The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-08-23
THE Y. M. c. A. AT THE FRONT
The Red Triangle Right Behind the
Fighting Line-Doing a Great
Work

Using Y. M. C. A. huts close to
the frount line trenches in France
as advanced dressing stations, Y. M.
C. A. secretaries acting as stretcher
bearers, others assisting the sur
peons to bind wounds, still others
carrying cheer to the fighting men
in the trenches in the shape of
steaming hot chocolate, the present
counter-offensive on the western
front has demonstrated the bravery
and earnestness of the Y. M. C. A.
war work secretaries under shell
fire.
There has been virtually no inter
ruption of the Y. M. C. A. supply
service because of the attack. AS
soon as the barrage lifts the trucks
loaded with supplies start forward
blowing through the danger zone
with intrepid drivers avoiding era
ter holes and lodging shrapnel. The
Red Triangle has followed close up
on the advancing troops.
w. T. Renison, of Stockton, Cal,
writing from the front, expresses
the spirit of the "Y" men. He says:
"This is the world of ideals over
here, the world of sacred things,
fighting for it's very life. Mere
physical values will never again
mean very much to me. You can
not see your boys go from your "Y"
hut into the trenches and learn
next day that they will never come
back without feeling that you owe
all and more than you can ever give
to the torn and bleeding hearts at
home. My sacrifice does not consist
in anything I am doing or can ever
do here: it consists in the sorrow
and pain duty demands give myself
and my family. The other day my
Y. M. C. A. co-worker escaped be-
ing hit when a German plane drop
ped bomb few feet ahead of
him. He brought part of the shell
with him into my hut"
Working in gas masks because
the Germans threw mustard gas
shells into the village where they
were working as Y. M. c. A. war
work secretaries on the western
front, Ward N. Black of Palestine,
ILL.,, and A. w. Peel of Fitchburg,
Mass, were compelled to run their
canteen at night as the soldiers
were not allowed to collect about
the dugout in daytime
During the daylight hours they
packed chocolate and cigarettes on
their backs to the front line trench
es. They were constantly under
snipers' fire and shells burst all
about them. The hut in which
these men worked offered no protec-
ton from shell fire and the nearest
dugout was 100 yards away 1t was
so close that it was within range of
the German guns of small calibre.
They were two of a party of fifty Y.
M. c. A. men who worked constant
ly under shell fire with the American
soldiers carrying to them small
comforts and a knowledge that in
spite of all the death and destruc-
ton someone took a personal inter
est in them.
Because he exhibited extreme
GOODNESS and fortitude when caught
between barrage, Daniel Kennedy,
Y. M. C. A. war work secretary
with the American troops in the
present drive on the western front
owes his life. He was gassed while
carrying supplies on his back to the
Americans in the front line trenches.
His home is in Sommerville, Mass.
He will recover.
Leave it to the American Y. M.
C. A. to show Yankee enterprises In
securing a location for a hut in Lon
don for American officers.
A statue of William III stood in
st, James Square, London. Around
this statue the Y. M. C. A. has
erected its hut. The wings radiate
from the statue in the center like
the spokes of wheel. At the pres
ent time there are 100 bedrooms but
provision has been made for their
extension The King and Queen of
England and the Duke of Connaught
have paid visits to the building
which is known as washington
Hut" Even the gress plot upon
which the statue stands has been
utilized as a covered pathway. There
isn't anything too good for tmeri-
cans in London these Gays
They started something when pan
cakes. American style, was put on
the bill of fare at Eagle Hut, the
American Y. M. c. A. center IN
London. The demand was so great
that they had to be taken off the
menu. Non were SERVED during
the regular meal hours, but in spite
of this, thousands of pan cakes, with
syrup, are served daily between
meals.