Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-15
YANKS|NE NGLAND
UNDER. EYE OF "Y'
Greeted on Landing and
Cared For in Many Ways
During Stay.
BY ALICE NJ. ARCHER.

BY ALICE NJ. ARCHER.
| Especial correspondence Of The Sum
day Star and Chicago Daily News.).
LONDON. November 2S.-American
soldiers who came to Great Britain
were sure OF finding friendly hand
outstretched to greet them. Every
| American troopship or transport YES
sci has been boarded by American
Y. M. c.. A. patrol secretaries sta
toned at the different ports in readf-
| ness. The International, Hospitality
League Of the American Y. M. c. A. has
hundreds OF patrol secretaries all over
London and Liverpool, always on the
| lookout for men arriving from the
states. Last year 100000 soldiers
were taken care Of in this way, given
full information as to .''Y'' huts, told
where to go for places Of amusement.
churches, how to spend their money
properly and warned Of the tempta-
lions. Of London and ether great cities.
In London the Eagle hut on the
Strand extends warm welcome TO
all American sailors and soldiers.
providing them also with good food
and clean beds. More than 10000
mon are fed at this ono center each
vided with beds. Golden house is for
non commissioned officers, and at the
two big officer inns, Washington and
Cavendish Square inns, hundreds Of
officers are taken care or IN comfort
| and even luxury every night.
Army Of Secretaries.
| The personnel OF the American y
M. c. A. includes preachers and lee
turers who go about from city to city
ana camp to camp, addressing the
men and officers ON all the principal
the .Y" came over in patches, s32
and $3S arriving recently in two sep-
erate parties in one week. Robert
L Ewing is the ehief secretary of
the american Y: N. c.. A. in the United
KINGDOM. and he has cabinet of a
number Of heads Of departments, who
hold daily meetings. A. large staff is
located at the national headquarters
at II. 4S and 80 Russell square and
at l Montagu. streAt.
! Purchases for the American Y. NJ.
g. A. in Great Britain aggregate ESQ.,
600 (s1.25o,000) per month. These in
clude 20.000.qo0 cigarettes per month,
500 tons Of chocolate. $50 tons of other
sweets and 500 tons OF timed goods.
A. special purchasing department looks
after this branch Of the "Y'' and the
various goods, on arrival at different
warehouses in London, are distributed
to the camps by means of motor lor-
ries. trains. trucks and trans.
4 Movies and Sightseeing.
u At No. Montagu street is the mo-
ton picture department, where film
pictures are received and reviewed and
then distributed to the camps through
out Great Britain. This year 100000
4 feet of film Will be shown in every
\ American, New Zealand, Canadian and
i Australian camp in this country Spe-
cial buildings or tents are put UP for
these shows, holding from 200 to 1000
soldiers. At the Eagle hut from 500
Ito 1000 theater tickets are distributed
\ free to the boys for London theaters
while secretaries are selected to take
the sightseeing parties around the city
Ito show them the historic places.
and every month from 5000 to 5000
men are taken out i'll parties touring
iLondon.
4 American "Y'' huts usually are built
LOT concrete. Sometimes the bark OF
trees has been used on the exterior to
igive them the appearance of log cab.
Inns. CanteenS, lecture rooms, qu1et ana
Reading and writing rooms, also snow
Ter baths and wash rooms with not and
lcold water are found in these huts.
/ In the Canteen Tents.
Canteen tents are an important par
lof the equipment. A tent that is ninety
Inv thirty feet will accommodate about
100 persons. 1t is provided with a. coun-
ter that will serve 200 soldiers at one
time Urns for coffee, cocoa and tea are
tnrovided, also two or three hundred
mugs. plates and dishes and other uten-
sis for the serving Of hot drinks, sand
I wiches. cake and biscuits or crackers.
There are about ninety benches, each
4 one seating five persons. There are also
ten six-foot tables for reading and writ
ing and twenty smaller tables for
Photographs and pianos are supplied
TO the camps An order was placed re-
Gently for 1000, eco photograph needles
for the American ''Y'' in the United King
dom. Both photograph records and sheet
music are sent out from headquarters
weekly. and all of the latest music from
the states is available to the enlisted
men. In addition to pool tables of Ameri-
can design, there are dominoes. checkers
and chess. Heat is provided for the
tcanteen tents by coal stoves.
Assembly tents range from 100 by a
; feet to 100 by 200 feet, the largest ones
having a capacity OF something over
z. 600. Here the more important enter
tainment programs are carried out