The Glenwood post., 1918-07-20
HEADING OFF HOMESICkNESS IS
: IMPORTANT JOB WITH THE ARMY
Work of the NJ C. Is Not So Much With the Morals Of the Men
as With the MoraIe-How the Bishop Broke Up Case Of
B|ues-Son Of Idle Rich Finds His Job
j Pershinss Men Fine, Clean Bunch


is running those country stores which
pass under the noms de guerre of post
exchanges and canteens. Here is a
fertile field for criticism, sporadic and
local and individur criticism, but criti-
cism which must be answered before
the highest efficiency can be reached.
Then Bill Gets Sore.
Bill Jones goes to his quartermaster
and buys package of cigarettes. He
pays for 1t less than he paid in Amer
lea. Next morning he drops into a
"Y" canteen and buys the same sort
Of cigarettes. He pays trifie more
for 1t than he would pay in America,
and he is sore. Not only is he sore,
but he exerts the fine old American
privilege Of kicking about 1t and Of
airing his soreness. The burden Of
his complaint is that the "Y" is try
ing to make money off him.
The Investigator hears Of it and asks
the reason why this should be so. The
"Y" purchasing department tells you
that the army commissary department
transports supplies to its posts free
of charge. 1t pays no freight on
steamers from America; it pays no
carriage or truckage in France. That
huge item of cost does not enter into
commissariat considerations. This
cannot be so with the Y. NJ. G. A. 1t
has to pay for freighting its commod-
! ties across the ocean, and freight rates
are not on the bargain counter at this
writing. 1t has to pay railroad freight
To- = hne, 20 frr TIC ntn
transport. The wonder is, we are told,
that chocolate, or cigarettes, or hand
kerchiefs or what not can be had as
cheaply here as they are had. The
regrettable point Is that "Y" canteens
have to enter into competition with
commissariats which possess all the
advantage.
The commissariats cannot begin to
supply the demand. The "Y" canteens
are necessity. Both are selling at
the figure which to each is the lowest
possible, so when your son writes home
and tells you it looks as if he were be-
ing stung by the "Y" canteen, just
think it over, and you will see.
Personality That Counts.
Then it comes to the matter Of the
personality of the man who is running
the canteen. There are men in France
who have the ability to get so close to
the soldiers that when they say, "Jack,
this is the fact We've got to do it so
because" Jack believes him and Is
satisfied, because Jack knows that man
is on the spot to do everything in his
power for the soldier.
But there are exceptions, and there
must be exceptions when thousands Of
men are picked hurriedly for emer-
gency employment. Men land in
France without fully understanding
what is expected of them, and without
understanding France or that splendid
organization, the A. e. F. They come
with enthusiasm, but without definite
knowledge of what the army wants of
them, and until they adjust themselves
to conditions, they are apt to come to
much grief.
One thing few men realize until they
have been here a week or two, and
that Is that they are an integral part
Of the A. E. F. and that they are work
ing under the authority of the military
not as they suspected, on their own
hook or for the Y. NJ. C. A. Their Job
Is to do as they are told, and to do 1t
quickly and exactly. That they can
learn, and do learn, or they hear the
approaching footsteps Of grim retri-
button. Most of them learn more
they learn what real service means.
They learn to forget their own egos
and to love humanity as exemplifed
by an army Of bully young men In
khaki.
Hundreds Of men are landing here
monthly to take up some service un-
der the Red Triangle. They are Of all
sorts and from all environments. 1t
approaches the marvellous how they
are made to fit. Preachers have ar
rived filled with ardor to evangelize.
They find their true service can best
be done by driving a motor truck.
Bankers come and speedily find out
that they can do the best job getting
up entertainments in some lonely hut.
| Finds His Job.
One rich and useless bachelor struck
these shores filled with the desire to
do something, but alarmed at his pow
erty OF abilities.
"Can you preachf" he was asked.
mo"
"Can you singT
mo" ..
Can you run motor carr
"No."
"What can you DOR
Nothing that I know of. I'm just
one Of the idle rich"
go out and fuss around few days
and then come back" he was told.
That night he met up with west
ern sergeant who was in Paris to see
the town, and who had started to view
the sights through the bottom of
glass. He was half sens over and am