Evening star., 1918-11-10

ableneSS, and last, but not least, MS
morale and his morals.
The Army itself does what 1t can in
connection with the last item, and that
is a great deal. Its business. however.
Is uniquely and imperatively to main
tain effectives physically fit. and its
latest figures show an advantage of five
to one over urban civilian populations
at home. From the very nature oof OF
things an army must combat physical
and moral ills by sanitary measures, py
prohibitive rather than constructive
methods.
But suppose there was nothing else?
Provide Moral Occupation.
The grand thing about the Y. NJ. C. A.
the K. of c., the J. W., the S. A and
the Y. w. c. A. is that they give the
they do it so unstilted. easy. going and
free from cant that the soldier feels at
home and eats it up. Whether it be
sport, or opportunity to read. chat.
play games or write home in clean,
decent places which are bright. cozy.
warm and comfortable: or whether it
be to see clean shows. or join trench
classes, or hear talks on the beautiful
old cities all round them, or to go in
parties and visit the same (when the
formerly considered among the hap
piest of mortals), these facilities are
SO great and vital that it seems as il
the organizations must always have
existed for these essential needs of
the Army, and we cannot imagine the
boys being here without them: Or. as
iiapoleon said of certain institutions:
"If they had not existed l should have
been obliged to invent them!"
The mere letter-writing impulsion
lis wonderful
In these long halls. packed With
writing soldiers i'll the warmth and
brightness Of the evenings, the silence
lis portentous Except ior mysterious
rusrlings of busy pens. you could hear
la pin drop. What moral alchemy is
going or in those zen whispers?
II the boys mothers. sisters. wives
and sweethearts at home are half what
they think they are. here is the anchor
to hold the boys until they sail back by
their stars. For they will sail back
Thirteen out of fifteen will return-to
be something different. necessarily, and
greater and finer, we are sure, than
! they came over on tine great crusade.
To Be Leaders on Return.
Two millions of these men will be
! when they return. the leaders of oul
political. business and social life
Whether right or wrong. it is COMING
! to them. 1t will be different from afte!
i the civil war, when it was sufficient
that a man had fought in the Arm.
simply I believe that when the boys
go back it will be seen (and they them
selves will see) that they are leaders
not only because they we're here. bui
because they are qualified to be leaders
| Most of them are around twenty-five
years OF age, a very 'mpressionable
i period of life. 1t is of the greatest i'm
portance that they not only do not lose
their ideals, but do not acquire ideals
which are not ours. And the welfare
workers, as one has well said, are the
guardians of the treasure.
. 1 have had many fine experiences
made to throw light on each other il
/ Illuminating chats with two regional OF
local secretaries. who are in it all il
detail One is ]. w. Kirgan. of Cincin-
natl, an insurance man and a college
man before that, Y NJ. C. A. secretary
at Tours The other is Arthur LORD
of Paris. for thirty years a prominent
figure in colony. grandson OF the
founder of Lord & Taylor. and today
the K. of C. division secretary at Tours
Both are business men. in largee way
Have you any idea what their clubs
are in great centers? / do not even re-
! fer to the works of the front. They
cover long lists Of French clties-often
/ two, three, four. five, six i'll a city.
housed in great sound buildings. adapt
; ed at expense. necessarily. just about as
you see the thing at home, but an! no"
different to buddy!
Athletic Material Abundant.
At one club at Tours. I saw room,
NOT a closet. 1t was full of base ball
b IT'S and masks, boxing gloves. loot
balls, Indian clubs and SO on: the
cement floor. covered with thick felt
material, had holes for posts. to make
a proper ring for proper bouts AT
stage.
! may help to guard the treasure? The
secretary at Tours announces: Mar
somewhere in America are billed
! for tomorrow night" Wild enthu-
siasm, rumors and applause. But when
he announces 'sMovies!" the boys just
continue their amiable chat. content
! but habituated, like q rich man hear
and her ragtime trio came they
went just crazy for those people,
| You tell them there is going to be a
show tonight. Quick as a flash
| American" - the question shoots
back. full of hope. but with shade
mo, but it's a fine show. saw it al
LYONS. It" you see the faces
lenethen, Just an instant. then it's all
! right (they are such polite boysD
and you ask yourself il you were not
| mistaken that a cloud passed. as they
answer heartily: That's fine. Well
sure be there" 1t is a fact that every
experienced welfare worker knows
and acts on all he can-the boys are
crazy for any kind Of show that is
! American, to see American girls. to
| You understand. they are alone
here.
| Lonely.
| Every American civilian in France
man or woman, has experienced, with
! strange feelings. not once. but hun
dred times, the mute appeal for COM
pany, the wistful. clinging. lingering
| excuse-making. shamefaced ivy-to.
! the-oak attitude of the lonely dough
boy.
Glad to Meet an American.
walked in the rain, at Tours. with
an umbrella. in civilian clothes. We
| old professionals of Paris when no,
4 at the front must draw the line some
! where-there are RATS of war CORE
spondents in khaki from Archachor
| to Orleans; but Charles Thompson
! veteran of the A. p, followed the Ital-
/ ian retreat of 1917 in civilian. In the
; drizzle a soldier strolled along witt
! me. "T heard you say you were from
| Philly," he began ingratiatingly. 'It
| certainly is good to meet an Ameri.
! can" But. man" I said. there are
5000, 900 of you" "Oh. them" he
! He rambled with me in the sticky
! fog.
| "How old is this town."
! "As old as France" I answered.
| That's what I'm told" he venturet
| cheerfully; they claim it's SO old the,
| don't know when it started. 1t doe.
surely look itr
| .aTours." 1 explained. "is from tn,