The Republican journal., 1918-10-24
War Camp Community
4 Service.

connected with the Maine Branch of the
War Camp Community Service with
headquarters in Portland, was IN Belfast
Tuesday in the interest of that great
movement. He is assigned to the coast
and adjacent cities and is fully explain
ing, wherever he goes, what the present
day and future opportunities are opening
up to all who are willing to assist the
soldiers and sailors in the service.
Tuesday at 3. 80 p m. he met number
of Belfast women in the Municipal Court
room and for about an hour spoke of the
vital need of organized work outside the
war camp environments. 1t is Americas
purpose not only to win in the war, but to
win worth,ly, with ideals realized and
moral standards sustained. AS late as
1916 the conditions of army life were
vile even on our own southern borders.
It was here that the Y. M. g. A. work
with it's lectures on welfare and real up
lift assistance made known to the world
at large it's high ideals.
1t is in camp communities and in the
centers where uniformed m en- congregate
that the W. C. C. S. has like mission
only in more limited circle.
1t has an organized board of directors
and their three principal endeavors are
recreation rooms, home hospitality and
entertainment
Emphasis is always laid on the home
spirit. Experts have visited the slackers
and deserters in Federal prisons and re-
port that the principal thing that has
sent them there is inconsistencies The
lack of home and mothers influence, and
the unnatural conditions of life the SOL
der and sailor meet when they put on
the uniform have led up to conditions
that require the w. c. c. S,
The society demands the homes into
which uniformed men are especially in
vited should be morally clean and very
essentially so. The entertainment branch
may be conducted along very varied
Hle anu uldy uC given Wy Ooo1uS VI
Trade, clubs, ETC., when uniformed men
are invited guests, not in patroniZing
and charitable sense, but in friendly
way to restore in very limited measure
what the men have given up in their
homes when they entered the service.
Mr.. Smith referred to several personal
nj NJ 1c
had changed young man from very
"grouchy blue" lad to a genial COM
panion. One fine specimen of manhood,
now on wounded furlough, recently told
him that the men over there were will
ing to fight like devils, because they
knew all America was back of them.
work to good advantage in standing back
of Americans at the front and on their
way there.
In very direct and candid expressions,
Mr.. Smith explained the undesirable and
lewd woman question, the temptation
of young girls, the communities ruined
by camps in their midst and explained
how all these menaces could be avoided
by we'll organized w. C. C. S.
The home hospitality committee should
select only those perfectly willing to en-
tertain in some way and at stated times
Only clean moral homes, regardless of
wealth or the want of it, should be asked
for, if they have the home spirit to sup
port American manhood.
The best women of the city, three at a
time and at specified periods, one to act
as captain and the other two as lieuten-
tenants, in charge of the recreation rooms
are to act while there as mothers in their
own homes in the presence of young peo-
pie. Mottos have been furnished many
recreation rooms reading thus: "This is
your home, use it as such and bring here
only the friends you would introduce to
your. mother"
Mr.. Smith had ascefained while in
Belfast that about six men in the coast
patrol boat and as many more in govern
ment service at Standpoint were in Bel
fast every night and would appreciate
the benefits of this society's work along
the lines explained.
He said that some of these recreation
rooms have been furnished with elegant
furniture, etc., from the German intern
ed steamers in our country. This is some
thing the Kaiser is not aware of in our
warfare.
The expenses of the society are financ-
ed with the other war works in the big
drive of November 18th; and bills incur
red here should be sent to headquarters
at Portland for approval and payment.
All gratuitous assistance will be grateful
ly received.
At Mr.. Smiths suggestion the commit
tee <chairmen, with power to select any
number of helpers, were named from
the floor as follows: Hospitality, Mrs.
Cecil Clay, who named Mrs Chas.
Bradbury as her first assistant; recrea-
ton room, Mrs. Marion E. Brown, who
later named Mrs. S. A. Parker as her
first assistant; entertainment, Mrs Brad
bury, who named her husband.
It was suggested that part of the