Evening star., 1918-02-17
BEDS AND HOMES
s. FOR ENLISTED MEN
Mrs. Baker and Mrs. Edwards
Plan Club for Soldiers, Sail
ors and Marines.

No more sleepless nights and home
less days for enlisted men in Wash
ington,
That is the aim of Mrs. Newton D.
Baker, wife of the Secretary of War.
and Mrs c. r. Edwards, wife of Gen.
Clarence R. Edwards. in command Of
the New England division and at
present in France.
In accordance with this plan, a club
for soldiers, sailors and marines, to be
known as United Service Club for
Enlisted Men No. l. is being es
tablished at 63s Pennsylvania avenue
northwest. under the direction of the
District war camp community service
of the War and Navy departments COM
mission on training camp activities
(formerIy District war service COM
mission).
Mrs. Baker is vice president of the
local community service and also
member of the governing board of that
organization. Mrs. Edwards is chair
man of the committee on enlisted mems
clubs of the community service.
There will be two resident managers
of the club. who will be selected from
retired non-commissioned officers. CO.
operating with the community service
in the management Of the clubhouse
will be committee of non commits
stoned officers appointed by the COM
manders of the thirteen posts in and
around the District of Columbia.
In Three-Story Building.
The club is at present in three-story
building and when opened will contain
dormitories with accommodations for 150
men. restaurant which has a paNi-
mum seating capacity of 500. pool and
billiard tables, recreation hall, and
reading room with library. piano and
graphophones. In connection with the
dormitories there will be shower baths
Dormitory accommodations can be- had
for 35 cents a night and the restau-
rant will be conducted on a cost basis.
no attempt being made to obtain an in
come from the cafe service. On the first
floor of the clubhouse will be an in
formation bureau where any enlisted
man coming to Washington can obtain
information concerning activities in
behalf Of a soldier, or general informa-
tion as to the city of Washington.
This United Sedvice Club No.
Is the first enterprise to be conducted
exclusively by the commission and a
committee of enlisted men. Other club
houses have been established at diff
ferent times and in different places.
but this is the first time that enlisted
men have been directly concerned in
the management of their own club.
This club has no connection officially
or otherwise with any organization
other than the War Camp Community
Service.
The club will be financed by funds
raised from interested persons. Mrs.
Wesley Merritt has contributed large
sum to the project. Mrs. Merritt has al
ready established. at her own expense.
a soldiers club at Camp Merritt This
has been recently opened and is now a
thriving institution.
Given Clean Beds.
Enlisted men visiting Washington
will be given clean beds and satisfac-
tory food at the lowest price. The club
will become the enlisted mans home.
The entire spirit and tone of the in
stitution will be one of helpfulness, in |
which a personal element Of interest |
in each Individual soldier is paramount |
Mrs. Edwards was largely instru- |
mental in the establishment at Boston |
of United Service Club. under the di- I
rection Of the Boston War Camp Com |
munity Service. She is-also responsible
for the establishment at Panama of a
club for enlisted men which is the
largest of its kind in the world.
1T is our plan to establish more
clubs as the need for them grows" said
Mrs. Edwards last night. II have
known the Army point of view for a
ence that the enlisted man wants a
club which he can call his own, which
he helps to support and which has no
4filiation with any organization other
than the War-Department." -