Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-06-16
Providing Comforts for Soldiers
 Entails Big Expense On Y.M.C.A.
Dr. John R. Mott Makes Clear Why Organization Must Raise More Than 100 Millions if American Army
 Men Are to Receive Proper Care.

Why the Y. M. c. A. must raise more than enc hundred million dollars during the coming drive for funds to maintain war activities here and ov- erseas, was outlined by Dr.. John R. Mott, general secretary, at the an nual meeting of the National War Work council held at the Bankers club, New York, last week.
 To begin with, unexpected losses have been met. Within the last five Or six dave the Germans have captur- ed one-fourth of the $50 foyers du soldat known to the American sol diers as "Y. M." huts-which have been maintained by the American Y. M. c. A., for French forces, Dr. Mott said. The association has appropri- ated half million dollars to replace the eighty-nine huts and dug-cuts lost by the British Y. M. c. A. in Flanders and Picardy during the re- cent enemy drive.
 Tremendous responsibilities have been shouldered upon the Y. M. c. A." said Dr. Mott "It is marvel ously comprehensive thing we have been asked to do over there. We have not only been sent over there simply to represent the ministry of the Y. M. C. A., as we understand it in this country. That is the smallest part of our task.
 Ut would be great thing to ex- tend the ministry of our association to the men of our own country and of those lands who are now in France but we have been asked to do more than that-we are to represent to all of those American sons and brothers not only the Y. M. c. A. of America, but we are to represent to them and be to them for the time being the American home, and this is tremend- ous responsibility. We are to repre- sent to them the American school and college. We are to represent to them the best phases of American club life and all that is best of the American stage. We are to represent to them the American churches, and what a great responsibility that is! It is a comprehensive ministry.
 [ "1t is not tc be wondered at that it has its back the goodwill of ev- cry thoughtful person in our native land, regardless of his political or religious utilization.
 "The American nation is behind us. That should not ly cheer us, howev- CT, but should increase the sense of burden responsibility, because those l who are behind us with their good will will follow us with judgment un- less we represent faithfully that with which they have charged us.
 "Let me give you additional reas- ons why we need so much to continue our war work.
 Only Agency to Perform Service
 "The first reason is that we are the only agency to do this work on any adequate scale. We have to do 'over there to a large extent, what twelve or fourteen agencies are trying to do on this side of the Atlantic.
 "The second reason is that over there the forces are scattered. Over here we are familiar with the great cantonments where 10000 or 30,000 or 10000 men are massed in each. You will find in France division of less than 3000O scattered in 30 to 60 villages I heard o 1.-two divisions that had arrived in France, and the association had only one secretary to place at their disposal. These sol diers are billeted in small groups all over the villages. One bitter cold day forty of our boys were assign ed to hay loft. The floor of the stable that the cattle and occupied was cleaned up and 100 more were put there. The chicken house held ! <1o cl. a dozen more. Eight hundred boys were parceled out in that particular village. The father or mother is not in this land, who if he or she had been with me and seen their boy, as have seen him, would not be willing to mortgage house or land, if necessary in order that the Y. M. c. A. >might be established in that section. He or she would be saying You have got to get down to the unit of 300, if my boy is there, and not stop with serv ing large units of 2,000 or over."
 Must Shift Camps Often.
 "Another reason why we need large sums of money is the constant shift. ing that is being done over there. Ir six months one division of our army had to shift four times-was put in five different positions. That means greatly increased expense. In this case it meant opening up huts in 90 different villages excessively for five times Or a total of 150 villages"
 Another reason is the broken. down means of communication. All the French railroads are worn out. saw the splendid double line America lhoc ctrosfc cho1 o1roocf onrocc Eron co and saw what America is trying te do with some of the French roads But if we had not established ou. own transport system we would mol be in 606 places now. We have oul own automobile service. But it is expensive, when you think of tht Iprices we have to pay. However with out that service we couldn't ex tend our ministry to our boys. Ant we have got to increase this service