South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-04
COMMUNITY FUND
NEXT ONE WANTED
South Bend Must Contribute
"Bit" of $4,000,000
Recreation Fund.

I community and recreation fund IN
der commission of the war and navy
departments. is to be the next, prob
| ably to be organized next week &C
| cOrding &c Elmer G. Vordenburg
| OF Washington, d. c., who is in the
! city representing the commission.
/ Mr. NOrdenburg presented the plan
/ OF the war camp community and
recreation fund to the Rotary club
at its meeting Wednesday, and it is
probable that at the meeting next
week the club will take up the work
/ Of organizing for the campaign.
ASK any person in the United
States-except the pro-German-
what is the most important work
this country has to perform" said
| Mr.. Vordenburg in an interview,
Thursday. "and without hesitation
YOU will get the answer: To make
the American army and navy the
| best the orld has ever seem" En-
larging upon the statement, he then
added:
"One OF the factors which is help
/ ing to make the men OF the army
and of the navy more nearly 100
percent efficient-is the work Of the
1 war camp community service. Keep
( our boys fit 20 fight through prop
| er and homelike environment, is tho
slogan upon which this service is
founded.
Aid Among Camps.
This city, along with every other
city and town in the United States,
| has been called on TO contribute
its Bit toward the national fund Of
! 100000. This is being raised to
/ provide for the men at all training
camps when they 'on leave visit
towns and cities adjacent to their
camps, some OF the wholesome en-
jOyment and recreation TO which
they were accustomed at home. and
which they most miss in the re-
action Of camp life.
THE importance Of this work can
be summarized no better than in
the words Of the commander-in-
| chief Of the armed forces Of Amer
lea. Pres't Wilson, who says OF Il:
The spirit with which our sol
diers leave America, and their eff
cheney on the battle fronts of Eu-
rope, will be vitality affected by the
character of the environment sur
rounding our military camps
Under the supervision Of the war
and navy departments. the war
camp community service has been
| established to provide helpful.
healthfuI recreation for the men in
uniform when they go to town. AS
there are cantonments, naval train
ing stations and marine quarters at
more than 80 different points, some
idea OF the size of the task can be
gathered.
Keep up Army Morale.
But one point must be kept
clearly in mind; and that is that the
money is not intended merely to
amuse and entertain. 1t is only a
means 10 an end The result must
not be gagged by the simple fact
OF entertainment but rather by the
fact that men BEAUTIFULLY and hap
PLY engaged in any form of good
amusement will be automatically
protected from the undesirable. BY
the very reason that their leisure
time is taken up by proper action,
they have neither the time nor the
desire 10 seek the improper.
1T is not the policy Of the or
GanizatiOn TO tell the fighting man,
y hen outside of camp, what not 70
do. but 10 give him something to
take up his time. Its purpose is to
establish a normal and healthful re-
latiOn between the men in uniform
and the people of the nearby cities
and towns where they spend their
leisure time. This is being done by
a complete organization-or, in
military parlance-by a 'mobiliza-
ton" of all forms Of recreation and
entertainment which will be of ben
eft to the men. In the past camp
and community have been left 10
get acquainted with each other in
a hit-or-miss fashion. No organized
effort was made 10 set up a normal
human relationship all along the
line between the individuals group
ed inside the camp and those group
ed outside.
Will Build Club House.
Every means which can be made
available Will be used in looking
out for the comfort. welfare and
proper welcome into the surround
ing communities Of the boys Of the
American army and navy. Club
houses Of their own will be built or
equipped and maintained for them.
All existing clubs will be called on
to make the men at home there.
Fraternal organizations and socie-
ties OF all kinds will be told just
what they can do in helping along
this work. Church reception and
home hospitality are TO be en-
couraged TO the fullest degree.
Games and sports, dancing under
proper conditions. theatrical, mu-
steal. moving pictures and other
forms OF amusement will be arrang-
ed. In fact, the possibilities are as
broad and as limitless as human So
Ciety itself.
Every city. town and hamlet in
:he United States-no matter how
AR removed from an army camp or
q naval training station-has sons in
one or both branches Of the service:
and will have more. perhaps many
more Therefore /, is vitality inter
ested I'm the work being done for its
boys by the War Camp Community
I service