New Britain herald., 1917-12-04
Y.W.C. A. WORKERS
TELL THEIR aims
Association Hostess Houses at
Military Camps Explained

The Y. w. c. A. war fund cam
pa1gn, which started last night and
continued actively today, is meeting
with a ready response, but for the in
formation Of those not familiar with
the work of this association the ex-
ecutlVe committee has given out the
following explanatory statement: with
especial reference to the association
hostess houses:
why should the Young Women's
Christian Association conduct Hostess
Houses in the military training
camps? -
The answer is found in the attitude
of the Federal Government concerning
the spirit it hopes to have prevail in
these centers. That attitude Is ex-
pressed by the Federal Commission on
Training Camp Activities as follows:
1T is the belief of the Commission
that purely negative policy as re-
CARDS conditions outside of the camps
would fall very far short of meeting
the needs of the situation. The I'M
DERIVING cause OF the great and OBJ
vious evils which have attended the
establishment of training camps in
this country and In Europe--the real
disease of which these evils have
merely been symptoms-has been the
result of the cutting off of the men
In the camps from normal social in
tercourse and recreation, and especial
ly of the breaking Off of these rela-
tons to home and friends, to church,
to employment, to social and business
associates and to the other sex, of
which q normal and healthy life SO
largely consists.
These camps are national univer-
sities-training schools to which the
flower of American youth Is being sent
and it Is by their results, not only in
technical military efficiency but In
those qualities on which military and
all other efficiency in the long run de-
ponds, that they must finally be
judged.
LAS to the means by which this
positive good is to be accomplished
they are many and various Perhaps
the most important single method is
in keeping alive the link between the
soldier and his home. It is said that
during the Civil War the two great
inf1ueces in keeping the men we'll
were singing and letters from home.
Better even than letters from home
will be, where 1t is possible, the &C
tual presence near the camps of mem
bers of the soldiers family"
I'm spite of this constructive atti-
tude toward the social life of the
camp, 1t is impossible for the govern
ment to provide for such a specialized
need 1t is therefore asking the War
Work Council Of the Young Women's
Christian Association to erect and con-
duct Hostess Houses within Or IN the
Immediate neighborhood Of the can
comments. which will serve as the one
center Of "home life" available to all
the men of the camps.
Next to the appropriation for the
war work in Europe, the largest sum
listed in the Associations War Bud
get is the sum for this Hostess House
work.
Last night at a meeting of the Y.
W. c. A. Workers, Miss Ruth Craw-
ford of New York City, gave a very
vivid description of the many phases
of war work done by this organization.
Mr.. Marcus White paid splendid tri-
butte to the women of our city,-and
to their remarkable ability for hand
ling these large problems so aoe-
quately and successfu1ly,-and put IN
to all the workers the courage ana
enthusiasm to start the drive for new
Britain's quota of the $4,OOO,0Oo Y. w.
C. A. War Budget, which Is $5.ooo'-
and for the $1,000 needed to keep the
'home fire burning" and maintain
wholesome and normal life in our own
community. The boys at the front
want the families and friends at nome