New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-18
The Men Who Came First
'front.' Short OF Opt bm Long on <e"conm ana Dung
Win The Youth OF a New Country

"r came into the army 70 work." ass.rt.s,
boy; at makes man out Of you
1T makes a growler out OF most" r.pIi.,
an older man.
"Weil, you've got to take II Jus. a, 4,
comes" advised the philosopher Of the groy,
"Ir getting all the money need. GO bs,,
70 the States and you'll not be satisfied. I'M
take another good taste Of the army I've 20.
brother getting on six years in tEe llu
Cavalry, says i.'s the incest life he eve,
lived"
The American turn (. in their speech al
the tlme-not only the charming Southsr,
slur and the New England twsng, bu. n.
little surprise in the wording itself. VA,
sitting next 20 a Louisville, Ky, man, and ,
canton driver came into the shack. n.
Southerrer greeted him:
"In az glad % see you as I'd be % ss. M
wife. And I haven't got any wife"
A few minutes later a man yelled:
"Where's Bob?"
A voice from the next shack answered:
Here"
"Can't you hear him breathing?" asked Ii.
Southerner.
The Youth Of a New Country
These are all men whom have met In On,
new army. I give their exact talk as Il fsI
and the facts about their life history Thi,
is America in the autumn Of 1917 in the per.
sons OF her young volunteers. These men
have come across willingly, even gladly, with
a touch Of adventure in their impulse and
more than a touch Of heroism. They are young
with the youth Of new country Curiosity
is their mental altitude They want 70 Sc,
great things, TO play part at a moment o,
history. Few Of this advance army will eve,
see home again, for they will be first and
longest In the trenches. But there is no fore.
taste of death in their jsunty attitude. the,
humorous talk, the vitality that survives drill
and Furnishing hikes and turns 70 nine Inn.
ings Of baseball for recreation. They ar.
Texas, Iowa and Minnesota. They are youth
The Young Mems Christian Association (,
being challenged 70 the biggest job OF its lie
out here. Can II catch up this drifting hu.
morous crowd OF men in their idle moments
and make them feel at home? The old meth.
DDS and the old men won't 90 at all. TIE
secretary with the professional glad hand
and general smile and watchful eye would
last about week. The Bible classes and
prayer groups are all right enough for small
selected groups of the men, but the erea,
mass of these brave. lonesome, warmh hearted
boys are shy of "uplift."
The core of the work out here Is 70 xiv,
the men one place in each camp Of the war
zone where they can feel as free as in their
own home towns, as free 20 write letters, play
pool. sing songs, see Charley Chaplin on tn.
screen. It is up 70 the American people 70
give their army these things-to give money
freely TO the ~" huts, and 20 send expert.
enced men, business men, men with gee club
voices and good stories, 20 help in the work
Above all, the hut secretary must have
great human liking in his makeup, liking .or
all kinds of men. The men feel IL in min.
ute and respond TO il, but they steer clear
Of anything professional.
The "Y" has made a good start Wherever
the men are the huts are, and as fast as the
men advance under the guns the hut and
dug-out will 90 up with them. The yo.gr.
tary helpers already over here. like Or. Rob
ert Freeman, Of the big Presbyterian Church
of Pasadena, Cal, and Gerald Reynolds. The
New York musician, are packing every hg;
they visit every evening. But the presei,
year will see the need Of hundreds Of such
leaders. Every officer with whom have talked
from sergeant to colonel up and down our
line, has expressed his desire for the "Y'
futs 20 be a. the centre Of camp activities
and 70 run at full blast all the time. As our
fighting men come across FIVE hundred thou
sand strong, and then million, We must give
every regiment OF them place where each
thousand or twelve hundred OF them an even
ing can drop in for good time.