The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-12-16

they do not speak so of the Y. NJ.
C. A.
Question OF Prices
Now as to prices, have brought
no charge against the Y NJ c. A. of
graft OF 'proflteering. That is not in
my thought. If it were confidence in
the whole organization would be de-
stroyed, What puzzles me is this,
that the Salvation Army without any
great campaign for raising funds,
could sell things cheaper In France
than the Y. NJ, c. A. And. that the
Salvation Army could give away to
the hungry and tired soldiers when
the Y. M. c. A. could not. Further
more. an officer informed me this day
that the Y. NJ. G. A. took over the
hotel at Tours and prices immediate
ly Increased and the efficiency in
service decreased. This wounded Of
fcer also stated that when he was In
tho hospital at Tours the Y. NJ. C. A.
workers sold him lemons at nine
cents piece when outside the door
OF the hospital the French were sell
ing them at around four cents a
piece. Why could not the Y. NJ. c. A.
buy those lTn ons in France as cheap
ly as the FrApth, and sell them to the
soldiers at a reasonable price?
Another statement from the men
which has disappointed. me Is in sub
stance that IL a man Bought eighteen
cents worth from the Y. NJ. C. A. and
paid them with twenty cents he would
not get any change but. ins1 cad.
matches or some other cheap article
And also. that II man wanted to
buy something worth twenty cents
and had only nineteen he couldn't
buy 1t from a y. M. c. A. canteen.
They say this was not true Of the
other organizations. but only the Y.
M. c. A. Some Of the men in the
Base Hospital have not received COM
pensation for eight months and I do
not think that 1t was the desire OF
the people who contributed to the Y.
M c. A. for 1t to enforce such rigid
rule OF credit. One man related how,
when he was penniless, he asked a
Y. M. c. A. secretary who was smok-
Ing to give him a cigarette, where
upon the secretary replied. Go to the
canteen and buy pack" The private
replied. Il have no money" Where
upon the secretary remarked well.
that is your misfortune" This may
BIO an extreme case. but the men in
general have the impression, that the
Y. NJ. c. A. workers were not there to
spend and be spent" for the good
OF the men in the service. could
''NNA'' tIirht ttlNIc ME III
be some just way to disabuse the
mems minds of this idea. but ! very
much fear it is too late. To me 1t is
an unspeakable pity that after all we
have said and done for tho Y. NJ. c. A.
men whom 1t was intended to serve
should have no cordial word to speak
in it's behalf. Are not these mon In
a better position than anyone else to
appraise the value OF the Y. NJ C.. A.
to them7 II the Y. NJ. c. A. had
served them unselhshly would they
not know and appreciate It? The
people OF this country would have
raised any amount OF money neces-
sary to cover a deficit Of the Y. M. G.
A. in France created by the warm
hearted and generous treatment OF
our men. Such treatment would have
predisposed the men to the
moral and spiritual messages Of the
Y. M. c. A. workers. A hungry man
doesn't caro- to listen to q religious ex.
hortation from one who will not share
his provisions with him. God fed