The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-07-31
to the front, was always knockin' us

to the front, was always knockin' us
boys"
Then the Rev. William l.. Stidges,
pastor of the First Methodist church
of San Hosea, Cali, was Immediately
transformed into plain Bill Stidges,
truck driver of the American expedi-
tionarv forces. He threw off his
mud spattered slicker and invited the
COW puncher to do likewise. He said:
you're coward or you wouldn't
talk that way. I'm preacher. You're
dirty all through, and you'll take that
back or by the grace of God I'll clean
you up!"
The fellow took it back.
One day the devotional exercises
were conducted by the Rev. Merle
N. Smith of Pasadena, Cali, who was
big enough to succeed to the pastor
ate of DR.. Matt Hughes when he was
elected bishop. DR.. Smiths subject
was Service" He read the story of
Christ washing the disciples feet and
emphasized the statement that SER
vice, however menial, should be per-
formed daily. After the meeting DR..
Naylor said to the distinguished pas
tor: "Dr. Smith, the boys are loading
truck outside with some particular
ly heavy stuff and are short of help
Smiths eyes twinkled at the chal-
lenge. In less than a minute he was
hoisting one end of a heavy tent pole
onto truck. Smith formerly preach
ed at Marshalltown.
And thus gladly, and with the same
grace and efficiency with which they
conduct religious, educational and bus
mess affairs at home, these men are
serving our soldiers. I know one "Y"
who refereed boxing bout one night,
preached a sermon the next morning,
pulled off ball game that afternoon,
sold cigarettes and chewing gum later
in the day and organized bible class
at night.
Like Letters From Home.
There's nothing that pleases the
boys more than news from home. |
have seen thousands Of them stand
and cheer over the announcement
that the Liberty loan was over sub
scribed, or that the Red Cross drive
was a success. announced to a great
crowd that I had just come from a
seaport where l saw -- thousand
of our boys disembark. The crowd
went wild. We bring them news from
other camps and other parts OF the
battle line and read the daily papers
to assembled thousands. And how
they cheer the successful raids and
counter attacks the American troops
are making. They insist on the read
ing of all news items from home. They
actually laughed at the report OF the
submarine attack off the Jersey coast,
greeting it with such remarks as: IF
the folks at home think that's war,
they ought to spend day IN the
trenches" Reckon New Workers are
scared to death; suppose they were in
Paris just one day and night; 1T
will wake the folks at home up, all
right"
At a meeting the other night l
read the boys message from a Chi
cago business man who regretted that
he was too old to come over and fight
and added:
Tell the boys we're backing them
a hundred million strong. We can't
Join them in France, but we can give
and pray, and they shall never lack
for a dollar or for anything that will
help them win the war"
Boys Enthused.
Then I suggested that if any of the
boys had late news or encouraging
letters from home they should share
the same with us. One boy read a
patriotic letter from his mother and
the rafters of the old French barracks
were almost raised with the cheers.
Another told of great patriotic meet
ing in his home town. The applause
of the evening came when a major
announced that the cantonments at
home were all cleaned out; that the
boys were on the way to France.
The meeting was suddenly adjourn
ed by the bursting of a shell dropped
by German airplane over the village
nearby. Little damage resulted. The
flying boches scudded away toward
the north as one of our airmen went
up after him.
As our army regiments and divis-
ions break camp and leave for the
front our "Y" secretaries go with
them. Yesterday a dozen secretaries
were busy removing great stock OF
supplies lTOll oil Oll llllll ludI lioo
as "Y" headquarters. The
camp was deserted, the boys had
gone to the front and closely followed
the band of "Y" servers. The boys
were anxious that our forces should
not be left behind and offered every
assistance that we might move with
them. We were ten miles back of the
edge of the shelled area. We moved
our truck loads of supplies to this
front-that is ten miles from the
edge, pitching our movable tents
and entertained the soldiers that eve
ming to the music of shells that were
bursting just beyond.
Just now these boys constitute the
reserve behind the French
troops. They will relieve the French
in the trenches in a few days.
"Y" Secretaries Killed.
Y. M. G. A. secretaries, and Ameri-
cans and Frenchmen, who speak both
languages, constantly go between the
two armies forming closer communi-
cation and better understanding. Our
carry smokes and coffee
and newspapers from the third trench
through communicating lines to the
second and first trenches. Two sec
retaries have been killed One went
over the top with the boys, rendering
first aid to the wounded in No Mans