The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-11-11


France and of the other allied ma.
lions with whom our troops will soon
be fighting shoulder to shoulder.
Every penny of the fund, it is an
nounced, will be used in caring Tor
the needs of the troops. The work
will be done through trained men
which the Young Mems Christian As
sociation will provide.
The object of the fund is two-fold;
to provide comforts, care and recrea-
ton to the men in camp and thus to
keep up the morale of Americas
fighting forces. This the military
authorities and those who have VS.
tied the camps in France regard as
of greatest Importance to the success
of American arms. The sudden change
from domestic to camp conditions. the
lance from home and the necessary
rigorous routine, observers say, call
for q kind Of care that the army au-
thorities are not in position to pro-
vide.
General Pershing, in August, author
lied the statement that the greatest
service America could Immediately
render was to extend the Young
Mems Christian Association work to
the soldiers Of the French Army,
tired and worn by their valiant and
successful resistance to the repe--.~
waves of Teutonic attacks. Antlcl-
pating similar conditions among our
own troops, the Young Mems Chris
tian Association began early in the
war to prepare to care for our soldiers
and sailors. The offer OF service
the association made was accepted
gladly by the government authorities.
and hundreds of men trained IN ~
& 20
now -2J500 of these men, serving
,~kmerican soldiers and sailors. Many
" M. C. A. me- were called in the
draft and shouldered their rifles, since
No man is aceepted for Y. M. C.. A.
work unless Be has been exempted by
the government or whose name is so
far down the list that he is not likely
to be called for some time.
with thu hundreds of thousands OF
men the draft called to The colors. the
W CA. was overwhelmed with
orls and responsibilities. From the
.n,ps -eame a cry for more help. NOS
only hom the soldiers themselves,
Sbut frbm the officers, who value the
Z work The association renders. Accord
in0M a National Conference was
hell and it was decided that not q
cen less than $35 100000 would ade-
ind the association, for not only was
there a call for help N the American
camps. but from camps of allied ma
fions as well.
n Approving the work Of the asso
tor, President Wilson, in q messaf
to John r. Mott, General Secretary
of the National War Work Council OF
the Y. M. "A. said: "May not, in
view of the approaching meeting Of
the War Work Council, express to
you the very high value I have at
tached to the work which has been ac-
complished by the Young Mems
Christian Association in behalf of the
prisoners-of-war and the men in the
training camps of Europe, and may
not express also my sincere personal
interest in the large plans of the
War Work Council for the work
which Is still ahead of the associa-
tion?'
The point is emphasized that while
the sum to be raised is nine times as
great as the usual total annual bud
get of all the Young Mems Christian
Associations Of the United States for
their own work in this and oths.
countries, yet not cent of this war
fund is be used for anything but for
the care of the fighting men of this
and other allied nations. The Y. M.
C. A, it is pointed out, is only the
administrative agent, and the orr
ganization which supplies trained
men for the work.
The association, with the COM
paratively meager funds that it has
had at its disposal, has erected and
equipped hundreds of buildings and
scores of tents in the environments,
=
this country. 1t has enlisted, trained
and put into service upwards of two
thousand secretaries, almost all of
whom serve at marked personal fl
nancial sacrifices. It has also sent
several hundred secretaries to France
and England, following them with
equipment and supplies. It has
erected "Huts" at the base camps OF
the American forces and in Paris,
London and elsewhere and has pro-
vfded substantial quarters where
both enlisted men and officers can.
find wholesome food and lodging un-
der American supervision. In b
word the association has provided for
the men 4'homes away from home"
Now the association proposes ~
extend and enlarge its work, doubling
the number of secretaries, buildings
dHu c4uipnoHI, anu furnishing the
necessary supplies in the face of
steadily rising prices. 1t is an
nounced that, for this work among
the men Of the American army ana
navy in this country, s11,1 900 is
needed. For work for American
forces in France and England the
sum of $11 1894, 900 will be required.
For work in the Russian army, So
3O5 900 is asked; for work IN the
French Army, $685. 900, and for
work in the Italian Army, 81 900 900.
High military officials in all these