Evening star., 1918-05-20
|MEN IN TRENCHES
ASK FOR RELIGION
Soldiers Once Under Fire
Turn to Serious Things
In Y. M. C. A. Huts.
NOT FORCED UPON THEM
By HERBERT COREY.

FhONT. Apru lo-NowdQ6yS the men
visit the Y. NJ. c. A. huts more than
they did q little while ago. They pay
more attention to the preaching and
a li.tle less to the chocolate and
cigarettes. II ia . part of the prepa-
ration for battle. The man facing
what these men face naturally be-
comes more thoughtful and more seri-
Gus.
They are not religious. as that word
is usually applied Yet they are not
irreligious. AS a body they believe
ny days they do not work hard at
the practice OF their. belief. They
have an oil-smooth way OF swearing
and some OF them take q drink when
they want 1t and can get 1t. and pay
day is marked by ebullient crap shoot
ine.
But that is surface stun. They
shoot craps and throw away their
money because they have nothing else
to do with 1t. The amount they drink
does not do them any harm. and they
swear no more than the average
American who uses cuss words solely
as emphasis. They behave them
selves as becomes self-respecting
suit to a French woman. and they sell
dom come in contact with French law.
The last case OF any seriousness l
heard of was one in which o man
en- a shopkeeper. 1t is the belief Of
the officers who ordered him punished
that his mind is somewhat affected.
Religion If They Want It..
Religion 10 never forced on the
men at the "Y. NJ" huts. I think the
conception most of the men had of a
secretary Of the Y. NJ. c. A. was Of
an earnest young man in spectacles
and buck teeth. who lies in wait for
souls as a cat does for mice. They
expected to be pounced on At any mo-
ment. Now they find they might
spend the entire remainder OF the war
in a Y. n. C. A. hut and no one woulG
ever say religion" or salvation" or
heaven" to them unless they ask for
1t. They have a touching confidence
in this tacit truce. They come quite
boldly into the "Y. NJ" huts and buy
the sweetmeats they love and even
sees in their eyes that they know
their souls are not TO be mentioned.
Only-if they should become seri-
Gus. there Is the secretary or an un-
dersecretary to talk to them. Usu-
ally they are not serious. They are
having. too good time over here. on
the whole. Even fighting appeals to
them mostly as an adventure. A lit
tie raiding and q little shelling and a
little bomb dropping only keep their
blood stirred. 1t prevents them get
ing becomes a habit. and is accompa.
MED by killing and blood ana
wounds. then they turn q bit thought.
full. They are not homesick or scared
or discouraged or any other thing un-
as men should be who are facing
death.
This outfit had a long siege in the
trenches in the vosges sector. Its
losses were sufficiently large to ac-
on hsp in that to me
ness that marked them at first and
settled down into real soldiers. When
they were pulled out OF the trenches
they were going stronger" than they
had ever been: They were carrying
While they have been In this rest area
they have groused q bit because life
is not exciting. They really and sin
cerely want to get on to the front, and
get into the battle ana end the war as
soon as possible--arad then go home.
Soldiers Ask for Gospel.
The net result Of their experiences.
according to the Y. NJ c. A. men, has
been to make them spend a little more
time in meditation and be a little
more willing to listen to the gospel
They may come to the religious meet
ings or not, just as they please, and
the number of entertainments pure
creased in order to provide for gospel
hours. But the same crowd that
wanted fun only before they had their
taste OF what real war is like wanted
to hear something OF the Bible after
ward.
Are you not giving the men too
much religion" asked the man in
charge of this area
THE men ask for more" was the
reply.
The plan has been to cheer the young
sters up. They were to have been given
song services and talks and movie
shows and all that sort Of thing. They
were given them all-and then a wholly
unexpected demand rose for a little
gospel. No one knows just how this
good preacher preacher who got
down to the hard pan of life and talked
to the boys in a way they understood
appeared at the tent. and then more
preachers came The tents were always
filled The Y. NJ. C. A. secretary finally
accord. He thought the boys needed .
little more hurrah than the boys had
asked for.
I'm not saying the boys are becom-
ing religious" said the secretary here.
They are too healthy to think very
much about their souls just now. But
from what they have had they know
pretty well what is ahead of them, and
they are sitting down quietly and think
ing it over. They sort OF adjust them
selves to the fact that tomorrow they
may die Then they go out and play
games and are happy"