The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-02-14
HISTORY MAKING PLANS
FOR COORDINATION
Al Organizations Cooperating With
Military Entertainment Council.

When Congress passed the selec-
! tive draft law it forced a heavy re-
! sponsibilty on the Government IN
! that it charged it with d great many
! cares not heretofore associated with
! training an army. Congress reallZ-
! ed that America of the future, led
/ by the young America now n train
| ing, will be great nation or fall
| are, according to whether its mil
! lions of soldiers are made greater
men or harmed by their Amy life.
/ The Government realized these re-
sponsibilities and the War Depart
ment and Navy Department each ap-
! pointed a Commission on Training
! Camp Activities to oversee and take
direct charge Of the work.
For its work the Commission
made all possible use of the existing
! organizations, such as the Knights
Of Columbus, the Jewish Board of
Welfare Work, the Young Women's
! Christian Association and the Young
Mems Christian Association. 1t used
the governmental machinery for es-
tablishing and maintaining the
barred zone" which extends for
five miles around each camp.
But it was necessary to provide
positive forms of recreation to take
the place of those it was either driv-
ing out of business or with which it
was competing. To announce only
this is forbidden" would accom-
plish very little, but to say, this is
forbidden-but here is a good, clean
entertainment to take the place of
the one closed up" would accom-
plish great deal, in that a definite
alternative was shown to the men.
This was the method of action deci-
ded upon and which has proved very
successful in operation.
Certain phases of athletics, TAX
ing the form of play instead OF
work, helped to relieve the monoto-
ny of drill and provided a needed
form of relaxation and change. Mass
singing stirred up new feelings and
welded closely together the compa-
MES, regiments and divisions. But
tbs aleEi ie AID ttkse~ttffe8 had to
I provide the touch which would take
the minds of the men completely off
military affairs for couple OF
hours and thus maintain the normal
balance vitality necessary in quickly
training an army.
Giving them some of those forms
of amusement and relaxation to
which they had become accustomed
in civil life is of tremendous value
in wholesomely filling the hours in
camp which are not occupied by mil
itary training.
The Government built large
theatre for the drafted men in the
National Army Cantonments, six
teen in all The Commission on
Training Camp Activities called up
on one of the foremost lyceum bu-
reaus, which installed large Chau-
tauqua tents in the National Guard
Camps, most Of which are located in
Southern States, where the climate
is reasonably mild. This Chautau-
qua bureau has been booking talent
in these tents for the past eight or
ten weeks, charging small admission
fees of from ten to twenty-five
cents. The Young Mems Christian
ment-some free, and some for
which charge is made And the
Liberty Theatres, of standardized
construction and completely equip
ped, will handle regular companies
playing recent successes from Broad
way.
These entertainments must be
supporting. They must be of the
same calibre as the bright, snappy
shows the men are accustomed to
seeing. The admission charges must
be small So Smileage Books were
devised, the coupons of which are
good at any paid entertainment in
the camps under the management of
the Commission on Training Camp
Activities. Thus the friends of the
soldier may send him theatre tickets
which may be used in the Liberty
Theatre and Liberty Entertainments
at his camp.