The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-01-24

few miles OF their borders mndc u III
ton! Think ~ the millions of pounds
of supplies To be sold to the canton.
ments! Think OF the thousands " dol
lars Of soldiers money To be spent In
the nearest town! The prospect was
dazzling. Every commualty that sought
basis of financial good to the town,
and when the sites were announced
there was Jubllntion In the III towns
~selected-joy over the prospect of easy
money. But today these 10 towns hive
n very different conception Of n sol
dicrs' environment. They know that II
brings responsibility MS well ms money.
They have found that thcli W town
standards must be improved
Millions Spent by Communities.
More than three million dollars I,
being spent In these communities e
provide convcnicnccs for the soldiers
And every cent of that money has been
raised In the towns themselves. The
'NANiNt "hiA k''h 'bAilk lNhN S''N
movlng-picturc thcatcrs with attractive
programs, wcll.mnnagcd pool roolns,
and places where he can rest and write
and read. Some OF the community
work done by the little towns would
put n big town to shame. Gettysburg,
Pa, Is n town of only 1000 people, and
II will have this population Increased
by 1900 soldiers. 1t has fitted up
two big, centrally located recreation
rooms with pool tables, reading and
writing materials, and music. The col.
lege there has turned over its athletic
field to the soldiers with tennis courts
baseball diamonds, running track, gym.
nasium, and n hall for dances, enter.
tainments, and movies. There was nc
swimming pool for the soldiers. The
citizens raised $500 and built n dam
In n nearby stream. Junction City
and Manhattan. Kan. are even smaller.
They raised $1,000 for a soldiers clut
In Manhattan and $500 for another
one In Junction City. The school play.
grounds ed college athletic field were
turned over TO the soldiers. Then a
sanitary survey Of the city was made
classes In Freach provided. and finally
these typical small American town:
did q typical American thin.-:a-..si
invited individual soldiers 70 Ece w.:A
them In their homes.
Trimming camp experts have :o-ci
that when the soldier first ZONES 20 :
community the people u tha; com.
munlty can te classified n three
groups; known as the sentimental
ayag.c.ous and the resen:tu.. Many Of
the sentimental are women. naturally
They flock around the youth In uui.
form, persuade him that he IS q hero
ana thrust upon him attentions which
quickly spoil him. They break down
his self-respect, paupcril!ng and giving
him false ideas OF his own family.
There are sentimental men who do him
as much harm men Of greater means
than his own, who entertain him In
ways that give him false ideas Of life
with which to go back home.
Soldier Makes His Own Way.
The avaricious group Is made up OF
practical citizens, who exploit the sol.
der by ~overcharglng and cheating him
and appealing to his baser desires. The
r~esentfnl group Is made up of people
who hate the idea of war. To them
the soldier personiiles war, and they
take 1t out maliciously on the innocent
kid brother who Is doing his bit the
host hp EnnNpl hnp. md urhA T.. s.n
times the man and the citizen that
these ~busyhodics imagine themselves
to be. But when the soldier comes
he makes his OWN way. lie Is clean,
moral, strong, and enthusiastic. lie
has his work and his play In camp, and
looks to the town only for Il reasonable
amount OF amusement OF some other
kind. The experts who organize the
soldiers play also organize the town.
They show the people that this boy In
uniform Is still a human being entitled
to human tics-friends, church, fra
ternal groups, the companionship OF
good women. He Is neither to be pat
ronizod nor Sighted, pauperlzed or ex.
plotted. He was n civilian yesterday,
and he will be tomorrow Il better clvll-
Ian for his military training and the
service he has rendered his country.
Even the %reSentful group changes. They
see that opposition to the soldier must
surely react upon their community. II
they evade their responsibility to him
tho result will be broken homes, vice,
disease, EQUALIZATION, and lower com.
Munity standards. If they meet tho
responsibility by constructive commun.
ity citort they protect themselves and
he soldier and benefit their com.
munity.