The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-11
COMFORT OF SOLDIERS
'' HAS IF FIRST 81 ATTENTION
Richmond Camp Community Service
Leaving No Stones UDturned to-
Help Boys I'm Khaki.
CLUB AT 7TH AND FRANKLIN
Here Men Come at All Hours of Day
and Night, Where They Read, Rest.
Play, Slccp--Is Connecting link
With Hospita bic City.

1t may truly be said that the Rich
mond Camp Community Service,
which. among other things. looks
after the welfare of soldiers and
sailors visiting this city, is leaving no
stone unturned to add to the comfort
and pleasures of the boys who wear
the uniform of Uncle Sam. Concrete
evidence OF this Is furnished by the
activities OF the well-furnished Army
and Navy club at Seventh and Frank
lin streets
Thlther come "Sammies" from all
parts OF the Union at all hours of the
day and night---some to read, some
to rest, some to play, some to sleep,
and some to minister to the inner
man" The chief charm about the
place. however, perhaps lies in the
fact that 1t is connecting link with
the social world of Richmond, and
that through its agency lonesome sol
diers and sailors are enabled to meet
and become acquainted with the hos
pitable women and attractive daugh-
ters of this city
Peculiar opportunities Of this kind
are afforded by the social entertain
ments given every Saturday night at
the club, when dancing men. above
ALI others. come into their own" On
these occasions, which are graced by
the presence OF carefully selected
chaperons and by the prettiest OF
maidens, refreshm ents are served and
the best of music is furnished.
The dance OF last Saturday night
surpassed all others in attendance. az
it brought together 900 men in uni
form and more than $50 women. OF
the soldiers present at least one-thtrd
participated in the dancing, while the
remainder, though somewhat uncer-
tain as TO the skill of their feet in
terpsichorean measures, were by no
means backward in seeking introduce
tons to the gentler sex.
That night. after. the ball was
over all of the 124 beds at the club
We're taken by martial visitors. and
the way they slept proves that in
somHia is a rare disease among the
country's fighting men.
The club beds. by the way, are
available to all corners on payment of
80 cents, and as good measure"
shower bath and robe de mutt are
also allowed those who incline towards
these luxuries. The shower baths
work overtime. but some OF the
strong armed. heavily lads
from the country don't bother much
about the night shirts
Demand for Lodging.
So great Is the demand for lodg-
ings at the club that plans are now
being made to increase the number
of beds to 200. And all OF them will
be needed too.
There is no telling at what hour
the hospitality of the club will be
tested-24 soldiers dropped in at
A. NJ. Mondsy-and so the place is
Kept open at all hours. All day on
sundays the shower baths are kept
busy bonn harding the skins OF rudy
Youngsters with their Jeweled pro-
1ectilee, for neither Secretary Winfrey
nor his associates think that the Sab
bath can be profaned by too many
efforts at cleanliness
Nor lie there any scolding housewife
to rout out of bed the sleepy headed
warriors who love to browse through
the late morning hours and then COM
promise by combining breakfast with
dinner. NO restrictions are put upon
smokers. In fact, the atmosphere OF
the whole esta blishment is indulgent.
sympathetic, comfortable and home
like. Particularly do the men appre-
eiate this freedom, and though the
club entertains thousands of soldiers
and sailors every month. il is rare that
its hospitality is abused even by hois-
ferrous conduct or unseemly behavior.
1t may be that the uniformly ex-
N'fPAoiS tpiIddCl vi ttlE kH-FpiE&tth
young Americans Is due in large
measure to their knowledge and ap-
probation of the fact that they owe
much of their enjoyment to the unset
fish efforts of the women who assist
so generously in Camp Community
Service. For example. every Saturday
and sunday afternoon from to !,
doughnuts and tea are served by
bevies of ladies from various organt-
cations, while committees of the fair
sex also assist in other ways.
The military population OF Rich
mond increases from 1000 to 1000
every Saturday. when men attracted
by the hospitality of this city. come
here from Camp Lee. near Petersburg
Camp Morrison near Newport News,
and the camp at Quantico. In addi-
ton, the training school detachment
at the fair grounds has furnished 500
strangers. the balloon squadron so,
and the aero squadron 200. while SO
enlisted men Will serve at Westhamp-
ton hospital.