Mexico Missouri message., 1918-03-07
A Regiment House
For Camp Funston
Audrain County Soldier Boys To
Profit-Win Our Citizenry Help
Build IL?

Gregory Vigeant, Jr., Chairman o
Publicity Committee 354th Infantr!
for Missouri Building at Camp Fun
ston, Kan, has written a letter tC
the editor of The Message and to &
number OF Mexico and other county
citizens containing among Other
things the following:
Because men of the 354th Regi.
ment, at Camp Funston, Kansas
more than 95 per cent of whom are
Missourians and a number from Mex
leo and Audrain county, have no reg
mental building wherein they may
entertain their visiting friends and
relatives, a finance committee has
been organized in the regiment to
raise a fund for the erection of such
a building.
Suitable Building Lacking.
The 353rd is a Kansas regiment
and the 314th Ammunition Train is
Nebraskan. The people of Kansas,
for the 353rd, and the people of Ne
braska, for the 314th. have erected
most creditable buildings for the use
of the afcers and men of these or
ganizations. The people of these
States. being near Camp Funston.
were quick to realize and to meet
the needs of their soldiers.
The Missouri need arises from
this condition: There is provided
here no building or room large
enough for the officers of the regi-
ment to meet in conference. These
conferences are held daily in the
cramped and crowded office Of the
Adjutant. There is provided no room
or building where the officers may
meet socially and spend their too
few hours off duty in becoming bet-
ter acquainted. There are more than
100 of these officers, and such
place is greatly needed.
There is no place whatsoever
"here the soldiers of the regiment
may meet and entertain their visit
Ing friends and relatives. If a lady
visits a soldier she may not come
nearer to his place of abode than the
T. w. c. A. hostess house, which is
far distant from our regiment, and
where the soldier has infreuuent on
portunity to go. On the first satur-
day Of each month ladies are permit
ted in camp, but soldier of this
regiment on such days cannot we'll
invite ladies of his family and his
friends to his company barracks, and.
therefore, he must needs entertain
them in the street.
Privileges No Advantage.
Special privileges are granted WIS.,
iting ladies every Saturday and Sun
day to go to regimental buildings of
the kind we hope to erect to meet
their soldier relatives and friends.
Kansas and Nebraska men are ena-
bled to take advantage of these spe-
cial privilegs, the people of these
States, thru their contributions hav-
ing erected such buildings for the
use OF the organizations previously
mentioned, but this regiment of Mis-
sourians cannot benefit by these priv
ileges because we have no such build
ing.
We earnestly desire to meet this
need and to erect such a building for
this regiment.
We feel that the generous people
of Missouri will contribute literally
when they know our purposes and
our need
May we ask the assistance of your
paper to give publicity to a cam
paign we are starting to raise money
for this purpose?
We hope that a member of this
committee may come to Mexico and
Audrain county soon to present this
matter more fully and to seek sub
scriptions to our building fund. He
will call on you and we hope you will