The Colorado statesman., 1918-10-05
HUMAN SIDE OF !,
OUR GREAT ARMY
Chaplain Is the Man Who Gets
Nearest to the Boys.
OVER THE TOP WITH TROOPS
Besides Ministering to the Spiritual
Needs Of Soldiers, the Chap
Iain's Place Is Wherever
His Men Are.

NfCn ftTCs
(From the Committee on Public Informa-
ton, Washington. ID. c.
BY A UNITED STATES ARMY CHAP
LAIN.
I consider my job the most interest
ing in the army. No officer has more
rich and varied opportunities for serv-
ice than chaplain. No officers cal
endar presents greater contrasts. 1t is
a chaplain's duty to oversee the dis
positions of his mobile flock, as well
as their souls, minds, amusements,
morals, correspondence, and reading
matter. He must go from the boxing
ring to the hospital, and from the the
ater to the guard house. He Is in Jail
oftener than any other man in the
service. But, If his work is well done,
he is there none too often to suit the
men.
Last January General Pershing sent
a cablegram to the secretary of war
asking that the number of chaplains
in the army be increased for the war
to an average of three per regiment.
His cablegram reads, in part, as fol-
lows: "a. 1 believe the per-
sonnel of the army has never been
equaled, and the conduct has been
excellent, but to overcome entirely the
conditions found here requires forti-
tude born of great courage and lofty
spiritual ideas. Coun Ing myself re-
sponsible for the welfare of our men
in every respect, it is my desire to
fbat tl,z ,,,H,
possible. In the fulfillment of this sol
emn trust, it seems wise to request the
aid of the churches from home. . :"
The chaplain is u commissioned Off
Ger, starting with the rank of first
lieutenant. He is always an ordained
clergyman who has had practical ex-
perience as a pastor before entering
the army. The different religious
bodies are represented in the chap
laincies in numbers proportionate to
the number of adherents of the diff
ferent denominations in the country at
large. Each is privileged to conduct
religious services in the manner pre-
scribed by his own church. But, when
that has been said, l have expressed
all the denominationalism that there is
in the army. In this as in many other
respects the army has set an example
to civil life, for it has learned the
needlessness and waste of many sec
tartan lines in the face of human need.
Chaplain an Information Bureau.
Some people have the idea that all
a chaplain has to do is conduct re-
ligious services. At other times they
think of him as enjoying n life of COM
plete relaxation. The utter mistaken
ness of this notion becomes evident
after the briefest survey of the tasks
assigned to a chaplain.
|; For one thing, he is the information
bureau for his regiment. If n soldier
wants to know q street address, tele-
phone number, or a train schedule, he
goes to the chaplain's Office. If he
wants right information on current
topics he calls on the chaplain and
or newspapers dealing with the Ques-
ton. On some of the battleships the
naval chaplains put out periodicals for
the men. Some of these magazines are
really excellent productions.
Then, there is the whole problem of
education. If there are men in the
regiment lacking in necessary educa-
ton the chaplain is expected to or
ganize classes in the common branches,
SO that they may improve themselves
along those lines, make themselves
more useful to their country, and
brighten their own futures. The chap
lain frequently gives lectures to re-
cruits on discipline and the relation
of moral cleanliness to health and efii-
cheney. He keeps record of all the
men as they come into the service, in
cluding their name, home address,
next of kin, education. and other
items.
The chaplain's day includes plenty
of humorous incidents. A fellow chap
lain, now on duty at one of the base
hospitals, tells an amusing story of
talking to an Italian who had been re-
Gently injured. The man listened at
tentively, his great brown eyes fixed
on the chaplain's face. The padre did
not know that the injured man was an
Italian and spoke little English,
though a soldier in the United States
army. After suggesting little prayer
the chaplain added carelessly:
"It makes no great difference be-
tween us, but what is your
greedy"
Religion In His Foot.
The injured man still looked ear
nestly upward. and the chaplain re-
peated his question. The soldier
caught only the questioning intonation
and flashed a. brilliant smile.
"Oh, eet ees in my foot!" he said,
in an explanatory tone, and immedi-
ately pulled back the covers of the
bed. displaying a much bandaged limb.
Tho che I,lain rnnSt .ha q mood r,ixar-