Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1918-08-02

Camp SERVER, S. c., July 20, 1918.
The Beacon,
Macon, Miss.
The batch of Beacons has Just ar
rived, ! have read all Of them through
and through with the keenest en-
joyment. Particularly did | enjoy
the letters from our boys and the
splendid spirit manifested. Let me
repeat that no county in our whole
wonderful land has sent out Drawer,
truer, more capable boys than old
Noxubee. They are making good in
whatever capacity Uncle Sam Is using
them. And it is so gratifying to see
that the army behind our army, the
people back at home, are standing
right back OF the boys in the Liberty
Loan, w. 5. s., Red Cross, Food Con-
%servation and Y. M. c. A. No one
can tell us when the war will end,
but any wayfarer though a fool
knows that ours will be the vic
tory.
The good letters from Mr.. Hub.
bard and Prof. Jones portray the
work and spirit Of the Army Y. NJ.
G. A. The more | see Of 1t the more
convinced | am that the wal cannot
be won without the Army Y. Even
the great British leader, Lord North
cliffe, said recently, without the
Y. M. c. A. we could not win this
war, and General Pershing has given
the Y. the honor Of being as neces-
sary on the battle front as the Red
Cross and hospitals. But the ap-
probation that we value most is that
which nm from the men. For
them the "Y. NJ" as so many of our
Northern boys call it, is club, study
hall, school, church, theatre, writ
ing room, library, rest room, gym
nasium and a place where there are
always some men, who, as the boys
rather strongly assert, edo give a
d for the soldier" The BOYS
come to the Y. men without any re-
serve and tell them their troubles
and a Y. man is here for the purpose
OF helping and sympathizing. 1t is
a wonderful organization and it de-
serves the support the people back
at home are giving it.
When | pay the above tribute to
the work and place Of the Y. N. C.
A. in the war | am not paving it to
Prof. Jones, Mr.. Hubbard, layseIf or
any Y. M. G.. A. man. / fefspiain it
this way to the boys when tIf8y want
to thank us for what we arc doing
for them: Fellows, do ndt thank
us. The Y. NJ. G. A. Is the people
back at home, your folks and neigh
bors, just reaching out their arms
and hearts to help you and show you
they are back of you. Write them
and tell them that we men whom
they have sent here are trying to do
this, and that is all the thanks they
want. The Y. is the connecting link
that binds you to the dearest place
in the world-Home."
The people of NoXubee subscribed
so well to the Y. NJ. c. A. last year
that | feel they should be given a
report OF the work of the association.
Following are a few figures taken
from our last months report of Y.
NJ. c. A. activities in our camp, with
''''Nh - uhi'S, StNtu DullIlUSS anu
four tents. Remember this is for
only one camp and you will get an
idea Of the size of the work being
done in this country. The work
across is broader and far greater.
During the month of June the at
tendance at buildings in our camp
was sol, $50 men; 81 lectures were
| plNnns 80 nItnnttntnI ,1,~. ..kt.
an enrolment of over 200 men,
about 1000 illiterates; 1863 books
were circulated. besides those read
in the reading rooms; Is singing
schools for song leaders conducted,
besides singing by our leader for
men in every unit in camp: 71,745
men participated in recreativc and
competitive sports, or an average of
over 1000 men daily; 142 religious
meetings were held, with 2S,O46 in
attendance; 2,1l0 New Testaments
were given out: 1900 n,n reached
IN a religious decision of some kind;
90 entertainments given with an at
tendance of 25,579; 81 motion pic
ture shows, with an attendance Of
$3.50; 2l9,OSO letters written by
the boys to loved ones. and in addi
ton to all these things numerous
services to the boys impossible to
catalogue.
wish | had the time to tell of the
work our men do on troop trains,
Our camp has sent two divisions
across. One has just left and we
sent a secretary with every train to
the emharkation camp. | wish |
could tell YOU of my cXperience.on n
TRAIN recently, how the bows behaved
ON the way, the splendid leadership
OF officers, and the wonderful recep-
e and send-off given by the people
III the Northern cities, especially
New York. These men. the majority
ot them. | saw come in camp in citi-
2ens clothes, too. Just two months
ago. and yet | saw them march
through "A large city with the swing
an dtread of regulars the other day.
ana not get to be in camp with the
National Guard Army, but 7 know
rom our men who went from home
mat it is great, yet no army could
DC more efficient than this new Ma
tlohal Army. 1t is wonderful the
way the intensive training puts them
III shape. / atten soy that Germany's
system and militarism may make n
good lighting machine, but thai our
uehtocras! with The splendid discip
hae w nov have viii ulr6 aNtTtot
ohis II ~ hd mHstm p h,,d.t AM"