Evening star., 1918-01-20

Ofncials Of the War Department havo
thought, from tho beginning Of our war
activities. that our
Entertainment. Army ought 70 have m
tie advantages with
Tor SOLDIERS. which the best thought
of the country has sought to surround the
life Of its young men. and that We had
no right to neglect provision for whole
some leisure-hour occupations nor to al
low the surroundings Of the great encamp-
ments to be less stimulating and less
worthy than our social conscience now
requires in the normal city and village
life OF the country The substitution Of the
city playground, with its, regulated and
healthy activities, for the back lot and
city street IL now thoroughly understood
In the United States, and In recent years
the cities como regularly 70 SGT OUT IN
for athletic opportunities and wholesome
amusement as the best possible means
of combating the evil tendencies OF tho
congestion Of city life.
Our military camps each have popuia,
tion Of from thirty to forty-dve thousand
young men. They are. in other words.
cities, Tho simplicity Of their purpose,
the singleness Of occupation and UNIFORM
ity of age and condition make COM
p0EAtlV0Iy VfVOASu1. 0lACAeAo oey
that that problem can be shortly stated
as follows: Here We have 10000 young
men, the greater part Of whose days are
given to strenuous and exhilarattng pny-
sical discipline. Their hours Of relaxation
must be provided for. in order that idle
ness, WEAKNESS, homesickness and mono
tony may not prejudicia1ly affect their
spirit and their lives. What resources ehail
we use to accomplish this purpose? That
tackled the 5, n. s s.p.s ss Of DfSssW Se War
partment. Fortunately for the officials
they had not only the analogy Of modern
city activities in recreation and social
service, but they also had the analogy oe
er but similar community. presenting
the inclinations and habits Of groups of
men Of somewhat similar age, and also.
as everyone knows, there are many other
this phase Of the life Of men. which were
ready to be translated into the service
OF the Army. Indeed. SO the officials Of the
department state. 1t was the expert
ence that the desire Of the country to be
Of service was SO general that they were
more likely to be embarrassed by multi
tude Of expedients than to lack for SYM
pathy and cooperation. At the very out
set, therefore. the department created a
commission on training camp activities.
and through It undertook to coordinate
all the agencies which could be brought
together to work for the great object IN
hand. The two-fold task OF the com.
mission is to supply the normalities OF
life to nearly million and a half young
men in training camps. and to keep the
environs of those camps clean and whole
some.
It is pointed out by the officers Of the
department that when one considers that
these men in camp have left their fami-
lies, home and friends. their clubs.
churches and college gatherings. their
dances. their town libraries. athletic fields.
theaters and movie houses-in fact. all
the normal social relationships to which
they have been accustomed-and have
entered a strange new life in which every
thing is necessarily subordinated to the
need of creating an efficient hRhting force,
the Importance Of the commission's work
becomes apparent. An army in fighting
trim is a contented army: contentment.
for the average man. cannot be main
tanned without the normal relations OF
life.