The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-07-01
Y" WORKERS
SHOW BRAVERY
UNDER ATTACK
Many Are Killed, Wounded
And Gassed In The Dis
\ charge Of Duties

New York, July 1.-The service
and heroism of Y. NJ. G. A. workers
now with the American and French
armies is made conspicuous in cable
grams received here by the National
War Work council from E. G. Car
ter, general secretary Of the Y. NJ.
G. A. work in France. Scores Of Y.
M. c. A. huts have been captured
and destroyed in the recent German
advance, Mr.. Carter says, and many
Of the more than 300 workers under
shellfire have been wounded, gassed
and killed in their efforts to carry
on with the soldiers.
"A great service has been rendered
by 80 American Y. M. c. A. workers
stationed with French troops under
terrific shellfire and facing the Ger
mans along the Aisne," MI. Carter
cables. "All stores Of food were dis
tributed to the weary poilus whose
supplies failed to reach them. COT
fee and soup were made and served
in the Y. M. G. A. hur until it was
shattered by German shells.
Our workers have made their way
back across fields swept by shrap-
mel, high explosives and machine gun
fire from German planes and have
taken up new positions with the
troops at Moldvaren. Ninety three
have been destroyed or captured.
Three of our warehouses were burned
to prevent supplies falling into hands
of the enemy.
Women Display Pluck.
"Miss Marie c. Heron Of Cincin-
natl, sister in-Iaw of William How
ard Taft, and Miss Jane Bowler, also
of Cincinnati, both Y. M. G.. A. can
guished themselves, laboring with
troops, refugees and wounded, with
the villages burning about them.
Miss Bowler stayed at her
post at scissors all through the
last offensive, holding it despite
terrific bombardment. She left
only when everything was in
flames and less than an hour
before the Germans entered. William
Edward Wright, Of Toledo, an Ohio
state man, stuck to his work under
heavy fire and at each pause in the
retreat would gather supplies and
distribute food from stands beside the
road that was swept with bombs. An
other Of our workers helped hundreds
Of refugees and wounded to return
back Of the lines. He secured flour
from the Red Cross to supplement his
own supplies and baked hundreds of
loaves Of bread.
Our secretaries are going almost
constantly as close to the front as Is
permitted, giving the men smokes,
fruit, chocolate and other necessaTies
This service often takes them into
the front trenches.
Many Suffer In Attacks.
MANY Of our secretaries are suf-
fering from shell shock or gas, but
keep going in intense attacks. When
communication with the men in the
trenches Is cut off our men help feed
those behind the lines, aid the wound
ed and assist the chaplains. Soup is
made from whatever supplies are
available for the men are ravenous
under the strain Of fighting.
In a recent attack Halliday Smith
Of Nyack, N. Y, and Rev. Hadley H
Cooper Of Piernont, N. Y, were gas
sed and died in g hospital, on the
American front. Cooper was 80 years
old and a graduate of Northwestern
Theological Seminary, Chicago. Smith
was disqualified from the army be-
cause Of a dislocated shoulder. The
two men were chums.
Smith probably sacrificed his life
by continuing to serve the men after
being gassed. going out of the line
Of duty to lead an ammunition train
that had lost it's way"
Announcement is made that the Y,
M. c. A. has just entered a new drive
to recruit at least 1000 men for work
overseas by Sept. /.