Norwich bulletin., 1918-11-15
pEMoeILlzATioN DAYS
 BRING CHALLENGE ToS NATION

,ie,,sI church in this city and later ,,astor of Park churchs when it was fornned tells of the challenge or oe- rnohiIization days in the following in- teresting statement which is parac- ularly valuable inS connection Witn lne present united war work drive These words are for the mary friends of the Y. M. C. A Wnose ul1 failing generosity has made possioie one of inc most significant movements of history. and one in which for more than a. year l have been privileged 10 have d part l believe in and love the work to such an extent that snail pc forgiven for showing some an1lety over nossible effects of current peace discussions upon the November cam naien for funds. lf wish to set 1ortn clearly the tremendous opportunlts and challenge of the immeolate iu- ture, together with the corrsspoilsua,e a., ohligation to carry through to m ish a work just now coming to US nour of greatest responsibility.
 Our fellowship in France has been made buoyantly happy by the near nrosuects of peace. It has been naru to steel ourselves. to thoughts Ol another winter of war. And now tne line of least resistance would De 10 consider the war about ended ana Io hasten home. Sober reflection reVed1s tragic consequences which wouko m evitably follow any large yleIolns so such rash impulse. The parallou. pI Llee,.o u..' Js,tv is to carry onp as never before.
 AS a matter of fact, at the moment oF writing. the conflict is not over The home government is not aoatins in the least it's effort to carry the wa through to one only ultimate con ainsion Can we afford to do less? T'he stream of khaki lads is still pour ing in upon us and will continue 10 do so. The situation is some"naI critical. We have never yet been dple 10 meet all of the ever increasing op- portunities for service. were peace made tomorrow, and numoerless sec- retaries hurried to our assistance, IL govid even then Be a long time before we could catch up with actual needs. what then will happen if secretarles now in France desert their posts ana others about to cross the Atlantic fali m come to our help? It will be a veritable calamity if peace hopes or neace talk shall cause any ot us 10 do less just when we should do more The need was never greater for more money and men.
 The work of the I. NJ. C. A. VIII not be finished with the signing or peace. Its most important services viJ he rendered throughout days or den1obiliza tion. The safety of our soldiers will then pass largely from field strategy and military discipline to the saving power of sach efforts Peace terms cannot be settled m moment. During days of lengthy oe- rbera tions our battle lines may even be observed intact When the war endsfit will. be impossible to transport the troops home in few weeks or even months. And were it possible, It would doubtless be an economic blunder to turn back millions of men erii imasse upon country passing rom a f1,eriod of war industries to those of5tneace. For a considerable time to come an impatient American manhood issdestined to be kept in the military camps of France.
 Here is the challenge of coming days. The need will be great and fraught with great responsibility. Conditions will be favorable to the Y. M C. A. enterprise. Troops will be held more stationary. This will al low a continuous work with the same bodies of men through longer periods of time Other conditions will favor tefnptations which will reach out after our boys as never before. The demob- iIization period is bound to be like unto that illogical time when college cams break training" after the season of play. The incentive to keep in condition will be gone. Severe dis .ipline of fighting days is likely to be somewhat relaxed while permisslons and leaves are more easily obtained Nor shall we blame him, if, after months of war, the soldier is su- premely on pleasure bent Our par tn fife of the military camps everything that a young man likes best so that he will not wish ito go to town.
 Soon every American soldier will want to see France before I go home Big thoughts induced by the dangers and hazards of war will give place to alose less serious. Living will once more be in terms of time rather than of possible eternity.
 With these facts in mind let me re- iterate that the Y. M. c. A. is about to face its greatest opportunity. It is adjusting itself to meet the new con ditions. In cooperation with military officials and eminent educators a Sys- tenn is being outlined whereby the young men of the army may at once resume their interrupted school and college studies An athletic program has been launched having in mind the special needs of the six months or year following the war. Religious social and other departments, are even now seeing to it that there is something doing every night in the hundreds of huts and other '. M: C. A. centers. An association machine which has been perfected in days of war is being geared up to do its most effective work during more peaceful times
 How will our friends back home ac- cept their part in this final opp0r- tunity of the war? Will they con- tinue to stand Loyalty by2 Liberty loans gave to the government an un- qualified endorsement; put heart into 1er soldiers and terror into the minC of the Hun. The November campaign can be our triumph and inspiration.
 We would not argue the matter o right to continued confidence and Joy al support. We prefer to rest our cast upon the direct testimony contained in the millions of home letters writer under the red triangle with the tol ors." Generals Haig, Pershing anC members of the United States Com mission to Russia (before she left thu feld) did not hesitate to say that thu '. NJ. c. A would have much to d. in helping to win the war. In tha faith we have tried to do our bit Morale in winning the war for II while the enemy has publicly con tessed that lack of it has lost him thu battle. And 1t is doubtful if tn, world, or those who have laboret there, will ever know just how mucl our hut-church- theater lfbrary-rec reation centers have had to do witt helping to create and maintain tha invincible morale. Thousands of boy have said it, 'Td have gone to hell ha( It not been for the Y. NJ. c. A."
 But the end is not yet. We hay,