The sun., 1918-12-15

which greatly reduced the carrying
cost, and to the growing efficiency of
our organization.
AT the outset we did not anticipate
the free distribution of supplies, nor
did Gen. Pershing. He recommended
that we put our distribution on a
strictly business basis. After Amer
lea had been in the war some time
other organizations began to dis
tribute cigarettes and other things
without cost to the soldier.
Now our main programme has been
that OF what we call service. We have
erected reading rooms and theatres,
have produced motion pictures, have
furnished baseballs and other ath-
letic supplies, and done n great many
other things listed as service and
all this has been free.
Service without cost has been our
principal object in France, and in con-
junction with that we assumed the
business OF the army canteens on
cost basis. Please remember that, ex-
cept for the Red Cross, the Y. NJ. c. A.
has incomparably the largest welfare
organization in France. We have 5000
secretaries there, and / 500 canteens.
"If we gave free cigarettes at one
canteen we should have to do 1t at the
others, and our supply would be ex-
hausted in no time, whereas our idea
Of our work has been steady, daily ac-
commodation-every day the same
and we believed that the canteens
should be self-supporting.
However, in July OF this year It
was evident that sentiment was chang
ing. for free distribution OF supplies
by other organizations was welcomed.
For several months before the end of
the war the Y. NJ. c. A. gave away
cigarettes in the battle zone. believe
that is right.
Nov as to the complaint that we
sold cigarettes intended as gifts: Hav-
ing to buy wherever we could we
sometimes bought from the army
quartermaster There were instances
In which soldier, after purchasing
cigarettes at one OF our canteens re-
turned and said: Here. this stun is
from THE Sun Tobacco Fund; found
a'card that proves It,
at was from THE Sun Tobacco
Fund; the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS was JUS
tilted. But there was no fraud. 1t was
simply n mistake at the quartermaster's
storehouse, where such mistakes were
likely to happen in the great rush of
supplies. There had been no Identify
ing mark on the outside of the box. or
the mark had washed OFF. or possibly
in the hustle at the canteen our man
In charge had overlooked It.
Why Prices in Villages Differ.
THE disparity in prices Of tobacco
in two neighboring villages is ex-
planned by the fact that the cost TO
us was not uniform. II we got a
supply from the Quartermaster we
paid only the price 1t cost the Govern
ment. regardless OF carrying charges.
If we got it from America there were
also carrying charges and insurance
to pay.
TN Village A we might be selling
quartermaster's tobacco, in Village
tobacco we bought in the American
market. AS the latter cost us more
we had to charge more Naturally
the soldier did not understand, natur-
ally 1t was sometimes said: That
y. NJ. c. A. man at Village B is
grating But he wasn't. =
ut is true that we found a few
dishonest men among our thousands
of workers and a few men of bad
character in other respects. It could
not help but be so. But wrongdoers
have been weeded out swiftly and for
one reason or another fifty or sixty
men have been sent back to tho
United States In civilian clothes-In
disgrace as we call 1t.
Workers who have irritated SOL
diers by placing too great emphasis
on the religious side OF our pro-
gramme have violated our policy. IT.
is perfectly true that some have erred
in this regard. We know all about
the secretary who goes about asking
soldier II he is saved when the
soldier wants to play checkers
I'VE know that some Of our men
have been overzealous, yet It is in
teresting to note that the most
criticism comes from people who say
that we have been untrue to our
principles in not pressing the religious
issue hard enough.
"Our policy-and believe It TO have
been we'll observed on the whole-is to