The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-02-21
RED CROSS PROVIDES RE.
FRESHMENTS TO SOLDIERS
AT ALL HOURS OF
DAY OR NIGHT.
Troop. Trains Halt in Dismal Sta
tons as Uniformed Women
Distribute Fruit, Sand
witches and Coffee. i

York, New Jersey and Connecticut, is
covered with a network Of canteens
for the benefit Of soldiers en- route,
according to a statement made public
BY John S. Ellsworth, division direc-
tor of canteen service
Canteen units are established at all
principal points through New York,
New Jersey and Connecticut where
trains stop or are delayed. The chief
point is naturally in New York city,
with its terminals and ferries, where
vast numbers of military men are
passing to their camps
The division canteen headquarters
is a clearing house for information re-
garding troop movements, camps, etc.
! Confidential advice is supplied by the
government to aid the direction Of
canteen service throughout the three
states. The railroad companies also
cooperate, holding trains over if pos
| sible until refreshments can be served
to all the men.
The division canteen service director
has two assistants and ten aides, all
Of them women in uniform. They are
either at headquarters or on call by
telephone during the waking hours, u
which are from 6 a. m. to Ii D. m.
These aides are ready to go to any OF
the nearby canteen stations and assist
the local women in serving the soldiers
during these hours.
In fact, the canteen is a twenty.
four-hour service. If the Red Cross is
informed that refreshments are needed
at any time during the day or night
they are on hand to meet the needs Of
the men. The hotels in New York city
generously give coffee, cheese, ETC., fol
the Red Cross canteens.
Soldiers Given Smokes"
Sandwiches, fruit, sweet buns, chloe
olate and hot coffee comprise the usual
fare. II the men are not actually hun
CRY they are given chocolate and
Smokes" II they are not In need OF
food Of any kind they are always given
the emergency" service. The Red
Cross supplies them with postal cards
attends to the censoring and posting
Of their mail, relieves any sickness and
meets any need 1t can possibly ale
viate
The emergency nature Of the can
teen service, the out-of-the-way spots
where 1t Is often needed, the irregular
hours when it is called for, the darl
wharves and crowded ferry houses
where the trains are held-all These
features make the work a difficult one
In spite of these difficulties, however
the canteen is considered one of the
most efficient branches, Of the Rec
Cross.
An example Of this efficiency was II
the service rendered the Three Hun
dred and Eighth Infantry just before
its recent parade In New York city
Fifty minutes before the men left thu
} armory the Red Cross received word
that they needed canteen service be
fore starting the parade. The Rec
Cross responded Immediately. In les
than an hour from the time theiy re
, ceived the request they had served
$500 men with sandwiches, sweet bun.
and coffee.
Soldiers Laud canteen Service.
One Of the many expressions Of ap
probation that came to the directo
! was from the colonel of the Thre.
| Hundred and Eighth Infantry, who con
1 Guided his letter of thanks with 81 hav,
l never seen anything SURPRISING it O
nearly as efficiently done"
Another letter from a first lieuten
= ant says of "the delicious coffee an.
l ham sandwiches" served on board 6
troop train to 800 men early one morn
1 ing: ITO say they were appreciated Il
only half expressing the feelings of the
men, who spent the rest of the day
praising the Red Cross from top t.
bottom"
From the postals OF the men them
+ selves some less formal appreciation
< have been culled as follows:
g ION our way south the Red eros
e provided US with the dandiest Iunc]
), just when we were as hungry a
wolves"
d STARTED to write pop, but made hin
missus Tell him to Join the Re,
Cross or will disown him."
"The Red Cross gave me this car
and also swell dinner. They are
bunch Of angels"
II am having swell feed now. TIT
Red Cross is giving 1t to all the boys
Thank God for the work they are car
| rying on, and may God bless them"
1.-THE American Red Cross, throug
its women, is the most wonderful o
organizations"
| The Red Cross has thus found tn
/! way to a soldiers heart. Friendl
faces, good food-above all, hot coffe
n send thousands Of homesick boys t
t. their environments with stouter coul
age.
is Ten thousand metal workers a
I'LL