davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-11-10
\ Chain of
a Military Clubs

From coast to coast, War Camp Com
munity Service has stretched a chain of
clubs for soldiers, sailors and marines Dark
staircases which for decades had creaked
out the bimonthly meetings of community
lodges, have given way to light and airy
corridors leading to inviting entertainment
rooms. Curtained windows, replacing panes
opaque with rain spattered dust, have trans
formed lofts, store buildings, unused resi-
dences. hotels and churches into hospitable
quarters for enlisted men.
Twenty-eight clubs are affiliated with the
New York City organization. They are open
every day until midnight. They provide
not only reading, writing, game and loaf
ing rooms, but dormitories, canteens and
facilities for their guests to clean and press
their uniforms One club features Sunday
night community sings, and another, Tues
New-York tribune., 1918-11-10
Army Advances Swiftly,
But Not Too Fast for
These Adventurous Aids

camps and stations, helping them to
tend hospitality to transient population
of soldiers, sailors, marines and visiting
civilians, the total of which would run
we'll into the millions.
War Camp Community Service attacks
the problems of serving the soldier and
sailor and their guests from five angles.
1t gives to the aim d:vulged in it's title,
namely, community service, the widest pos.
sible Interpretation. First, it extends COM
munty service in the strict sense Of the
word. Further, it fosters community hos
pitality and community recreation. It's ad-
ministrative tool is community organiza-
tieN and its certain by-product community
betterment.
1t is doubtful whether any camp town
will ever revert to it's small town ways Of
answering the thousand and one questions
of the travelling public. Not even if the
camp were moved or abolished And there
is no imm ediate likelihood of this
In the average town of fifteen thousand
each citizen constitutes himself an infor-
nation secretary, and finds his store of
hearsay knowledge adequate to any ordi-
nary demand. The annual visit of Sells
Floto's Greatest Shows on Earth or Of the
Dreamland Street Carnival heralds in new
sets of incidents and uranticipated queries
which may stump him. Instead of the
familiar: (Which way is it to the Com
mercial House?" he is likely to be con-
fronted with "What time is the fellow 60
ing to make the high dive?" And it is
humiliating to the average citizen of a
small town to be uninformed regarding
even such minor happenings within his own
community. On an occasional circus day,
or during fve-day carnival stand, he may
fluff it through or make full confession
of his ignorance, but not so when every
sunrise is the harbinger of a Fourth Of
july
New-York tribune., 1918-11-10

Burton, leading retail grocer Of any camp
town, they become Mr.. Craig, former dis
trict sales manager of the Osler Safe Com
pany; Mr.. Yates, formerly Of the team of
Tucker and Yates come dians on the West
ern Vaudeville Circuit, and Mr. Bonney, SON
of the president of one of Chicagos largest
banking firms.
Mr.. Yates, as a private in the National
Army, is just "young soldier away from
home whom it would be nice to have to
dinner" But Mr. Yates as comedian, who
is known by thousand audiences scattered
to the four winds, is the most interesting
guest who has ever honored the home of
any camp towns grocer with his presence.
1t takes visionary to see modern club,
equipped with game rooms, writing rooms,
q combination dance floor and auditorium, a
barber shop and cafeteria standing where
stood musty old saloon building; to see
spacious lounging room substituted for
grease-stained dining room. and an i'm
maculate billiard parlor for beer-soured
barroom
But these are the days for visionaries!
The war with its exigencies has started ait
can't be done" towards the dictionary Of
obsolete terms. The representative of Any
Camp Town War Camp Community Service
has put the solid foundation of fact undepa
this dream
New-York tribune., 1918-11-10

day afternoon French classes. Thousands of
fighters enjoy their hospitality.
Many men had never had the advantages
Of membership in q club before going to
the war camp communities. That their uni
form is their pass was not at first readily
understood. There were frequent inquiries
regarding membership dues.
Amt they gonna charge us nothing"
was followed more than once with q sur
prsed: well what d'you think about
that?''
War Camp Community Service is at its,
hest, perhaps, in the near camp community
house SO unique is this institution that
it is difficult to keep it from a conspicuous
place in the foreground Of any picture of
this oYganizations activities And no such
attempt has been made in this summary
War Camp Community Service has helped
to build six community houses. It is proud
OF them. 1t cherishes plans for building
more. 1t hopes to see them stand as monu-
ments to Americas war-born esprit de corps
of neighboriness, which is this organiza-
tions existence.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-10
IL otel for
l 1 Enlisted Men

The New York War Camp Community Ser
vice operates hotels exclusively for enlisted
men. One provides eight hundred beds with
bath at 25 cents a night. It's reception
room and reading, writing billiard and pool
rooms are used to the utmost. One point of
particular interest about this hotel is that
much of the furniture in its main corridors
WAS contscated by the government from,
German ocean liners interned in the New
York harbor at the outbreak Of the war.
Where the need has created the demand
War Camp Community Service has opened
dormtories and cafeterias in connection
with It's clubs for soldiers and sailors Here
comfortable beds with bath are provided to
enlisted men at prices ranging from 25 to
so cents night.
The club cafeterias serve good food to
enlisted men at under the market prices.
Consider for example, the chocolate covered
soup dishful of homemade ice cream served
at cents a helping to men in uniform in
the cafeteria of the Kansas City War Camp
Community Service Club 1t is a veritable
Vesuvius Of delight as compared with the
Win-the- -'Uarfor-l5-cents size now tradi-
tional among civilian confectoners
In towns whose hotel and lodging house
accommodations are overtaxed War Camp
Community Service manages agencies for
placing transients in spare rooms. When an
enlisted man desires accommodations for
his visiting friends and relatives he finds
the door of War Camp Community Service
an entrance into the best homes in the COM
munity.
''What's the charge for this service ?" is
the frequent inquiry.
"No charge at ALL" is the invarable re-
sponse.
When the enlisted man and his civilian
friends went first to camp transportation
in some Of the adjoining towns was offered
in anything on wheels and at whatever fig
ure the elasticity of the drivers conscience
and the willingness of the riders purse per
mitted. The street hawking rivalled that at
New-York tribune., 1918-11-10
M ore Than Two
AvA Hundred Stations

Over two hundred camps, cantonments
and training stations are maintained to pre-
pare the men entering the military and
naval service of the United States to bear
their part in the nations defence at home
and abroad These stations are equipped to
ram thousands of men at one time
Military and naval policy permits enlisted
\ men to leave camp now and then in order
d mat they may ease the strain and relax
srom the rigors of military routine and dis
cipline. 1t recognizes the desirablitv of
permitting friends and relatives to visit
these men when adequate facilities are
available or their accommodation in or
near camp communities.
On leave the fighter seeks contact with
The human side OF life. He goes to town.
whether his visits are an asset or a liabil
'ty IN his training depends largely on what
ne does while there. And what he does ia
limited by what there is to do
The governments hurried establishment
Of army camps and naval training stations
over the country, threw many American
communities into turmoil Some towns
saw their transient populations increase
as much as 1000 per cent over night.
frequently they lacked the power of con-
trolling undesirable conditions and the
means to provide enough desirable ones.
Low grade entertainment and omen vice
lost no time gaining a foothold where COM
aunities were unorganized and inattentiye.
Many towns had nc public rest rooms or in
formation bureaus, comfort stations or
drinking fountains. The street corner nro.
yidcd the only place where a lonesome
soldier could meet a companion. Some
localities faced critical problems Of san
itation, of transportation and of feeding
and housing their greatly increased float
ing populations. And funds were not suf-
ficient to remedy these conditions.
Boom towns in tie West passed through
these stages and eventually worked out
their economic and social salvation. But
they took years in doing it. There were
no years ahead Of these war camp COM
munitcs. The Alies were waiting for
America Military necessity dictated that
shese conditions be made adequate immcdi-
aSefy
New-York tribune., 1918-11-10
r a Class
i With Atlantic Citv

Tucked behind an open staircase, which
leads from the southwest wing of the room
stands mission fireplace of brick, stone
and rough-hewn wood. This hearth looks
out upon Il vast lounging lobby containing
no fewer than twenty two huge davenports.
upho stored in brown leather and in tapes
tries of tones SO subdued that thcv would
pass unnotced were one not irving TO un-
derstand the technique used by the artist
IN creating room so inviting, so restful
and so homelike. Brown stained wicker has
been used to vary the monotony. and there
are one or two sets of parlor pieces in a
colonial design of dark walnut, The rugs
are OF Oriental patterns. Here and there
a small Navajo has found its way under q
table lamp.
Through War Camp Community Service
American towns quick to place their
recreational facilities at the disposal Of The
soldier the sailor and the marine. Pjav-
grounds swimming pools, bath houses. ath-
le'lc nelds' stadlums, gymnasia, amuse-
ment parks skating rinks, dancing pavil-
lions, and auditoriums throughout the
country are now open to these men. At
lanta's Mayor has placed ten baseball dia
monds at the service of men in the mill
tary and naval service. Enlisted men are
daily guests in San Degos world-renowed
recreation building. This city operates a
three-game-a week baseball league. stages
wrestling and boxing matches, and conducts
track and field meets. Seattle's entertain
nent programme features water and ;co
carnvals
Six hundred engineers stationed at Dem
ing, N. NJ, transformed an unused reser
voir covering fifteen acres into an amphi
theatre. 1t seats 10000 soldiers. 1t pro-
vides baseball and football fields, vollev
ball, tennis and basketball courts and an
open air swimming pool for Camp Codv's
enlisted men.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-10
why Does a
w Soldier Desertp ,

A colonel in command of fifteen hundred
deserters at Fort Leavenwolth decided re-
Gently TO learn the reason his prisoners
would give for foolheartedly risking their
military regulations for the sake Of few
hours leave
He commissioned five men to conduct the
inquiry.
"Are you ready to make your report on
the cause of desertions ?" the colonel asked
the spokesman on his return.
eyes, sir" he replied
"Your first reason?" questioned the
colonel.
ave find sir, that the main reason for
desertion in the army is Inconsistencies"
s"Your other reasons" anticipated the
officer
"Ihe other reasons are unimportant. sir"
do you mean to say that the reason the
men desert from the army is because they
get homesick ?"
"Yes, sir" replied the foreman. at is
the longing for home and for home COM
forts and companionships that causes de-
sertion."
To make any camp town "just like
home TO soldiers, sailors and marines is
the job of War Camp Community Service.
The most obvious way to make the on
listed man feel at home in the camp com
munity is to invite him into the homes OF
its citizens. The War Camp Community
Service does. And the doors of Americas
homes are swinging wide Throughout the
country new extensions to dinner tables
extra places and extra portions are pre-
pairing the way for guests in khaki and blue.
Soldiers and sailors in groups lose their
Individuality Seated in the home of Mr..
New-York tribune., 1918-11-10

IN THE summer Of 1916 Secretary Baker
sent Raymond B. Fosdick as a special
agent of the War Department to in
vestigate conditions in communities on
the Mexican border where our troops were
stationed. Mr. Fosdick found five thousand
,olders encamped a.t Columbus, N. M, with
absolutely nothing in the town that could
in any way amuse them. There were no
moving picture shows; no places where they
could write letters; no library facilities OF
any kind; no home to which they could go
absolutely nothing at all except very
we'll run red light district and few
saloons"
This investigation officially convinced the
government that there we're war camp com
unity problems.
When the United States launched her war
programme against Germany War Camp
Community Service became the official
answer to that problem.
The War Department Commission on
Training Camp Activities was appointed by
Secretary Newton D. Baker in April, 1917
The Navy Department Commission on
Training Camp Activities was established
by Secretary Josephus Daniels three months
later. Raymond 3. Fosdick became chair
man of both.
These commissions called on the Play
sround and Recreation Association of
America to carry on their work in the COM
.nunites outside and adjoining the camps
under the official name of War Camp Com
munty Service.
War Camp Community Service was asked
to coordinate into definite and ordered
programme the. resources of the War Camp
Community, to supplement these resources
with others from the folks back home, and
to temper the whole into wholesome ma
tion-wide movement for hospitality, keyed
to harmonize with the training camp pro-
gramme of the War and Navy departments.
The Playground and Recreation Associa-
ion of America, through years of expert
rnce, had been helping civilian communities
10 just this sort OF thing for themselves.
This organization was ready for service. 1t
has only to get these communities, together
with those designated by military and naval
necessity, to do those things for the soldiers
and sailors which they were doing for
themselves. 1t sent it's own trained COM
munity organizers into these war camp
communities. Within a month it had the
Lnited States covered with network of
.ocal committees, each in the vicinity OF
nilitary naval training station.
BY the end OF May. 1917, War Camp Com
unity Service was a vital organism. That
& is not better known is due to the unosten-
tatious method it chose for making the
civilian population of America responsive
and responsible to it's opportunity.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-10

be equipment. Will You see that We have
it by that date?'
'T'll shoulder the responsibility Of getting
the furnishings here, but your building
won't be ready. Not with material and labor
as scarce. as they are to-day"
"If you'll have the equipment, III have
the building" was the generals challenge.
On the morning of the twenty-first day
six truck loads OF furniture and decorative
equipment drove round driveway leading
to colossal club building, characterized
by a strong odor of fresh paint. The fur
niture was installed. Odds and ends were
arranged. Amber shades Of silk were placed
on the lights Logs were fired in the hearths.
Linens were spread on cosey dining room
tables. Rugs were laid. Nooks and corners
were banked with palms. The bird cages
were hung. The lid to the great concert
grand piano was lifted. There was pause
for admiration. The keys of the instru-
ment were touched. And thus was ushered
onto the pages of history the Camp Sher-
man Community House, literally fantastic
dream come true.
Entering its inviting doorway the OBJ
server finds an expansive inclosure shaped
ike Maltese cross stretching be1ore nlm
in dreamy proportions. Here seems to have
been executed by craftsmen, religiously
confident that they were producing mas
terpiece, fraternal shrine for demo-
cratic utopia of the future. 1t is communal
yet we'll supplied with hooks and corners
offering seclusion. 1t is gorgeous, but mod
est, and elegant, but inexpensive. To The
odore Roosevelt its scenic effect was "Stu-
pendous! Stupendous! Stupendous!" The
Colonel said he had no idea such thing
existed in America. Nor have millions of
his fellow citizens living outside the state
of Ohio.
It is work of art--an expression of the
emotion of great people stirred by great
and world wide cause
The framework of the building is of nard
pine. Wrought iron plates, nuts, bolts and
screws have been used uniformly in making
joints. The gables are supported by huge
rafters Of rough, uppainted wood. Their
plainness presents the impression that they
were determined to fit into the beauty of
the structures interior, regardless of their
rugged, unfinished appearance. The builders
New-York tribune., 1918-11-10

Coney Island on lucrative Saturday night.
Panchy traffic was The result.
BY securing the cooperation of the mill
tary police and of the local city officials,
War Camp Community Service changed
this condition overnight One Middle
Western camp town decided to limit it's
issue of taxicab licenses to seven passenger
cars. 1t set the cab fare at 25 cents from
town to camp, and established 10-cent bus
line. The loading and starting of cars was
placed in entire charge of the military
police,
New-York tribune., 1918-11-10

must have left them unpainted with a pur-
pose, for they seem to set the co,or scheme
Tor TIE entire community
A rich blue stage curtain of deep Velvet
hanging at the end of the auditorium wing
of the clubhouse offers perhaps the widest
contrast to the queter tones OF brown and
gray used almost uniformly elsewhere
New-York tribune., 1918-11-10
= ecreation Of the
IN Community

War Camp Community Service went to
shs assistance of these towns. This or
ganizstion is now operating In some six
hundred communities adjacent to training
New-York tribune., 1918-11-10
One Thousand Reasons
Why W. C.. C. S. Is Needed
By Uncle Sans Fighters

ors and their civilian friends Il wo,,s
be performing worthwhile task D..
this is only where its work begins.
,, ENTER: WAR CAMP CoMMrrNrr,,
49, SERVICE. Exit: The aimless and
lonely hour of the soldier on leave
WAR CAMP COMMUNITY sEpv
w ICE surrounds the camps and nor.n
with hospitality and brings soldiers ~
sailors into hospitable American bora~
WAR CAMP COMMUNITY sEpv
W ICE places commodious cornu...
houses near the camps and enlists .n..
mobile owners for war camp communist.
service. 9A''s
+ WAR CAMP COMMUNITY sEPv
w ICE is as broad as the commpn;.,
1t coordinates the war camp towns, -
clai, religious and political life .ra ~
so DONG compounds the service of a..s
to the enlisted man. It knows n.;.s
race nor creed.
THE responsibility of WAR caun
COMMUNITY SERVICE is To nrn
tect the soldier in his own independsr,
right to enjoy his leave of absen.s
healthfully and to extend to him su.s
hospitality as self-respectino ,.~
abiding citizen might be expected TODD
sire.
ITO the average American citizen ".
4 appeal of WAR CAMP COMMIT
NIFTY SERVICE to surround the comn,
with hospitality" presents an opportunity
rather than an obligation.
w AH-WiNN1NG efficiency in the
w country's factories and sb;nvards
demands sane and healthful recreation
WAR CAMP COMMUNITY sEPvTcr
supplies it.
WAR CAMP COMMUNITY sERv.
w ICE is officially charged to aid IN
the training of the soldier and sailor bv
making the near-camp communities nor.
mai home towns to enlisted men.
WAR CAMP COMMUNITY sERv.
w ICE has aided the wives of many
soldiers and sailors to find employment
in and near training stations that .bsv
might be near their husbands.
#
WAR CAMP COMMUNITY sERy.
ACE mobilizes the resources of tho
nations great terminal cites for the care
and entertainment of sojourning soldiers
and sailors.
WAR CAMP COMMUNITY sERy.
lCE stimulates lodges to welcome
soldiers and sailors and organizes local
square-deal communities to discourage
overcharge.
WAR CAMP COMMUNITY sERv.
ICE meets travelling soldiers and
sailors, their friends and relatives nro.
vldes rest rooms and solves their prob.
lens.
CAMP community houses provide the
~ most homelike atmosphere we could
establish with brick, wood, furniture and
flowers. Here the soldier and his own
home folks can find an ideal SPOT for
family contact.
I NORGANIZED, the most we'll
- meaning expressions of community
hospitality lose themselves in maze Of
conflicting ends.
WAR CAMP COMMUNITY sERv.
w ICE provides snug nights lodgings
and inexpensive meals to fighters and
their friends.
JUST had swell time in the WAR
CAMP COMMUNITY SERVICE
Club. Stayed four days, and really cele-
brated. One thing about it, fellow IN
uniform isn't allowed to get lonesome.
flames c. Watson.
WAR CAMP COMMUNITY SERV-
w ICE is born of the idea that the
soldier is human being This service
is one of Americas characteristic con-
tributions to the art of war, as revolt
tionary as the submarine or the acre
plane or any other of her inventions, sna
norhanc morn ,,,ll,,n hln Iohn Lee.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-10
p Community Service Spells Happiness for Millions

plunge. Social functions are held at the
hotel for enlisted men under the super
vision of the local War Camp Community
Service. For these the hotel provides music
gratis.