New-York tribune., 1918-12-16
Y. M. C.. A. Will Use
Sugar in Fight ON
John Barleycorn
Post Exchange Department
Has Elaborated Plan to
Keep American Soldiers
From French Wine Shops

ideal now being strivcn for in the
mark-time period of the armisticc and
rehabilitation, with fighting gone and
the American fighting man suddenly
turned into uniformed tourist see
ing France. Peace, as has been quoted
often, has victories, and one of them is
to be the victory over the evil influ-
ences which besiege an idle army In
this campaign the Y. M. G. A. has
planned the campaign and the soldiers
are executing it. Incidentally, the Y
M. {. A. has gone into competition with
the wine shop.
During the period of rehabilitation
the Y. M. c. A. will have an even great
er responsibility than it has while the
war is ON. Now, the soldiers have the
inspiration of being in the fighter
backing up the fighters-~to spur them
on. They also are extremely busy and
their time for recreation and for
spending money is limited. But there
is bound to be q let-down when the
treaty of peace is signed and the SOL
dlers are waiting for TRANSPORTATION
home.
OF course, the army will not be al
lowed to remain entirely idle between
the end of the war and the honorable
discharge of the last private.
"Y" Will Compete With Wine Shops
ldleness always means trouble, and
the government has no idea of dumping
hundreds of thousands of men back
into the United States after they have
had nothing to do but loaf for months
10 do this would be to create a very
unhealthy social and industrial condi-
uon IN our own country. There are
drills and discipline, and for many the
work of helping to put France on her
teet again. At the same time, the men
have more leisure and more. chances to
buX things than they have had before
This is where the Y. M. C. A. post ex-
change department comes in. 1t wants
to make sure that the army will have
an opportunity to spend its pay for
something that it wants and that will
be beneficial instead of for something
useless or injurious. Men in uniform
are VIGOROUSLY prodigal with their
money, They haven't great deal, but
what they have often burns a hole in
their pockets. Which brings to mind
the story of the sailor who returned
to his ship from shore leave with a
broom. AS the ship was literally pro
Vlded with brooms, the officer of the
deck asked the bluejacket what he was
bringing that one aboard for.
elf" replied the tar, "you see, sir,
IL was like this. There was only one
store open and when l got there everv-
thing had been sold but brooms. had
to buy something so | took this"
One OF the most important things
the Y. NJ. c. A. expects to do during the
capitalization period is to enter into
active competition with the French
wine shops. No, the Red TRIANGLE ia
not going into the saloon business. II
is planning to fight alcohol with sugar.
According to medical experts, this is
the best kind of ammunition to use in a
battle against the more or less we'll
known demon.
Candy Versus Alcohol
Heavy drinkers don't care for sugar
and heavy consumers of sweets usuallv
pass up the "booze." So by plying the
soldiers with candy, chocolate and
cookies, the Y. M. c. A. expects to re-
duce the consumption of alcohol very
materially.
1t is not the theory of an inspired
temperance advocate but sound scien-
cihc TACT that sugar destroys the crav-
ing Tor alcohol. In the digestive
process, sweets are resolved into ele-
ments that have some of the prop
eftles OF alcohol, and if man uses
enough sugar he will never feel
any need for hard stuff" Lest those
VINO mourn the passing of j. Barley
corn from SO many parts of the earth
Jump to the conclusion that if sugar
mas some of the same properties as al
conol, one can get pleasantly "tced-
up by eating enough candy, it is
well to state that it can't be done. You
can get very sick stufling candy, but
never foI
yourself to brandy drops. Naturally
the Y. Nj. c. A. will not specialize ir
the later line of confectionery.
In order to supply the army with as
much sweet stuff as possible, the Rec
triangle canteens probably will cut
down the variety of their stock anf
concentrate on this particular line. All
existing contracts for candy, chocolate
cookies and jam will be increased e
possible, in the effort to fill that sweet
tooth and to find other teeth with the
same propensltles. Aside from sweets
the canteens will continue to carr,
such articles as cannot we'll he had i;
French stores and for which there !,
steady demand among the America
soldiers. - a.
Easier to Keep Canteens Stocked
Naturally, transportation condition.
Will be much better as soon as hostili.
'les cease. The enormous number OF
motor vehicles now used in brinpinp
up guns, ammunition and men to the
lront INES Will be released, the service
on the railroads will improve as men
leturn TO work on them and better
dlstrlbutlon of traffic over main ar.
teres become possible. Thus it will
be much easier for the Red TRIANGLE
20 keep Its cantecns we'll stocked m
Another important consideration is
that the cantcens Will be fewer in ,rum-
per as the army becomes concentrated q
IN large camps. These points undoubt-
edly will be selected with view to
their transportation facilities. So in
stead of being obliged to support a
vast number of small points in the
front lines, some of them almost mac
cesslble Tor motor transportation of
any sort the post exchange departm ent
Will have its problem considerable
slmplled by better locations.
hrough rhe tremendous energy and
lelency OF the men who are now run
nlng the post sscEange department. If
mas been possible to solve practica1lv
all of the problems except that ~
transportation The Y. NJ. c. A. has
n France at the present writing a sup
Ply OF cantcen goods sufficient for fortv
days, and IN one system of warehouses;
mas enough to supply the army for two
weeks, even were the quartermaster de
partmcnt 10 cease sales entirely. Ru4
ing to congestion in railway centres
and the great diffusion of the points
Of contact with the troops, some seY''
canteens were practically empty, while
the warehouses bulge with the things
they need.