The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-26
Organization Defended, Although nd
mitteo There Have Been Some
Few Mistakes
Made
DENIAL OF TIE CHARGES
Some Men Turned Sack Home After
Being Promised Overseas
Work by the Red
Triangle.

NEW YORK, Dec, 23.-Dr. John
r Mott, chairman OF the war work
council OF the Y. NJ. C. A.. discussed
in detau here adverse criticisms
directed against the organization by
soldiers here and in France. He
vigorously defended the work of the
organization as q whole, but did not
deny that in isolated cases there
were just ground for complaint
DIR. Mott said that 300 men and
women workers Ind been recalled
from France because of unfitness,
and announced that there would be
q general Tightening up" 10 correct
conditions which have resulted in
CRITICISMS. He stated that George
W Perkins, Mortimer H. Schiff and
f. 8. Brockman have gone abroad
ing, SO far BIS possible, and further
cause for complaint.
II is the history of every great
effort that mistakes are made and
no one, no matter how exalted his
person or how unimpeachabie his
conduct, can escape. Other impor-
through similar experiences. Much
adverse comment is due to miscon-
cepIion."
DR.. Mott then took up the criti-
cisms more frequently heard. He
explained that the Y. M. C. A. had
not concerned itself specially with
the wounded and i'll, because it had
been agreed that this work should
be done by the Red Cross.
Not Working for Profit
He declared the most frequently
heard complaint was that the organA
cation has been profting by the oper-
alton of its canteens overseas, He
explained it had been agreed with
General Pershing that If any profit
had been made it was used exclr-
sively for the benefit OF the army.
now have been made.
which win enable 1t to OBJ
tain supplies from sources that will
reduce overhead charges and keep
prices down.
DIR. Mott asserted that 1t was not
true that the Y. M. c. A. furnishes
free to the men overseas nothing but
writing paper, although he said 1t
was the policy of the organization to
give service and not primarily free
supplies. He added, however, that
$4,000 worth OF supplies were dis
tributed gratis in September Of this
year in addition to $4,000 excess
of cost over selling price on supplies
sold"
Denial was made that q "holier
attitude was typical Of
Y. M C. A. work He said also that
If the overseas secretaries were
brusque in their dealings with sol
diers it undoubtedly was due to the
fact that many OF them were on duty
for eighteen hours al q stretch, some
times without meals.
Fortunes Of War.
DR.. Mott did not deny the charge
that the Y. NJ. c. A. has taken scoros
OF men from gainful occupations and.
after promising overseas service,
turned them back without occups-
tions. He said, however, that the
government of the United States and
other civilian organizations had done
the same thing.
He explained that this was due
largely TO the fact that the war de-
partment had indicated strong pref
erence that wherever possible Y NJ.
c. A. workers should be taken from
the arms overseas. The department
recently has announced. he said, that
It will release officers and enlisted
men who are especially qualified TO
assist in the educational program
and other activities of the Y M. c.
A. This will result in a large saving
of transporta ton, but will embaTrass
those men who were ready for over
seas service.
1T is unfortunate and the SYM
patty of the Y. M. c. A. goes out
to these men," said DR.. Mott, but
they are just as much casuals Of
war as IL they had been discharged
from the enlisted army. Their plight
is one for which the Y. II. c. A. is
in no way responsible and one which
it cannot remedy"
In answer to the charge that Y.
NJ C. A. workers persistently lodged
danger DR.. Mott said that nine work
ers have been killed by shell fire
while on duty, and twenty-nine seri-
ously gassed or wounded. Thirty-one
others have died in service chiefly
as a result of exposure and over
work. Ten have been cited for
bravery or decorated
DR.. Mott explained that the war
work council would submit a new
budget to the war department in con-
nection with the expenditure OF the
s1OO. oo0, 900 which was its prorata
share of the fund subscribed in the
recent united war work campaign