Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-08-27
y N. c. A. DONG
WONDERFUL THINGS
FOR OUR SOLDIERS

we Americans are more deeply In
terested in the welfare Of u mon in
France than we are in anything else
except Of course. the winning Of the
war. So when the request came from
the War Work council Of the =. M.
c. A. that I visit tho army in France
and. as an outsider. study this phase
Of their work. I gladly laid aside all
other matters and went" says Luther
b. Quick, president Of the Camp Fire
Girls. Il was given every opportunity
to form my own opinions and to see
the real situation-from q port OF en-
try to Paris. from Paris to Toul. and
American front line. Most important
information was given to me by Brig
adler General Bradley in charge of all
medical, surgical and sanitary mat
tiers in the American expedttionary
force. Mr.. e. G, Carter, head OF the
Y. M. c. A. work in the armies OF n
Allies, made arrangements for such
trips and visits as I desired. Much
time vas given me by Dr.: j.. II. Nc
Curdy in charge Of athletics N the
American army, and by DR.. George
Meylan in similar relation to work in
the French army.
"Ffrst Of all, I want to say right
out hat the American young men. or
our boys as we like to call them.
stand q better chance Of developing
a strong, clean character and Of keep
ling free from disease in the American
army in France than they do In the
average American homo and city. I
make this not as a general. loose
based upon my observations beginning
at where the men landed, following
them through the training camps.
through the military centers. right up
to and including tho dugouts in which
they live Immediately behind the front
line trencheA .G7
u found that in the army camps
the men have better surroundings
and more adequate, wholesome things
to do in their free time than they U.s.
ually have in their own homes. You
at work in America have no idea what
it is doing owe there. The chance for
clean recreation is far greater over
there than here. We are taking the
leading American physical directors
athletic coaches, baseball trainers
boxing masters. fencing masters. and
leaders of all kinds of sports. and are
developing over there q bigger ath.
letic administration for all the mar
than the world has ever seen. TIT
Greeks in their most vigorous day:
never had as many athletes in train
ing as there are in the American arm,
In France.%.-I just happened to heal
the other day that In the British arm.
alone a hundred thousand pairs %,
boxing gloves had been ordered from
one dealer. Putting together all thi'
picture Of which I have given you tn,
outlines, it shows that leisure tim'
is filled with the finest things that cal
be made available. Never before wer'
, the fine things of life organized ant
developed and administered so as t.
tempt men for Righteousness. No
merely a few men some Of the time
as is done in the churches. settle
ments, Y. M. c. AS and communit,
centers over here, but all the men al
the time. with equipment enough, an
talent enough, and administrativ
ability enough to put 1t across I hav
-neense1nuchs ADMINISTRATION used.4fu
III exr1oitatiSn ID vice. Never befor
gEai1Se Observation-Disclosures for the ex
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