The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-22
Soldier Boys Describe 1t as
"Regular Hangout..
Smoke, Do as They Please, but
Behave There.
NO 'E0RBIDDEN' SIGNS POSTED
American Soldiers Have
Learned Courtesy.
Red Triangle Fellows Are Sol
diers' Standby.
BY CLARENCE BURLINGTON
kELIAND

BY CLARENCE BURLINGTON
kELLAND.
Paris, June 22.-Thirty sailors off
an American war vessel hired a motor
truck and drove nine miles to get to
the Y M. c. A. club in famous
French city. I asked them why.
Because it's regular hangout,"
one of them said, and another added.
Because you get white bread with
butter on it, and eggs fried on both
sides and coffee with a piano accom-
paniment"
AS soon as 1 broke into the place I
found why men would ride nine miles
on a truck to loaf there from until
IL.
Not Like the Home Folks Imagine.
It wasn't the sort of place folks in
the United States imagine a Y, NJ. c. A.
would be. 1t was a swelteringly hot
night, and the broad front steps were
lined from end to end with men in
khaki and men in navy blue. They
were gassing and smoking until the
place looked as if the captain had
ordered a smoke screen to help him
thru the submarine zone.
The Right Sort of a Howl.
From the street you could hear a
piano doing business and a lot more
men in uniform bowling, Joan of
Arc" 1t was a howl, but it was the
sort of howl a man fresh from the
United States was mighty glad to hear
tearing out of men who had been over
here for months on the job. If the
mothers of these boys could have
heard that racket their hearts would
have dropped off a pound of weight
and increased their beat by ten to the
second. They sang as If they were
glad to be alive, and when 1 got in
side and saw the fat boy who was
abusing the piano fairly humping UP
and down on the stool with the swing
Of he eli Wi BtCtnrS
could be shown in every movie house
in America. 1t would have been a
great enlistment poster.
Truck Driver Baked.
And then somebody busted up the
game. A Sailorman came In ana
made the announcement that the
driver of their truck refused to take
them back to quarters again. and 1t
was a walk of nine miles on not
night, or a stretch in the brig for
them. Gloom descended. Thirty
sailors knotted together and gloomed
profane. Then somebody turned
around and beloved. where's one of
them .'Y' guys?"
They Turned to the "Y" Guy.
A ~" guy happened to be on the
spot and in a second he was surround
ed, not by crowd of men who were
angry or in a mood to demand some
courteous in an unpleasant situation.
That was something worth remarking,
and it made you sort of glad to be
around. They were nice boys. There
is a fact that may surprise lot of
folks who do their thinking without
a backing of data, but our boys in
France seem to have learned the trick
of courtesy as they never had it at
home when they were pushing pillow
or selling cigars or counting silver in
a bank. Something has done 1t. 1t
sticks out. Courtesy! 1t may be the
discipline of the service.
Boys Were Courteous.
They put the thing up to the "Y"
guy and one fellow said sort of BASH
fui-like, 1--WE don't want to act like
we was putin this up to you. 'Tain't
your fault, but"
1t was apparent they had gotten the
idea somehow that you could depend
on 'Y' guy to get a move on him,
and the "Y" guy allowed as much.
The "Y' Guy Fixed 1t.
Sure. it's up to u.s." he said, that's
why we're here.
Apparently it was why that man
was there, for he ducked out as if he
were sent for by ]. P. Morgan and in
side of twenty minutes was back with
big truck with red triangle on the
side of it. He tucked the thirty sailor
men into 1t and off they went to keep
their appointment with their boss.
That, quite likely. is one reason why