Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-18
.R|CHM0ND'S HOSPITALITY
IS VERY HIGHLY PRAISED
High Official Regards Army and
Navy Club as Model OF
It's Kind.
WILL ENLARGE USEFULNESS
More Beds to BE Added to Meet De-
mands Of Constantly Increasing
Number OF Soldier Visitors Who
Spend Their Week-Ends Here.

VI
said about Richmond in connection
with her war camp community service,
and among soldiers and sailors this
city's name is tho synonym for hos
pitality. For months and months past.
despite many other calls upon their
generosity, residents OF the Virginia
captal have We'd with Ole another in
adding to the comfort and pleasure Of
the men in khaki and navy blue. And
their efforts have shown organization,
too and have been focused on fields
which offered the greatest possibilities
for usefulness.
Perhaps the chief success of the local
commission has been duo to the fact
that it started at the outset with the
finely equipped Army and Navy Club.
an institution which gave the work Il
definite center from which rebate all
the other activities. Practically every
scheme designed to help the men in
uniform has its genesis at the club.
whose quarters. aside from Offering a
meeting place for all the committees,
serve rs q rendezvous for thousands
and thousands of soldiers and sailors.
II has been wisely said that COM
parsons are odious, and yet Richmond
would be hardly human did she fail to
note the praises heaped upon the Army
and Navy Club by all Corners, and moro
particularly by those who know what
other cities are doing for the enter
tatnment Of men in uniform. Take, for
example. the utterances OF Henry Hop
Sins, Jr, assistant to Raymond b.
Fosdick. head Of all the training camp
activities in the United States. Mr..
Hopkins has been here three times. On
recent visit he said he had never
seen club like that which Richmond
has provided for the would-be Hun ex-
terminators-that it is simply remark
able for the scope OF It's work lie de-
clared that 1t is so far superior to other
institutions of it's kind that ii stands
in class all by itself. So Interested
was Mr.. Hopkins that he made a de-
tailed report of all that he saw, in
order that he might lay the data be-
fore Chairman Fosdick.
INCREASING NUMBERS
HERE FOR wEEK-ESDS
II has been conservatively estimated
that aine-teuths OF all the soldiers IN
Virginia camps or naval stations, at
club and made free use OF the COM
forts !. o-e-s And wha, /, has done
- 1osLas past Viii nothing like equal
~hs. j. expects 20 Go n the future
xicee TIE number cf uniformed men in
Es sac a-ltL-s - ce constant: in
c-=ESt-E u < a. op.a setret tina,
CE-7 Lee = cFc~tsi ~ is u;ros, ca
sz:t-y, wA.!. -.c=l. oEcisl aaaouace-
S.a-= go - extensive alAas :oC the
s-lz-E+-t-I :. :Ae Environment: II
L---zc- = :A:s, he camp al Lee Hall
= Ss" ss-i Co-1:y, * - expand be-
E9oo expectations When The warrior
making pan: :, ,h!s cSn;onment is
za!+;=5- il w!l quarter Some 10000
a1'!i-e.EEisa. and i is 10 bad guess 10
~
20 Richmond every week
Thoughtful minds, eager for pa
r!otic service, axe constantly on ,he
alert TO find new means BY which TO
make the Army and Navy Club useful
and attractive, and TO NEE: such needs
as manifest themselves with the in
creased demands upon it's hospitality.
Only a day or SO ago the house com
mtttce, OF which Mrs. w l.. Sydnor
is chairman. made most successful
appeal for palms. ferns and other
potted plants. SO that the place might
not only be comfortable. but honey"
and artistic. Contributions OF books
and magazines also are constantly com
Ing In. and there is talk OF installing
bowling alley and buying a. liberal
supply OF athletic equipment
Aside from the free entertainments
which take place in such generous
numbers at theAcfub-end which keen
the furloughe&- soltlers from loafng on
the streets-undoubtedly the best fea-
ture or the institution Is Its immense
sleeping room, which now IS supplied
with 176 beds. These beds. which are
kept scrupulously clean. may be had
Tor So cents night. and along with
them goes shower bath-something
no uniformed man has been refusing
for the last month or so.
FINDS NEEDED TO SUPPLY
ADDITIONAL BEDS
But there is no rose without its
thorn. While the bed service of the
club Is one OF its most useful features.
recent events likewise have made it
one OF the weak spots OF the institu-
ton. In other words. the demand for
cots has grown so great within the
last month or so that the present num-
Der does not begin 10 meet the needs
OK the situation. On some Saturday
nights as many as 200 men seeking
lodgings are turned away II is esti
mated that 1t will require nj least 2ho
more cots to insure the comfort OF all
seeking the clubs hospitality, and
these will cost about $3.50 an;eca
No money for this purpose is now avail-
able. and the Bible societies of the
various churches in the city will he
asked to help out in the matter There
could hardly be a more deserving
charity for the average soldier does
not nave the money that would enable
MIN 10 enjoy hotel accommodations
This, OF course. applies 10 the privatcs
and "noncoms" in particular
AS Tor the officers. OF whom Their.
are doubtless 1900 or moro in Vir.
GINA, plans are now afoot TO estahJ;st
clun Tor them in Richmond Dcanit.
announcements at this time would be
premature but ii may lie said that tn,
stheine seems 10 be taking defintt,
she ne. an o"icers' club would nroya
great boon to the commissioned me,
OF lesser rank---particularly the frs
ara second licutenants who come TO tn.
Ola Dominion from other States ant
have comparatively few acquaintance.
in this Commonwealth.
The "cullud brother" in khaki ale.
is 10 enjoy the hospitality OF Rich
mond. and before the fall sets in no
TOO. VIII have an Army and Navy cnh
with practically the same cquipm.n
az that OF the white men. Morcovc,
he fu an