The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-03-01
The Y. N. c. A.
Soldiers Look 10 the ~" as Light
IN the Dark.

ed in the Detroit Free Press
and was used in the Y. M. {. A.
and Red Cross campaigns in sever
al eastern states. The author is
referred to by the Detroit paper as
a Detroit boy, because that was
where he enlisted from with q
body Of Michigan engineers, but
he is a Milbank boy, who was at
tending Michigan university when
war was declared, and his parents
reside in this city.
Somewhere in France there
is q spot of ground that has been
transformed in an extraordinary
fashion. But a few short weeks
ago it differed in no respect from
the surrounding landscape. It was
just part of the rolling fields be-
side road-one of these excellent,
treelined, macadam highways that
extend in every direction like great
white ribbons over this fair coun-
try-bordering on a quaint, quiet
and old, very old French village.
But approach this particular
spot tonight. From that general
direction come the strains If You
Don't Like Your Uncle Sammy,
If You Don't Like the Red. White
and Blue" e"-thumped out in true
American style on piano, or the
sound of a phonograph playing
some popular air." For Me and
My Gal,' for example, or possibly
a lusty chorus singing, to the ac-
compartment Of the piano. with
plenty of pep and punch. So
Pack up Your Troubles in Your old
Knit Bag and Smile, Smile
Two tents stand on the spot now.
The larger one, brilliantly lighted
by electric lights, offering distinct
contrast to the Pickering lamp and
candle elswhere, is quite filled with
men in Khaki. Nearly every seat
is taken and the several long tables
that range the tent are covered
with newspapers and magazines
that, although Of recent date, bear
ample evidence Of being read and
reread. To the left is a motion
picture machine and ahead the ac-
companying screen. In the far
corner canteen is doing a land
office business in cigarettes, tobac-
co, chocolate and other near-nec-
cessiti.s of, a soldiers life. At
the left center IS a raised platfUtnI
behind which hangs the Stars and
Stripes, in the second tent, also
electrically lighted, more quiet
prevails. There are some well
stocked library shelves. and at sew
eral tables number of men are
busily engaged in putting down
what the censor will permit on
those familiar sheets with the red
triangle with a circle on the one
side and "Old Glory" on the other
and below the legend with the
Colors.
You have guessed it. This is q
soldiers Y. M. G. A. And you'll
surely agree that it is an extraor-
dinary one. It is the Y. M. C. A.
of the 10th regiment Of the engin-
eers, U. S. Army.
That the 10th engineers have the
finest Y. N. C. A. Of any regiment
in the American sector was the as
sertion of Col. Harry Burgess.
commanding officer Of the 18th in
formally opening the "Y' tents
to members Of the regiment on the
evening Of Sept. 10. For these
fine, large tents and the most COM
plete and unusual equipment he
continued the regiment is indebt-
ed to Mrs. j. H. Poole, Of Detroit.
We are all very grateful, I am
SIRE, for this wonderful gift.
When we come here we can feel
that we are coming to q part OF
Detroit. From the highest to
the lowest the same feeling and the
same sense of gratitude prevails.
AS ''buck" private put it, 1.-The
'Y' M. C. A. is certainly great.
I'm going to spend all the time
there that can. It's the most in
viting and restful place I've found.
It's like being home again. - And
And it is 50. 1t is as though a bit
of America had been picked up
and placed down bodily in France.
Truly there has been transforma
tion.
Every evening there is some
thing doing" something to enter
tain the boys. to keep them in
good spirits, to instruct them.
The motive behind them all is to
bring all, whether consciously OF
not, to realization of the fairness
Of the things that the Y. M. G. A.
stands for and to cOunteract, as