The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-03-28

by a mother who is powerless to en-
force her DEGREES.
General P~ershing has forbidden our
boys to 90 to Paris on their leaves
Of absence. He has prohibited the
sale of strong drink about the camps
When there is a amp near a city
where there is a bad district, the
district is patrolled and soldiers are
not permitted to go there. When the
camp from which | am writing was
located. conditions were bad. Soon the
prostitutes were segregated. They are
not permitted about the camp or on
the streets, nor are the boys permitted
to visit the segregated district.
What about the work of the Y. NJ
G. A? | have seen enough Of it 10
sense its magnitude. / have been in
this camp but a short time, and find
the service beyond anticipation or com
prehension, There are five huts al
ready established, three more under
construction, and work being dom.
among the engineers and laborers in
barracks and in the open. There are
forty men and women here, and more
coming every week. The huts vary
in size, seating from 500 to 5000
Many things are on sale-coffee, chloe
olate, candy, cake, tobacco, chewing
u,ty, ruunrc enan oraplorc o,n
Every boy is given a testament.
There are rows Of tables and pen,
ink and paper are furnished FREE.
When | was in New York | saw one
bill presented at Y. NJ. c. A. head
quarters for $4,000. 1t was for sta
tionery for the soldiers. There is q
small library of standard books in
each hut, and papers and magazine.
The huts are open from 8 to 10 in
the morning until 8 in the evenine,
when the soldiers retire. Scores OF
boys are in them all day long. There
are usually five Y. NJ. c. A. people
in each hut, ready to serve the sol
diers, to talk with them, consult
with them, advise them or help them
in any way. There is a fine spirit OF
comradeship between the soldier and
the y. VI. c. a. men and women.
Every evening there is something
doing at each hut. There are two
religious services on Sundays, and
usually one mid-week service. On other
movie is popular. Lecturers draw big
crowds if their subjects happen to at
tract or if they are favorably known.
Some are favorably received, some
are not. Woe betide the speaker who
fails to get in touch. His audience is
merciless. f.. II. Sothern came across
with our party, and | understand his
wife, Julia Marlowe, is soon to follow.
He has made the rounds of the huts
told me he never acted to audiences
that We're so appreciative. Scores Of
Americas best artists-singers, come
dians, ~tragedians. m~agicians,. from
vaudeville to grand opera, are here.
The boys never had such a time at
home. and its all free. Never have J
heard such thunderous applause.
SO you see their days and nights
are full of interest. With the care Of
thnir ha rra nlyc an1 pan,n thnir orN, =
and clothing, which they keep scrupu-
lousy clean, with their daily drill,
their writing and reading. supplement-
ed by their daily contact with the Y.
NJ. c.. A. folk and the popular enter
tainments in the evenings, their time
is all employed, They have neither
time nor inclination to dissipate.
Athletics is another important part
of the Y. NJ. C. A. work. Every center
of games are going. The Y. NJ. c. A..
also furnishes teachers in history and
the French language. Many of our
boys will go home with not only a ripe
experience, but with a knowledge Of
world affairs and language they have
never before enjoyed.
A fine lot are the men and women
who come over with the Y. NJ. c. A..
Let me give an example or two. Jo-
seph Huntington, from Somewhere in
Connecticut, came with our party. Hn
is a graduate of Yale. an old bachelor
of fifty or better. His grandfather ac-
CURED a handful of South Dakota Sec
tons of real estate in the early DAYS
and left Joe so rich that he has never
done anything much but help folks
and get elected to the legislature.
Joe and l came here together. We
were told to report to the superin.
tendent of this Y. NJ. c. A. district,
who would assign us. The superin.
tendent was away and l became con-
about maxine nycalf oop,foc%