Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-05-22
CANADIAN TELLS
OFY.M.C .C.A.WORK
ON FRENCH FRONT
In War Since First Day, He
Praises "Y" Activities; Men
Are Clean and Temperate

Corporal Samuel Lemon, of Mon
treal, Third Battalion, First Contin-
gency, who has served in the Brit
ish Army since the first day of the
war, addressed the Y. NJ. c. A. re-
cruiting committee at its weekly
luncheon to-day, making a strong
plea for popular support of the as
sociation in the war zone.
Corporal Lemon. who was wound
ed three times. the last time being
buried by a shell explosion under
many tons of earth for twenty min
utes, from which he was dug out un-
conscious, thinks so much of the Red
Cross and the Y. NJ. c. A. work in
France that he has paused on his
way home to meet his wife and baby
for the first time in nearly four
years to help the cause of both.
THE Y. NJ. C. A. worker has an
infinitely more potent influence for
good with the soldiers than the
chaplain" he said. Il cannot tell
you how great that influence is. II
is all pervading. From the time the
relieved soldier leaves the trenches
until he reaches his home town in
England he is constantly under the
eve and care of the " workers.
They provide clothing and some
thing hot for the man coming out.
They give him recreation and see to
il that he keeps in touch with home,
Always the " hut is his. and all
that it contains. support 1t. you
folks at home, and giSe the move
ment your best men and your dol
lars" he concluded.
No Drink Evil
The corporal said that while some
of the men in France drink light
beer or wines. with about as much
intoxicating effect as soda water or
rootbeer at home. there is no drink
evil. THE hard drinkers at home
soon went to pieces under shell fire, =
he said, "and the men have learned
to leave booze alone. There is no
drink problem at the front. In all
my three years in France l saw only
two drunken soldiers In England,
he said. the Y. NJ. C. A. workers
keep most of the soldiers on leave
from the saloons.
With Corporal Lemon on his way
to Gettysburg. was DR.. George P.
Bible, of Bellefonte, who has just
returned from service in France and
also is giving his time to the Red
Cross and the Y. NJ. c. A. for the
next few weeks.
The morals of the men are bet
ter safeguarded under the Army and
Y. NJ. c. A. regulations in France
than they are at home" said he.
THE drunken soldier is almost un-
known and the Americans over there
are kept away from those influences
which would be their undoing. Don't
believe any of the stories YOU hear
of drunkenness or immortality
among the American troops. The
men are not angels. by any manner
of means. but they are a clean and
manly lot and their two great
friends are the Y and the Red
Cross. General Pershing said to me,
The two organizations recognized as
the biggest agents for good are the
Y. NJ c. A. and the Red Cross: we
must encourage them both and eX-
tend their activities; the Y. NJ. c.
keeps up the morale OF the men." "
Volunteers Coming
The committee to-day received
the applications of number of men
who desire to go to France for Y.
NJ. C. A. service and recommended
the applications of others to head
quarters. Many men beyond the
draft age who desire to do their bit
are asking to be accepted for this
service. With the Gettysburg party
was F. H. Norcross, of New York.