The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-10-08
AN EXPLANATION

From the Secretary of War, Regard
ing the Work of Clubs, Societies,
Fraternal Organizations, ETC., in
Relation to Training Camps.
/ have received large number of
communications from various socie-
ties and fraternal organizations in all
parts of the country, protesting
against an alleged discrimination by
the war department in allowing the
Young Mems Christian Association
and the Knights of Columbus to erect
recreation buildings inside the lines of
the cantonments and national guard
training camps, while forbidding
other societies the same privilege.
These letters and protests have be-
come so numerous that I have decided
to make public statement to clear
away misunderstanding which appar-
emily exists.
Ever since the plans for the canton
ments and training camps were first
made, the war department has been
flooded with requests from all sorts
of organizations to erect special build
ings inside the military reservations.
Various religious denominations,
large number of lodges and fraterni-
ties, and many athletic and recrea-
tional clubs have petitioned US, each
seeking to minister exclusively to it's
own membership inside the camps. To
say nothing of the confusion which
the admission of the various societies
and orders would involve, it would, of
course, be physically impossible from
| the standpoint of available space to
allow all of them to erect buildings
within the camps. 1t seemed, there
| fore, fair and reasonable solution of
/ the problem to admit the two organi
cations which had already been iden>
! titled with recreational work within
military camps, ,to-wit: The Young
Mems Christian Association and the
Knights of Columbus. Both organiza-
tions served the soldiers along social
lines on the Mexican border last sum-
mer, without regard sto any question
of membership. On this condition,
therefore, that they would mott limit
their activities to particular con-
stituency, and that their buildings
would at all times and for all meet
ings be open to the entire camp, they
were allowed admission to the mill
tary reservations. The Young Mems
Christian Association represents the
! Protestant denominations, which will
. Of
new army; the work of this organiza
ton in all military camps both in Can
ada and abroad is too well known to
require comment. The Knights of
Columbus represent. the Catholic de-
nomination, which will constitute per-
haps 35 per cent of the new army.
While this society is a fraternal or
ganization, it will sustain exactly the
same relation to the camps as is sus-
tanned by the Young Mems Christian
Association, and will hold no meet
ings to which all the troops in the
camp are not invited, regardless of
religious or other preference. The
Young Mems Hebrew Association in
it's recreation work has identified it
Sel WlLn the IOuHS MeH SHFlstldA
Association, and it seems to me that
this task of ministering to the social
needs of the soldiers within the camps
has been fully met, and in way
, which will not needlessly complicate
the machinery of camp organization.
It seems to be. moreover, that the
communities nearby the camps. where
the soldiers will undoubtedly spenc
: such of their leisure time as is allow
{ ed them, present genuine opportun
ity to these various societies and or
| ganizations, which have sought ad
mission to the camps. Experience ha:
shown that the instructive desire of &
soldier with an hour of free time is tx