The Republican journal., 1918-07-04
A CAN for Y. M. c. A. Workers.

-Four thousand men wanted for Y. M
C. A. Service Overseas, is the call sound
ed by DR.. John r. Mott, Gen. Secretary
of the National War Work Council Of
the Young Mems Christian As:oe alton
of the United States, who has just re-
turned from Europe after spending sever
al months in France. Italy and Great
Britain. A month ago the National Wal
| Work Council, with headquarters in New
York, sent out call for 1000 men before
August list; but having seen with his own
ewes how tremendous the need is Over
There, DR.. Mott stated at a recent con-
ference of Recruiting Secretaries for Y.
M. C. A. men Overseas and others inter-
ested, that it has been necessary to double
the lumber. Maine was represented at
this conference by Governor Millken,
and by Professor johnson of the Romance
Language Department of Colby College
at Waterville, who serves as State Re-
cruiting Secretary.
The Queen of England gave DR.. Mott
an audience, and spoke to him in most
appreciative terms of the vital work done
by the Red Triangle in the British Army.
Lord Northcliffe said: without the
Young Mems Christian Association,
Great Britain could not hope for the AL
lies to win this war;" DR.. Mott also had
interviews with Pres. Poincare of the
French Republic and with the King of
Italy. Pres. Poincare told him: "Here in
France, we will give you every facility
for the extension of the Young Mems
Christian Association in the Army"
The King of Italy received this distin-
guished American representative of the
Red Triangle at his headquarters on the
Italian front, and after being told of the
significance of the three sides of the Y.
M. C. A. Triangle, said: CDR. Mott,
spread this to the maximum in the Italian
Army"
DR.. Mott pointed out some of the rea-
sons why the finding of these 1000 men is
an unutterably important task. These
men are imperatively needed in the first
place to relieve from strain the more than
1000 Y. M. c. A. men overseas. The
average working day of most of them is
IA hours, without taking off one day in
seven. Many of these strong men are
now shaking with nervousness because
of overwork.
Again, workers are needed to replace
secretaries lost by death. In the last
German drive, some of the secretaries
have been killed. Then, too, other men
have gone with the distinct understand
ing that after year they were to be re-
lieved, so as to return to their important
positions in America.
Dr. Mott gave as fourth reason that it
was necessary to secure these workers in
order to scale up the efficiency of this
whole undertaking, for at present we are
rendering only so per cent of the service
that we might among the allied armies in
Europe. One division of $1,000 men
which was scattered over 40 different
villages, had only single secretary
among them
In the next place, it was pointed out
t hat it was necessary to send many Sec
retaries to keep pace with the ever-ex-
banding American Army in France, for
more troops are being landed than we
realize in this country. DR.. Mott, after
talking with Gen. Pershing and other
generals in Great Britain, France and
Italy, has come to the conclusion that we
are in for a long war, and that we must
have reserves who will be prepared to
carry on the work.
The last reason which was given Tor
securing this large number of business,
professional and other leaders to serve as
secretaries in France was that we might
win this war. Every general in the Al
lied Army with whom DR.. Mott spoke
told of the indispensable value from the
military standpoint of the work that the
heQ Triangle is OOlHR lOl tHc amy ~
was Naroeon's belief that in war, morale,
as compared to any other factor, is as )
to /, and these various generals OF the
goth century agreed with Napoleon.
In the French Army there were $50 Y.
M. C. A. huts up to the time of the Ger
man drive this last spring. Some IS of
these have fallen into German hands
We have now been requested by France
to replace these huts and to raise the
number to 1000, which shows in con-
crete way the appreciation of the asso-
cations work among the French troops.
Men of business training, of mechanical
refining, others who can become hut sec
retaries or canteen workers, are all needed
in this great enterprise. A test as to the
kind of men needed might be suggested
in this question. If your son were "Over
There" tired out and lonely, would this
man or that man be good pal for your
boy2
Former Lieut.. Gov. Lake of Connectl-
cut, who is now Y M. C. A. Secretary
in one of the ports of France, says: "The
smallest thing ever did in France is big
ger than the biggest thing ever did in
America" Senator Percy from Mis-