Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1918-10-11
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
lain's Place Is Wherever
His Men Are.
'H'rom the Committee on Public Informa-
ton. Washington. ID. c.
BY A UNITED STATES ARMY CHAP.
LAIN

l consider my job the most interest
ing In the army. No officer has more
rich md varied opportunities for serv-
Ice than chaplain. No officers cal
endar presents greater contrasts. 1t Is
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 60 from the boxing
ring to t.e hospital, and from the the
alter to the guard house. He Is In Jail
'orteno' than any other man In the
service. But. II his work Is well done,
nc IL there none too often to suit the
usen.
Last January General Pershing sent
. cablegram to the secretary of war
asking that the number of chaplains
In the army be increased for the war
- an average of three per regiment.
ius cablegram reads, in part, as fol-
lows: / believe the per-
aomel Of the army mas never been
rqualed. and the conduct has been
excellent. but to overcome entirely the
conditions found here requires forti-
tude born of great courage ah,i lofty
spiritual ideas. Counting myself re-
spOnsible for the welfare of our men
In every respect, 1t is my desire to
surround them with the best influence
possible. In the fulfilment of this SOL
emn trust. 1t seems wise to request the
aid of the churches from home. :"
The chaplain is commissioned Off
Ger, starting with the rank of first
lieutenant. He is always an ordained
clergyman who has had practical ex-
rerience as a pastor before entering
the army. THE different religious
bodies are represented In the chap
laincies In numbers proportionate to
the number Of aCherents of the diff
fsrent 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 Ii 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
chaplain has to do is conduct re-
ligious services. At other times they
think of him us enjoying Il life of COM
plete relaxation. The utter mistaken.
ness of this notion becomes evident
after the brlefest survey OF the tasks
assigned TO Il chaplain.
For one thing, he Is the information
bureau for his regiment. If n soldier
wants TO know IL street address, tele-
phone number, or train schedule, he
goes to the chaplain's Office. If he
wants right information on current
topics he calls on the chaplain and
asks him If he has any late magazines
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 IL the whole problem Of
education. If there are men In the
regiment lncking I'm necessary educa-
tlon the chaplain Is expected to or