The Mena weekly star., 1918-07-18
Camp laihf Rotfs

Camp Pike these days has some ref srezrs so the hos weather. Not that < is any better tkss sz--sr than usual hat most of she boys are living g more ssrsnuozs life than thsy are accus- toned to toRowEar st this season of the year Taking a nssn who has been indoors for years and s1adsaly shoot Izg hin ouE h ths JuiT sun fur hours uf steady 5riIlsrz E a mighty big change 10 say the least And t is only recOEnitioa cf the serious needs of the nation fer so.5ierx that gIFes lot of the fellows the grit and dsssrmina- ton 10 hang On isag after they have passed what they always considered 10 De the liszis of hzmsu endurance. We hare just as many heroes in Camp Pike as they hzys overseas even tho she men are getting TO medals
 And while they are seeking 10 spe- eial recognition for t. 8 whole los of credit is due the '. M C. A. secre- tariss for the splendid way in which tiiey are sticking to their work 4 majority of then are men who used to take their summer vacation just about now and many have their own summer homes. But there are few furloughs and vacations for the Camp Pike "" men, ss the force is short handed and most of the secretaries are doing extra work rather than get ting relief because of the heat
 Several huge warehouses m the camp are filled with great plies of winter clothing, turned in by troops that have gone east in the past months, and that are now being care fully examined by experts to see whether fl Is worth cleaning and nending for further use, or whether 1t shall 20 to the junk man as old rags. All bedding and old equipment IS washed and disinfected. and 1t, too. is used if not too far gone. Uncle Sam Is practicing conservation these days.
 Selling stamps and handing out en- velopes and paper to the new men con- tinues to be the biggest item of work just now at the ~Y" buildings. One secretary gave away free in a single afternoon 4,000 envelopes, and paper in proportion The eolored ~Y" sold S5,000 worth of money orders in a single week Tn addition to the work in the buildings, the secretaries visit the men in the quarantine areas to give them the same opportunity for writing home Special outdoor nov ies are frequently given for the men in quarantine, who attend in body under the auspices of sergeant chap erone.
 Of course, jobs cannot be found for all of the soldiers in the army who have some special trade, but men enough are found to fill almost any kind of job. 4 walk along one sec ton of the quartermaster' area thru what is known as the Utility section" would give some idea of the many lines of trade represented among the enlisted men. It includes roofing. ma sons, millwork, sign painting. electric welding, steam fitting, tin work, cleo tric repairs. plumbing, auto repairs, stove repairs, etc. Uncle Sam does not aim to be dependent upon the labor of outsiders any more than he has to, and to utilizes the enlisted men for all the needed trades.
 Here is the tribute paid to the I. NJ. C. A. by the chaplain of the famous Black Watch Regiment of Canada, which went out with HOO men and came back with one officer and 36 men: Tine Y. M C. A. in my opinion is the greatest organization in the army It is your bank, your library, your theater, your reading and writing room. your bureau of information They can't do enough for you. No matter how hard or tough a man is he takes of his hat to the army Y. NJ. C. A. It's the best friend he has"
 A great many letters are coming from civilians who want to get into the next officers training school. A great many stories have gone forth with regard to the large number of student officers that will be accepted here this summer and fall. There are some 1900 students here now and no more will be accepted until they have graduated. It is impossible just yet to secure information regarding the conditions under which civilians may enter the next school, but full an- nouncement will be made in plenty of time. Ii will be August or Septem- Der before the next school opens.
 The class in What I was doing a year ago at this times will now come forward and recite.-Trench and Camp
 Word comes from the Southern De- partment of the Y. M. C. A. at San Antonio that the basis of work for "" huts hereafter will be one hut with complete equipment and staff for each $500 men. Heretofore the basis has been one building for each 5000 men. The new order means a great increase in the '. M. C. A. activities. There are more than POO "Y" units in the Southern Department Camp Pike has nineteen buildings included in it's ~Y" department.
 Edwin Funk.