Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-05
DANA W RITES
OF Y WAR WORK
LOCAL MINISTER IN FRANCE
TELLS MUCH ABOUT CAMP LIFE
AND HUT ACTIVITIES.

| TELLS MUCH ABOUT CAMP LIFE
/; AND HUT ACTIVITIES.
An interesting letter from Rev. Nal
colin Dana, who left the pastorate of
the First Congregational church here
in October to take up Y. NJ. G. A.
work in France, has been received by
J. F. Powell In it the we'll known
clergyman tells in detail much Of the
activities at the front, whatais being
done for the boys and what is attempt
ed in their behalf. The letter follows:
$50 many people of all sorts wished
me a Godspeed as l left for France
that feel myself somehow Ottumwa's
clerical representative over here. 1t is
quiet Sunday morning. Outside is a
characteristic French drizzle. In the
distance can hear the music of fam
GUS colored band The hour is not I'M
pleasant and somehow my mind and
heart go homing back to the city and
people who were so good, to me and
mine through six pleasant years. 1 am
moved to make, through you, sort of
report Of progress and condition.
-Four months have passed since
said goodbye to the little group at the
Milwaukee station. The days since
have been tremendously busy ones.
War knows no let-up through seven
days of the week Each day is much
like every other day and all Of them
are inclined to common drab- Yet
every passing hour brings new and in
teresting experiences. Life is a sort
of moving picture existence. And that
Is well for me since always was some
thing of movie fan.
SOLDIERS NOT FORGOTTEN
"Ours is one of three strategic points
in France. The boys in khaki come to
us, stay only short time, then go on
further up the line. We form only a
passing acquaintance and cannot do
just the sort of continuous and
constructive work we most wish
| to do. Yet we have unique
opportunity. 1t is our privi-
lege to make an initial impression.
We show the boys that Christian
America has not forgotten them; that
home, the homefolk, the best tradi-
lions of the homeland propose follow
| ing them into a strange country upon
an historically unprecedented adven-
ture. Through the Y. M. C. A. they
will go with the boys q even into the
trenches. This knowledge means
everything. The young soldier espe-
cially is stimulated and cheered. He
| is better able to see that the efficient
soldier is good one as we'll
ALAS, that this should be so difficult
task! Our work is well worth while
And secretaries up the line must speed
up if they would keep up the pace we
are trying to set.
DOES PIONEER WORK
1T has been my privilege to have
to do with first things, and pioneer
work is always the most interesting.
l commenced work in the first Y. NJ c.
A hut erected in France. After only a
few weeks of disciplinary endeavors l
found myself senior secretary in charge
of an enterprise entirely new to my ex-
perience. There is the fascination
Of the work. Every day we face the
unexpected and seemingly impossible
and are expected to turn the trip. Our
work is physically taxing. One may
be a Phd. or D. d. He must at
once learn how to P. D. @. open up
cases.. sell canteen stuff in two cur
rencies. engineer boxing bouts. and
! conduct bible classes or mass meet
ihgs.
ITO come from the seclusion and
quiet Of the minister's study to pre-
side on a canteen whose stock inven-
tories at $4,000 and with no time for
gradual adjustment. is itself and
alone something of a lightning change.
| But the very risk of it is fun. For
one can not lose out. He simply
must make good. This means the
| abandoning of many cherished tradi-
lions and throwing over board lot of
pet plans and methods of work. And
that is not so bad as long as funda-
| mental things abide. In the process
we become inventors instead Of re-
| naming parents and imitators. Eff.
cient results rise more important than
the man or his preconceived notions.
1--WE were tremendously under.
manned at first Nor have we yet
caught up with the needs and oppor-
tunity. Now that help is at hand,
and the hardening process over. may
confess to- nearly breaking under the
strain. On two occasions I was
forced to lay up for repairs-nothing
worse than temporary blow out.
| This is quite the customary secretari-
al experience There is now a hos
J pital in Paris exclusively for faded
Y. M. C. A. secretaries and Red Cross
workers.
GETS NEW ASSIGNMENT
"The gift for promoting got me
into trouble. Just as pioneer days
| we're over needed improvements in
stalled, and it was possible for me to
| see of the travail of my soul and be
| a bit satisfied, l was given another