE GOAL SET
Officers Want Funds Raised by
November 20.
Money VIII Be Used To Build
Recreation Hall.

Camp Funston. Kan. Nov. S.-The
campaign of the AlI-Kansas SJ2rd
regiment to raise a fund of $4,000
as reeimentaI fund is meeting with
favor thruout the various counties OF
Kansas as was shown this week by
the MANY responses received at tne
regimental headquarters.
In most of the counties, commit
tees are busy raising the amount
proportioned to that county The IN
dications are that the entire amount
will be in the hands of the comma M
ing officer by November 20, the CLOS
ing date of the campaign However,
there is plenty of work to be done,
and much more money to be raised
ifthe goal set by the All-Kansas regl-
raent is to be reached by November
% so that the open house to the peo-
pie of Kansas may be held on CHRIST
mas day The plans for recreatlonal
hall have been drawn by a private
in the regiment and arrangements
have been made for the construction
OF the building. All of the labor Will
be performed by men from the rank
and fiIe of the regiment
Tee ReGimental Fund for the 353rd
fn.antry has no connection, whatever,
Win the Y. NJ. c. A. building, which in
itself is \ very commendable enter
prise for the camp at large More
over the Hostess house is located one
and one-half miles from this regiment
and can serve only Il limited number.
Our enterprise is Il Kansas enterprise,
pure and simple, and is for the better
fuent Of the moral and physical well
fare OF the Kansas men. Every sun
aav there comes TO the All nsas
regiment between 5000 and $4,000
GUESTS who come to visit relatives.
Ih"re is no proper provision made for
-akinc care of this great influx of
people, q greater number Of whom
are mothers, sisters and sweethearts
of the men The recreation hall,
Which we are planning would fulfill a
want which in the short space of time
We have been here, has become cry
ing necessity.
Soldiers Helping.
The men of the fifteen companies
of the All-Kansas regiment are do
ing their utmost to raise funds. Com
mittees have been formed in each
company and from the report made
by these committees at the several
meetings held this week, all of the
men are anxious to give as much as
they can comfortably spare toward
this fund.
The men are writing to their friends
back home urging that they give as
literally to this fund as possible.
Every newspaper in Kansas has been
reached and every commercial associ-
alton has been appealed to, the work
emption boards of the state, and every
effort is being put forth to have the
fund of $4,000 in the hands of the
regimental commander by November
90.
one of the big boosters for the
Regimental Fund is Colonel w. L.
Churchill, sheriff of Phillips county,
and the live wires of Phillipsburg.
Colonel" Churchill visited Camp
Funston last week in company with
about fifty other residents of Phillips
county. They brought with them
1900 pounds of fried chicken. pre-
serves, fruits, pies and other eatables,
and spread the treat for the SO Phil
lips county boys at the Y. NJ. G. A.
After the feed the plan of the cam
paign was explained to the Phillips
county people and Colonel Churchill
was selected to take charge of raising
the fund. He was highly elated with
the regimental fund idea. and is using
every effort to secure the fund in
Phillips county.
The 353rd infantry has the distinc-
ton Of being one of the few regiments
ever formed in any branch of the
service made up of men from every
county in the state. 1t is representa-
tive of every walk in life and industry
that is to be found in Kansas
Men Credit to State.
The men have done their part in
manner that is a credit to the state
from which they come. Now here
is what is needed for the boys: At
the present, no adequate place is pro-
vided for the mothers, sisters, wives
or other relatives who come down
here to visit the boys. The need for
a recreational hall for the betterment
of the physical and moral welfare of
these boys has been impressed upon
the mind of every mother. sister or
wife who has come down here during
the last six weeks. The need for quar-
tiers of this kind cannot be realized
to the fullest extent until you have
made a trip here to see your boy or
some friends boy. When the recrea-
tional hall. with its coy fire place, rest
and reading rooms, a place to eat
Sunday dinners, with facilities for
writing letters and many other COM
forts now unknown to the boys, is
completed, then it will be that the
soldier viii be happier and his moral
environment will be greatly improved.
Col James H. Reeves, commanding
officer of the all-Kansas regiment,
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