Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-11-13
SALVATION .lASS|ES
TELL OF EFFORTS IN
Behalf OF SOLDIERS

enough Tuesday to listen to a mos:
interesting address which was given
by two young ladies, Captain and
Lieut.. McAllister, who are known to
the boys across the water as the Nc
Allister Sisters. The sisters have
passed seven months in France, and
during that time have followed our
American soldiers to the front line
trenches and back, doing whatever
they could to make it pleasant for
the boys. In one OF the New York
papers it was said that they acted as
mothers, sisters and sWeethearts to
the boys in France, but Lieut.. Neal
lister corrected the statement by say
ing that the girls need not worry
about them taking the place of sweet
hearts. but that they did try to fill
the mothers and sisters places as
best they could. They certainly have
wonderful personalities and the SOL
diers could not help being happy
when either of the sisters were
around. They always wear a smile,
and their main object was to cheer
the boys who were far away from
home. They have been in this coun-
| try one week, and will pass two more
weeks here, then they will return to
/ the front, where they will continue
their great work among our American
soldiers. Their services will be eS-
| pecially needed at this time, as the
| boys Will be idle several hours during
the day, and so many temptations
will fall in their way, they will he
tn ha n III
| organizations to call on and TO have
their huts as resting places The
two young ladies are from California,
but went into service with the Sal
walton Army from New York.
| At 10 o'clock Tuesday morning the
McAllister Sisters were at the Iiaines
theater, where they gave an address
, TO parents and friends of the boys in
France. An orchestra furnished nu-
| sic. DR.. j. L. Hill was chairman and
among the others who were seated
on the stage were Mrs Edgar j.
Brown. Captain Swan, Adjt. Craig of
! the local Salvation Army, George D.
Hegarty, Fred Rose, a. H. Head,
Col +. +. Boothby. Jefferson Smith
and President Arthur Roberts
Chairman Hill opened the meeting
and said: Yesterday at 245 it was
said that peace had been declared and
that everyone was oVerjoyed, every
one broke loose in the city who pos
sibly could, and we were given holt
day, the most cventful one. the 18th
| Of November, which will never be for
gotten. Today we have two Salvation
! Army lasseS who have been minister
ing to our boys who hav been fight
ing at the front, and are over here
to engage in the United War Work
Campaign to help the morals of the
boys. Capt. and Lieut.. McAllister of
the Salvation Army Forces in Eu-
rope"
Lieut.. McAllister said that it was
great pleasure for them to be
here and that in opening they would
sing couple Of songs which are IA
vorites of the boys at the front
She stated the boys in the front
lines made up songs about their
meals, their work. and in fact ev-
erything they I'D. OF course the
songs were of interest to people,
especially mothers and sisters of the
boys, as they are always anxious to
know just what the boys are doing.
Capt, McAllister said that she was
very Elad to give few words about
the boys on the other side and tell
of how they appreciated the work of
the Salvation Army forces in France.
She referred to he doughnuts which
everyone of course beard about, for
when the boys write home they al
ways speak of the wonderful dough-
nuts that the Salvation Army las
sizes make. The Salvation Army
girl must be a good cook, a good en-
/ tertainer, be able to carry on re-
ligious services. and in fact do any
thing that will be interesting and
helpful to the boys. They have been
very busy since their stay in France,
but said that they enjoyed every
minute of it. when we cook they
all like to hang around the kitchen
and you hear them say. oh sister,
can't 7 clean out the pan or Can't
fry the doughnutsc We are al
ways glad to have their assistance
when we are frying doughnuts, be-
cause with only two of us it is hard
work to do everything. The boys
always come in the kitchen. carry
Ing either q can or stick and some
Of them have been seen with a shoe
string to carry doughnuts on. This
rs certainly one of the greatest
treats they have"
In all the months the sisters have
passed at the front they have seen
only very few boys in an intox-
icated condition. In spite of the
fact that wine runs more freely
there than water here, thesboys do
no indulge. This of course impressed
the mothers. They also stated that
in all the time they had been work
ing among the American soldiers
they had always been treated will,
the greatest respect They said
the four years that the Salvation
Army forces had been working in
France or among the soldiers they
had always been shown respect, |
saying that the American boys were
the cleanest. most courteous and
most respected boys in the world.
The young ladies stated that they
had been working among the men
for so long that it was almost en-
barrassing to speak before ladies.
Lieut.. McAllister told the story Of !
the first doughnuts. She said that !
one cold day last winter, when the |
boys were hungry and lonesome for !
something from home. that one OF
the Salvation Army girls thought !