Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-11-13
THE GREAT SERVANT OF
THE ARMY FACES A TASK
GREATER THAN EVER
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And General Edwards knew it when
| he said to Pershing: II would rather
have under my command nine hundred
soldiers who had come under the in
fluence Of the Y NJ. c. A, than one
thousand who had not"
Out in Oklahoma I met boy at a
railroad station, going home on fur
! Tough Said he: Il sec you are a Y
man Well YOU can say for me that
if I had only dime, and the needed
it, I would gladly give the whole thing.
1t is the best friend we have in camp.
But, all these are mere platitudes,
for what American home has not had
the same assurances of confidence in
this great servant of the army from
the boy whose presence is felt by the
/ little blue star in the window?
so, now that the war drums throb
no longer what of the Red Triangle
when the boys come home?
All. that's the rub-''when the boys
come home!" For it is going to be a
stupendous task, this rehabilitation
Of nearly four million men--not boys
any longer. but big, red blOoded, Virile,
/ restless men--finished in the crucible
Of training. brains alert and veins
| atingle, flushed with the glory of il
| all, and no longer for the humdrum
/ life of yesterday, AS they leave the
/ camps the specter of nothing -to-do
will stare them in the face at first
/ There will be a season Of al least sew
eral weeks of idleness for many thous-
ands of at least several weeks Of idle
ness for many thousands of them, as
| they board the ship for home The
piers win be lined with the Painted
/ Ones again, and the bright lights Of
! the roulette hall will CLEAN for them
as in the old life four years ago. And
what soldier has not felt the agency
of a long night after the duties Of camr
! life have given away to the lull OF
peace?
| BE assured your boys newly awak-
ened energies are not going to be as
/ they were a year ago before enlist
ment His is a new life now, new
| ideals, purposes, dreams and visions
are his. And he is TO be more restless
I than ever. released from the leash, nc
one can measure his possibilities. He
| will either get somewhere, and that
speedily, or the garish lights of the
downward path may be his undoing.
All this is just by way Of saying that
I believe, as firmly as I believe that
God, through his wonderful agencies
in camp ha kept many. many of your
boys clean, that it is more important
right now, that you keep the home
! fires burning for them during the try
ing period of rehabilitation and re-
construction than ever before, While
in training they have had the restrain
| ing hand OF military discipline, their
| hours of drill. study, taps and reveiue;
now that they are 10 be their OWL
| boss" for a period. it is going 10 re-
! quire something herculean to combat
| the thousands Of vicious allurements
4! Victory over the Hun was a matter al
marvellous organization-allie team
work Of millions; to defeat a single
minion Of Satan may prove the greater
battle for your boy.
There is only on emoral; Give to
support the United War Work cam
paign this week-give until il hurts
/ give as You never gave before, but
I know that in the giving you give but
to get aga.n"-in the preservation OF
the life. soul and character of youy
boy.