Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-10-13
COMMUNITY SERVICE
FOR THE BOYS. I"
The First Victories" Will Be Won
In America
WELCOME AND HEARTEN THEM
Three Dollars Fer Each Soldier And
Sailor Is Amount Required
For The Work.

Al tue SuSSeStlOu OI ITSSlueul
/ Wilson the directors of chambers of
commerce and other city associa-
tions, or committees of patriotic citi-
| zens, in cities and towns all over the
United States, have been called on TO
get behind the campaign to raise a
national fund for War Camp Com
munity Service To each city and
town has been assigned the quota
which it is expected to raise of the
total amount needed.
Community service for "the boys"
il training at the ninety or more
throughout the country. is not in
tended merely to amuse and enter
tain the soldiers and sailors. The
real purpose is to inspire the men,
help develop their fighting spirit and
increase their actual military effici-
ency. Army officers declare that
wholesome, healthy environment in
the communities surrounding the
camps will do this.
John n Willys, of Toledo, o., au-
tomobile and aeroplane manufact-
urer, chairman of the national COM
mittee on the War Camp Community
Recreation Fund, appointed jointly
by Secretary of War Baker and Sc
cretary of the Navy Daniels, in let
ter stating the purpose of the fund
calls on every city and town to do
its bit" in this vitality important war
work of holding to make and keep
the army ''fit to fight" through clean
environment.
The people of the United States
should be made to realize, it is point
ed out, the important part they have
to play in helping to win the war.
The first victories" will be won in
America, and will depend on the way
III which those who stay at home re-
ceive, welcome and hearten the men
who are ready to bleed and die for
their country and that democracy
may live.
The community service is confined
entirely to work outside the camp,
as distinguished from what is being
done to provide leisure-hour enter
tainment for the men inside the camp
by the Y. M. c. A., the Knights of
Columbus and the Y M. H. A.. and in
other ways
Mr.. Willys summarizes the big pur-
pose of the War Camp Community
Recreation Fund when he SAYS:
The spirit of the new American
army is to be made in the next few
months. Mere numbers do not make
an army; millions of soldiers who
lack the fighting spirit can retreat
without struggle. The American
boys must know that the finest ideals
of civilization are in their hands: that
| the folks at home are living and
| fighting in their hearts
Imagine your boy at training
camp" he says. Where shall he go
and what shall he do when off duty?
The cities, big and little, adjacent to
the camps will do their best; but
without the aid of national fund it
| will be impossible to supply the
equipment and the trained personal
| service necessary to make a recrea-
tion system thorough success.
II II W luIn1cH
men hospitality in local social cir
cles, to promote wholesome amuse-
ment in public places, to supply
buildings, swimming pools, etc. and
tc prevent the exploitation of the
| boys by commercialized attractions
of an undesirable sort"
! President Wilson, in a letter which
Mr.. Willys enclosed with each of his
| communications. says of the COM
| munity service:
''fhe spirit with which our sol
diers leave America. and their effici-
ency on the battaIe fronts of Europe,
will be vitality affected by the char
acter of the environment surrounding
cur military training camps
Commenting on the acceptance by
Mr.. WHY'S of the national chairman
ship OF the War, Camp Community
Recreation Fund, President Wilson
said:
Mr. Fosdick tells me that you
| have agreed to accept the chairman
ship of the War Camp Community
Recreation Fund, and / am writing to
express my appreciation of your
willingness to serve, as well as my
hope that the work of you and your
colleagues will meet with every sue
| cess
Three Dollars for Each Soldier
and Sailor" is the amount required to
carry on the work for the next year
This money will be used in hun
dred ways. such as building and
maintaining clubs for the men, ar
ranging dramatic, moving picture
musical and numerous other forms OF
entertainment in auditoriums, clubs,
schools, churches and private homes; ;
in short. to see to it that the COM
munity around the camp is as near
like home" to the men as possible.