New-York tribune., 1918-12-25
U. S. Inquiry
Is Sought by
Y.M.C. A. Head
Mott Declares That Charges
Must Be Sifted by
Competent Authority
Chaplain Makes Report
Too Much Preaching and
Proiiteerins Arc Basis
of Troops Objections

public airing Of complaints against
the Y. NJ. c. A. made by overseas SOL
diers is presaged in a statement made
yesterday by DR.. John r. Mott chief
executive of the welfare organization.
The statement declares that, as re-
suit of report submitted by Chap
lain Percy T. Edrop, U. S. A., request
will be at once be made of Assistant
Secretary of War Frederick B. Keppel
for thorough Investigation through
the Inspector Generals Department,
A. +. F.. OF all specific charges against
the ~
"1f we aren't delivering the goods"
said DR.. Mott, in making the announce
ment. "it ought to be known and known
at once. If I, or any of the other "Y''
officials are incompetent, we should be
removed. 1t has always been the
policy of this organization to pursue
the policy Of perfect frankness and,
with this in view, feel that an inquiry
mt the present complaints is essential
as matter of justice to ourselves no
less than the public which has sup
ported our work so generously"
Many Complaints Made
The report of Chaplain Edrcp was
made at the instance of Dr. Mott. and
oilowed an investigation into the com
olaints against the association. Chap
lain Edrop recommends the course
taken by DR.. Mott in the following Ian
guage:
Il cannot urge too strongly upon you
the advisability of taking advantage of
official channels of investigations The
@emper of some of the returning men
is heated. The public is eager for In.
formation. | am confident that you are
lust as eager
The complaints which Chaplain
Edrop was able to get into concrete
form are summarized as follows:
That in certain sectors canteen
charges were excessive.
That there was q lack of supplies
for free distribution in the vicinity
of certain of the firing lines.
That there was an inadequate sup
ply, even for sale, in the immediate
vicinity of certain of the theatres of
activity.
That there WAS 8 conguestion of
secretaries in the large cities, while
there was q noticeable lack of work
ers at certain portions of the front.
That there was an assumption on
the part of certain Of the secretaries
that the life of the soldier was nee
essarily demoralizing, and that these
workers thus alinated the sympathy
of the soldiers
That there was lack of spon-
taneity on the part of some secre-
taries; that they went about their
tasks grudgingly and idled when
possible.
Prcfiteering Is Alleged
In regard to all the charges, Chap
lain Edrop recommended that an in
vestigation by the Inspector Generals
Department be made. The first COM
plaint he said. has already been made
the subject of q War Department in
quiry and was supposed to have re-
suited in the establishment of an ar
1.
M. c. A. canteens abroad.
Of the fifth ompaint--that the
workers, by assuming the soldiers a
constant prey to decentralization, alien
mated the sympathy of the men--the
report says: "This strikes right at the
hearts of the soldiers own attitude
toward organizations like the Y. M
c. A. 1t is undeniable that many per
sons once assumed that the soldier
was different from the civilian and
that he was hopelessly tempted But
our men abroad have belied the old as
sumption and have written new rec
N ord in the history of soldering. Some
EI OF the soldiers with whom talked re-
" sented the manner and method of GER
tam y NJ. c; A. secretaries. can only
recommend that the Y. NJ. C. A. secre.
taries be instructed to lay emphasis
upon the new tradition created bv the
men or our A. E. F. rather than the
old assumption"
Investigation Is Needed
he report, on the whole. is friendly
to the ~" but seems to regard an in
Vestgatlon IN order to clear up anv
question of doubt in the mind of the
pubhc Especial praise is given to the
oevotlon ard heroism of many of the
I. M: I. A. workers, and attention is
called to the fact that owing to the
VI ohe Hen lnVOlVed IN the
complaints no facts can be presente d
for the defence.
Complaints of the sort specified by
chaplain Edrop have been frequent
since the beginning of the return of
members of the A. E. F., but have not
previously been gathered into detailed d
form.
Whether the War Department will
comply with DR.. Motifs request and
make an investigation will probably
not be known until the Edrop report
together with the welfare organiza-
lions side of the matter has been
forwarded to Washington
Mnn Rr,le QNo.. TI,