Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-11-12
The United Var Work Cambaien.

estants, Catholics and Jews-and of benefcent or
CARNATIONS generally to provide cheering and up
lifting influences for millions of soldier boys at
| the front and in camp.
Whatever differences of sect creed, we
all together on the high ground Of devotion to
! the boys who have fought battles and won the
war for freedom and right The simplest of
gratitude, the commonest feeling of humanity bids
open hearts and our hands to these glorious
young crusaders who have braved death and borne
suffering for advantage Working for their wei
fare, under the governments approval,
thoroughly tested agencies: the Young Mems Chris
tian Association, the Young Women's Christian AS
ISOLATION the Knights Of Columbus, the Jewish We'll
fare Board the War Camp Community Service, the
American Library Association, and the Salvation
Armyeach of which is doing in its particular field,
General Pershing himself declares, excellent
ice.
Heretofore these agencies have made separate
appeals for the funds they needed that the public
called upon different times, for seven diff
ferant contributions. How much better, both in
method and in spirit is the present plan of making
one appeal for the great common cause! By pur-
Tosng and working unitedly the millions of people
whose hearts are in these undertakings will draw
together in finer fellowship of Americanism and
will develop in the broader essentials of their faith
singe-heartedness that will count intellectually in
the nations spiritual life. Furthermore, by virtue
of their larger understanding o. another and
their cooperation they will be able to do more than
the soldiers and that is the great objective
gift to this campaign, therefore, will be peculiarly
far-reaching in the good it will do and peculiarly
broad in the spirit of Americanism and humanity.
1t matters not when peace is declared, the
these benefcent agencies will be needed and
needed urgently, for long time to come Said Sec
retary Baker in recent address before fifteen
thousand supporters of the United War Work
IN:
Il do not know when this against the
German Empire will come to end; but know
this, that the war for the salvation of young
American manhood has only just begun and
that it is going to keep up"
1t must be kept up if are to be indeed loyal to
the boys who offered their all for us; and
ment's reflection will show that it has really just
begun. The greater part of army in France has
been there less than six months At least two years
will be required its rehabilitation after peace
is made. Shall be less faithful to soldiers
welfare during those two years than during six
months?
The fact that they will not be in stress of battle
will make it more than important that their
spirits be buoyed up and their morale conserved.
For with the nervous reaction and let-down that
will come when the excitement and inspiration of
decline in the mems morale unless earnest and eff
fcient efforts are made to prevent it. In the
perience the prospect of Drawing great peril
and offering supreme sacrifice for high cause there
is an exaltation of spirit that makes heroisM of the
commonest mortality.
$50 nigh IS grandeur unto dust,
So is God to man.
When duty whispers low thou must
The youth replies, i can.
But in the slow, heavy, homesick days that will
drag on through month after month and season
after season when the pomp and glory of the war
are past and only the sober duties of its aftermath
remain, then it is that the boys will be in deepest
need of those sustaining and cheering influences
which the United War Work agencies alone pre-
pared to give.
How thoroughly perpared they are, provided, of
course the public supplies them with the necessary
operating fund.- glance at their present activities
will show They now maintain three thousand six
hundred recreation buildings, two thousand athletic
directors, thousand miles of motion picture film,
two thousand five hundred libraries supplying five
million books eighty-fve hostess houses with their
motherly atmosphere and aid, circuit of one hun
dred of the most talented entertainers OF this and
other countries, fifteen thousand big Brother
secretaries, and other helps amost nnumerable.
Shall we stop these character-conserving agen-
cieS at the very time Lney are Heeueu MoSI- Ohdh
we shut up the places of wholesome recreation and
dsband the trained workers just when the question
of how the boys spend their leisure is most critical?
To do so would be to deprive than two mil
lion soldiers the of what now serves them
as home, church, club, theater and as the guiding
nand of a faithful friend. Loyal Americans will do
40 such injustice to their countrys heroic defenders
Rather We will welcome the United War Work
campaign as afording last opportunity to show the
| boys how we honor and love them. We will make
our contribution a thank offering for the victory
| they have and the glorious peace they have
assured. We will do our utmost to prove in meas
ure worthy of the sacrifices they have made for us
by helping to make the remainder of their stay in
| the army happy and wholesome and to bring them
| back to their American firesides clean-lived and
! strong-souled
j I