Evening star., 1917-11-04
Nation Starts Today on Weeks Campaign
for Great Camp Community Service Fund
Pulpit Will Ghe Impetus to Work Opening Day. and Committee
7hrouqhout Country Viii Lead Effort Raise $75OOOO
for Soldiers Wholesome Recreation

Beginning today and continuing
through The week. there will be in
active swing all over the United states
a big drive for the fund of $3.ioo.ooo
20 be raised by the war camp COM
iGluni;y service.
Thousands of ministers Will preach
on the Importance to the morale. as
we'll as the fighting spirit of the Army.
of proper community service for the
men in uniform. This will open the
campaign: then during the week.
through local committees organized
everywhere, cities and towns will raise
the quota assigned to them OF the
total amount.
Mr. WHY'S Heads Committee.
John y WHY'S os Toledo recently
was appointed by Secretaries Baker
and Daniels to be chairman OF na-
tionaI committee to raise the fund OF
nearly s4,ooo,ooo for this work. With
out waiting for the opening OF the
national campaign. many places have
shown their zeal by going ahead and
raising funds which. in some cases.
equal their aliotments.
We've gone over the top with our
allotment of $4,000" was the way
Oklahoma City responded to the call.
To carry on the work IN the COM
ritsees around every camp and post
where soldiers. sailors or marines are
in training, a fund OF s. for each man
is needed.
Col. Theodore Roosevelt, Charles
Dana Gibson, Irwin S. Cobb, George W.
Cable and other leaders in every line
have enlisted to help this campaign
Newspapers and magazines are help
ing. -
ORGANIZATIONS Promote Work.
The Y. VI c. A.. the Knights of Co
lnnbus and other organizations are
promoting the work within the camps.
The war camp community conference
is seeking to provide for the recrea-
lions and amuseEents mer viii seek
v-hen on leaves of absence in nearby
towns and cities.
Washington and Baltimore, for ex-
araple, provide each week end the va
ca ton place for more than hundred
thousand men in the United States
service Churches. clubs, societies,
fraternities and individuals in these
to provide temporary home atmos-
phere and wholesome diversion for the
| soldier guests But all these activities
need to be correlated. they need to be
made accessible to the men. and in many
smaller towns considerable money will
have to be spent to provide the ia
cilities which need only to be con-
verted to use in larger cities like
Washington.
Statement Defines Purpose.
With tho Endorsement OF President
Wilson and the Secretaries Of War and
Navy and experienced Army and Navy
officers the war camp community serv-
things defined in a statement from the
headquarters Of the organization, as fol-
lows:
| in the first place proper community
reception Of the American soldier and
IsaIlor will make them more efficient
lighting men. 1t will actually add to
their military strength and make the
Army and Navy. as fighting units. more
forceful. This statement Is based on tine the
trained military authorities as Maj. Gen.
tLeonard Wood. Mai Gen Barnett. COM
imandant Of the Z. s. Marine Corps;
Maj, Cen Arthur murray, End domaaoahs mana oths
er. From the cold dollars and cents
point Of view. therefore. without any
Thought of social or moral benefit. the
war camp community service Will be
worth many times what 1t costs. For
every dollar expended the country VIII
receive. a return equal to many times the
, lamount given.
"In the second place. stronger na-
Ittonal spirit will be developed In the
man because Of the feeling which comes
to them that the American people. hav-
inr taken them into their homes and
hearts, having entertained them ana
treated them as men rather than ma
chimes, are back Of them and are ex-
nectinE nothing less than the best from
fhem. Will not man fight better for
friends than for people who have look
ad ON him as an alien. person to be
. stunned. to be kept at a distance?
Combat Harmful Influences.
again. both the communities around
tiles from which the men have come
and to which they will return after the
war, will be the gamers by war camp
community service, which will help to
, spirit, substituting. all sorts of good
, club. home and social entertainment to
fake the place of harmful influences, to
which many Of the mon otherwise might
fall prey. .,,,. ~.o.,, :.
all army, navy and marine camps and
nosts throughout the United States.
there is needed a fund Of $3.750.000.
The Yeisure hour activities OF the men
when they remain NJ in y csmP M /. well yell
. knights of Columbus and other or
aaniIations. But the mon leave camp
Whenever they get opportunity to go
to town for the monotony Of camp
need a change; II they did not get It
they would soon grow stale. The
work of the war camp community
(; service Is to look out for the welfare
!. Of the men when they are outside
l ond .nJentv of other good places to go: