New Britain herald., 1918-01-23
NEW BRITAIN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23
Y. M. L. A. WORK IN
 LAND 0F BOLSHEVIkI
Visitor Reports on Conditions and
 Affairs in Russia

New York, Jan. 23.-Since Septem- Der last the National War Work Coun- ci1 of the Young Mems Christian Asso- ciation has been sending groups or secretaries to work with the soldiers of Russia Some of the groups nave gone across the Pacific, entering Rus sia through V1adivostock, or through Dalny in southern Manchurla. other groups have crossed the Atlantic and have found their way into Russia through Scandinavia. Altogether about 90 men have gone, and these, with secretaries already in Russia who were formerly in prison camp work but are now with the troops, make a total of over one hundred Americans serving in this way.
 So interrupted have been the lines of communication with these secre- taries that practically the only way of getting reports of this work has been through courier. The first sat isfactory report has come from Major Orrin S. Wightman, M. D., a member of the American Red Cross Mission to Russia, who has just returned to New York city. Major Wightman has responded to an interviewer with regard to the work of the Y. M. c. A. in Russia as follows:
 Russia Undergoing Strain.
 "It must be borne in mind that the Russian people, besides going through a great war are also undergoing the most severe strain that Russia has ever known The dem ocracy so often beralded as the savior of states has come to a people 90 per cent. of whom can neither read nor write, and their failure to grasp what freedom means has turned freedom into confuslon If the Russian problem is to be solved by the human mind it must be in language and in terms that even a poor Russian peasant soldier can un- derstand and l honestly believe that the Young Mems Christian Assocla- ton and it's present methods come nearer 10 meeting the soldier halfway than all the political activity that IS so rife at present throughout the Rus sian nation. l never saw anything grow so rapidly, nor be so much Tn demand, nor meet such material suc- cess as the work that these young men are doing in the great country of Russia.
 sThe American Red Cross Mission to RuSSld 0lu not l'lCIuIE any So- operative work with the Young Mems Christian Association, but after view ing the problem. and seeing the able way they were combating this phase Of the situation, I fell in gladly, and did all in my power, both in Mos cow. Odessa, and Jassy, Roumania. to further it's work.
 Consider these young men of the a. country in war time, speaking but few words of the language which they had to learn, organizing a great body of men. rolling up their sleeves and dO- ing a great part of the labor them selves. They secured quarters, fur nished them, lighted them, and then when everything was ready, invited soldiers to enter without money and without price, to enjoy the hospitality of partnership. to be for the first time in the Russian soldiers expcri- ence an integral part of a club
 "when I saw the progress of this work in Moscow, Jerome Davis, of Oberlin. Ohio, and Ora wford Wheeler of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, had started shack in the suburbs of the city. They were showing moving pictures to the soldiers at night. The demand was so great in this particular that they had to place the sheet on which the pictures were thrown in the mid de of the audience so that the thou sands of men looking on could view the picture from both sides of the screen!
 'I entered the shack and found that within everything was as neat as could be, and this in spite of the fact that the Russia peasant knows not the meaning of dirt and many of them, until they had joined the Young Mems Christian Association, had never attempted even to wipe their feet on entering the house, and did not know that it was necessary. The reading room was full of men, the writing room likewise was crowded with young fellows who had been urged to write home to their people on pa per, envelopes and ink provided for the purpose.
 Real Sugar in Tea.
 "In another room the soldiers were able to secure tea with sugar Ca thing which is almost luxury here now) for the sum of three kopecks a glass, when, as a matter of fact the same would have cost me several roubles had 1 Orderad if in my own