The Washington herald., 1918-01-27
SOLDIERS ASK WHY?
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

Eli AH6 "-NG
an heritage lfrom back home" and
is being dispelled by Y. NJ. c. A.
workers all along the line and
through the entertaining and illum-
mating talks" by patriotic volun-
teers at the Y. NJ. c. A. huts.
In this work Will Irwin. Arthur
Gleason and Herbert Adams Glib
bons have given great assistance,
and more missionaries of their we'll
attested Americanism and unselfish
spirit are needed, not alone in
France, but in the United States as
well.
In fact, such educational work
ought not to be necessary in France
as it should be completed in
America.
There ought to be such a cam
paign of enlightenment through
out our home training camps that
no transport hereafter sailing from
An Atlantic Port" could count
among it's men a single one who
did not know that America Is in
this war to save her own ideals and
institutions and he is going over
there" to hedp uphold the prin-
ciples which make our great de-
mocracy a possibility.
The Y. VI. c. A.
Too much commendatfon cannot
be paid the Y. NJ. c. A. in France.
No work being done for clean
Americanism body and soul is COM
parable in value or in intelligence
to what it is doing.
1t is the Y. NJ. c. A. that heartens
the homesick boy-soldier. provides
for his canteens, for his diversion,
supplies him with lounging and read
ing and game-playing and letter.
writing quarters. and often is his only
medium of intercourse with the
French, in whose barn he may be
biIleted or with whom, for one rea-
son or another, he may wish to
communicate.
To feel that this true-spirited and
ably-fnanaged organization is con-
tinuously on the job for the creature
comfort and spiritual well-being OF
their boys of their boys ought to
bring immeasurable comfort to far
away mothers and wives and sweet
hearts.
Throughout its immensely useful
life the Y. Nj. c. A. has never given
such value in practical Christianity
as it is now returning in its work
among American soldiers ''over
there" and it is entitled to the con-
fidence and the support of the Ameri-
can public.
Nor must 1 neglect to repeat the
word of praise heard in France for
the Salvation Army unit, which, with
out government help, is putting up it's
shacks and doing excellent, unob-
trusive service among the men.
Allies Mutual Respect.
Another wise Y. NJ. c. A. idea is ex-
pressed in the proposed change of
British and American lecturers at the
huts on the respective fronts. as a
pleasing and promising method of
binding the mutual interests and un-
derstandings of the two peoples whose
final and lasting alliance should be one
of the results of the Boche madness.
Already a strengthening Of the feel
ing between the two is apparent in
France. Never group of our men
comes back from the Flanders front
that fails to record its profound re-
spect for the smooth-working, power
full British organization or to be warm
in its praise of the Britishers them
selves.
Especially is there sincere praise Of
the Englishman, whose only picture
so many of our lads have taken from
the burlesque stage, with its monocle
and drawl, but whom they have
grown to know as the most modest
efficient and courageous Of soldiers.
A returning Congressman son the
steamer confided to me that he had
lost all that traditional anti British"
feeling cherished as a schoolboy fig
ment and by some Irish. He had just
finished a two months tour Of all the
fronts, the shortest visit on any one,
Italy. being two weeks. He had en-
joyed especial facilities and had seen,
he said, "an there was to be seen,"
including q turnover of his own car
and a miraculous escape on an Italian
mountain road at the fFouss
He asserted that the relish were
fine. modest fellows" sa4 tlla Rfitish
organization by far tn uaqst impses-
sive Of any in speed ami poVer. rhus
does blind prejudice Z = ,<fore
knowledge"