The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-01
SOLDIERS RECREATION
Some Points on Much Discussed Ques-
ton of Soldiers Comfort.
The Public and the Soldier.

soldiers recreation and comforts"
while he is in the army training camp
are covered in two articles reprinted
here. The first, which appeared in
May issue of the Ladies Home Jour
nal under the caption Let the Sol
der Be Soldier" sets forth the case
of those opposed to home entertain
ment and recreation thru civilian
channels. 1t follows:
With the first year of the war
over, some lessons have been learned.
And those in charge of military
camps, environments and naval bases
have come to these conclusions:
''First-That the entertainment OF
the men in service in private homes
has resulted to the detripent of the
men instead of to their benefit. The
men have been overfed, the camp Of
ficers say; they have been kept up
too late; and it takes from twelve to
twenty-four hours for the men to be-
come readjusted to the sterQer camp
life upon their return after their en-
tertainment in homes of comfort and
plenty. Where they have been kept
over night, the men return to camp
or yard long after the fixed early
hour the next morning, and give US
an excuse that they were allowed to
oversleep. they missed their train,
breakfast was unavoidably late, and
so on. In other words, the plan has
not worked out satisfactorily.
'Second-That the sending Of
sweets and edibles of all sorts to the
men in service has been disadvanta-
geous to the health of the men. The
camp officers claim that the excellent
and well-balanced meals provided are
all-sufficient for the men, and that
where they desire extras they can be
bought at the canteens at moderate
prices.
= "Third-That as over 90 per cent
of the social functions provided for
the men outside of the camps have
taken the form of dances, kept up
until all hours the physical vitality
of the men is impaired and they show
the results in their work.
"Fourth-That the sending of I'M
necessary comforts by over-anxious
mothers and wives has become a seri-
men have no use or room for them:
that while at the first rush the neces-
sary needs and comforts were not all
provided, they are now, and any fur
ther contributions from home find no
place.
"Fifth-That the writing of dolefu1
letters by mothers and wives has had
a seriously depressing effect on the
men; that they rebel at the practice
themselves and cannot understand
why the folks back home fail to COM
prehend that they are well cared for
ing better cared for and far healthier,
in reality, than in their civilian lives.
"Sixth-That the 'godmother' idea
of women writing to boys whom they
do not know and whom their fancy
pictures as being lonely-which is not
true-should absolutely cease. in order
to stop revealed graft and deception.
I'm other words. the time has come
for the public to keep hands Off our
men in service, and let the soldier be
a soldier and the sailor sailor."
A statement in reply to this article
follows: . - - ~ -
| washinston.-s'stat that home
| entertainments and recreation provid-
ed for soldiers and sailors in cities and
towns near army and navy camps are
! i'm pairing the efficiency of the men
were emphatically denied today by
Raymond B. Fosdick, chairman of the
war and navy departments commits
sions on training camp activities. He
characterized as a direct contradiction
of the governments policy the ad-
monition that the time has come for
the public to keep hands off, our
men in servicei
THAT time has no more come,
| Mr.. Fosdick declared, than the time
has come to stop conserving wheat or
supporting government loans Indeed,
the preservation of normal social re-
lationships between the public and the
| men in training is an essential part
| of our military program
| THE statements calling forth Mr..
Fosdick's denial were made in an edi-
torial published in the May issue of
the Ladies' Home Journal. The edi-
torial declared that the entertainment
of soldiers AM sailors in private
homes of war camp communities is
| proving detrfm entail to the men in
service. and that over 80 per cent OF
the social functions provided for the
men outside of the camps have taken
the form of dances which, kept up till
all hours, sent them back to camp i'm
paired in physical vitality. 1t con-
| Guided with the injunction that the
| time had come for, the public to keep
its hands off the men in service.
TT is not true that the entertain
ment of the men in service in private
homes has resulted to the detriment oil
the men instead of to their benefit
| Mr.. Fosdick stated. There has beer
no change in the attitude of the gov
eminent toward home hospitality. In
fact, with hundreds of thousands OF
men pouring into the training camps
the government desires more thar
ever that the people of America con-
tinue to offer to them the wholesome
influences Of their homes.
| Naturally in the entertainment Of
thousands of men in private homes
there have been some instances of hos
pitality overdone or taken advantage
| of. Some women, unwise1y, have
] flooded soldiers with sweets and un-
necessary comforts and have writer
doleful letters to their boys. These
things and the 'godmother' idea are
justifiably discouraged But sharp dis
| tiHction should be drawn between pinl
tea sentimentality toward the soldier
and the organized hospitality which /.
| supervised by the government
The recreation provided in camI
communities is not a hit-or-misS at
fair. known all over as the Wa
Camp Community Service, it was lont
ago established by the Recreation AS
ISOLATION of America, at the request o.
the war and navy departments. Thii
town hospitality for the men in servic'
is modified by nearly two hundred
trained workers. 1t is supervised b!
the war and navy Departments thrl