The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-06
A GOOD RECORD
Clean Bill of Health for Army
Y. Nj. C.. A.
In Every Military Center, Says
Ford Report.

A detailed report of an investigation
thirty-two army camps of the United
States conducted privately by the Ford
Motor company Investigators has been
made public by the National War
Work Council of the Y. NJ. c. A In
every military center the Y. NJ. c. A
: is given a clean bill of health with
the added statement that funds con-
tributed to the Y. NJ. A. c. war fund
are being efficiently administered"
| Furnishes Wholesome Recreation.
1.-THE principal objective of the Y.
M. c. A. is the morale of our men,
dealing with them during their leisure
time in camps, furnishing wholesome
and constructive recreation, entertain
ment and educational features" says
an investigator in his summary. THAT
they are successfully accomplishing
this Is brought out by the feeling of
the men towards the Y. NJ. C. A. and
the fact that they avail themselves of
these privileges and features habit
ually. They are unquestionably doing
wonderful work and the soldier in
camp today would be lost without
them.
No Extravagant Expenditure.
There seems to be no extravagant
! expenditure of money on buildings.
| Inc privileges are open 10 ali cIlIiStcu
me nat all hours of the day. No evil
dence of discrimination was to be
found. The impression gathered from
observations and conversations with a
| large number of soldiers Is that the
! Y. M c. A organization well merits
hearty cooperation and support
The Ford company, 1t is stated. had
| contributed $4,000 to the Y. M. c. A.
war fund and Henry Ford. the auto
mobile manufacturer and candidate
| for U. S. senator from Michigan, had
a desire to know how the funds were
being spent and if the secretaries were
competent men. The Investigators
found an active social, recreational.
educational and religious program un-
der way for the benefit of the soldiers
Y. NJ. C. A. Directs Them.
During the> intervals Of training on
| the fields" writes an investigato tor.
boys are taken in charge by one of
| the Y. M. c. A. physical directors who
| puts them thru a course of stunts,
such as handball or indoor baseball.
This has been brought about in this
camp thru the efforts of the military
men to keep the boys from participant
| ing in blackjack or shaking dice.
| c. A. under the supervision Of a di-
vision athletic director. who is an
| army appointee. The organization of
| the Y. NJ. c. A for thia work, how
ever, is so complete that the army
| athletic director relies almost exclus-
| lively upon 1t for the conduct of these
activities and exercises merely provi-
sional authority"
The religious work Is said to be
sincere and earnest" and lis not be-
| ing thrust down their throats." The
| type of religion the men like is being
given them. the survey says. adding
as an illustrations:
"a unique figure in the religious
activities is Fighting Parson' Wedge.
at Camp Grant. who. in pugilistic cos
| bouts with the amateurs and one pro-
fessional and then retires to a private
room and holds a Bible class"
| Supply Men With Books.
One of the Ford investigators found
the Y NJ. C. A. secretaries visiting
quarantine quarters daily, supplying
the men with books, magazines, writ
services such as cashing money orders
| and making purchases, sending tele-
grams. telephone message etc. 1t
seems that no service B too small for
the Y. NJ. C. A. authorities to extend
| to the men"
Concerning the work in the hos
| pitfalls, the report says that the Y. NJ.
1 c. A. workers entertain the sick with
! photograph records and provide them
with fruits and other dainties when
/
| fund for making loans to men in need
of money.
Educational Work.
An active educational work was
noted, with classes III English. French,
mathematics, history, civil govern
/ ment. typewriting and many special
subjects. AS showing the desire of
| the organization to provide for the
educational desire of each soldier it is
pointed out that in one camp a SOL
der wanted to study embalmfng, and
/ the Y. NJ. C. A. searched thru several
regiments and found an expert on the
subject who consented to instruct the
| private. In the northwest the in
vestiga tor found one camp provided
with sixty travelling libraries for the
various spruce-logging squadrons en-
gagged in cutting timber for the ship
building program Along the Mexican
| border, where many soldiers are
| located in outposts, the Y. M. c. A.
| has a moving picture auto equipped
with a machine and lighting outfit.
| 1t makes the rounds of these outposts
and provide free entertainment for
| all the en-
Concerning the type of men who are
administering the work, the survey
states:
both the administrative staff and
| the staffs of each building are COM
posed of men of a his h order of intel
| tons for this work. - We were es-
| pecially impressed at practically all
| camps visited with the type and char
acter of the men. There is every evil
dence TT t they are being selected
| with an al degree of discrim-
NATIVE care. They show a love for
and a LOYALTY to their work that far
| 'oscends tho usual attitude of en-
| p1oyes- Most of them are devoting
| their entire time to this work at a
sacrifice. and are being paid little
more thar living expenses.
! The Y. ~ - A. Is performing an