The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-10-20
Y" Is ACTIVE
IN PALESTINE
BY CHAS. w. WHTEHAIR.
IN. E. A. Correspondent to the British
Front in Palestine)


During six weeks ! visited every part
at the British lines in Palestine and
spoke to large groups of soldiers on
what America is doing in the war"
Gen. Allenby said he felt that one
of the biggest and best things that
will come out CT the war is a SYM
pathetic understanding between the
American and British peoples, an I'M
Outstanding that will so a long way
towards guaranteeing the peace OF the
world in the future"
We talked until midnight on my
last night Will, him, and I was much
Impressed by the splendid tributes he
paid to the work of the Red Triangle
with his troops.
From the day the British army pour
ed across the Sues canal and COM
menced its march across the Sinai pen
insu!a, it has never been deserted by
the Y ~ G.. A.
Across the scorching sands of the
desert, the Red Triangle camel trains
moved carrying cigarettes, chocolate
and other knick-knacks that mean so
much to use men who are making
the world safe for democracy" When
the long stand was made before GAIA
Beersheba along the whole front
amongst the countless trenches, were
dug-outs bearing the familiar three
cornered sign.
When after long months the Pales-
tine push began, the Red Triangle
men We're stationed at every casualty
station in the front line area. When
the wounded troops began to stream
back they found waiting for them such
simple comforts as cigarettes, choco-
oh
pers. and these were again and again
distributed to them during their
wearying, painful journey back to the
base hospital, $50 miles away
When Jerusalem was captured
Borden Pasha, the postmaster general
Of Egypt, was appointed as the first
military governor. He Immediately
motored up with his staff to take
charge Of the district. William Owens,
an Australian, the supervising front
line secretary. had arranged to feed
the entire staff at the association CEN
tiers en- route, but the day they came
through it was pouring rain, wretch
eddy cold, and some OF their cars had
broken down. Although Owens had
planned to feed the party he had not
expected to put them up, but while
they were all being fed he hustled out
in the storm, got up tents for them,
and put up the whole party over
night.
A couple Of days after Owens called
Jerusalem for the association. The
governor said. Have you a building
In mind?" Owens replied he had Sc
lected one Of the big foreign hos
pices incidentally one of the finest
structures in the Holy Land.) Borden
PasEa looked at him and smiled, re-
marking. II don't need to tell you how
to run the Y. NJ. C. A., but if I were IN
your place I would nail my Red Tri-
angle to the front Of that place before
daylight. The next morning the sign
was on the building and there it hangs
today.
On the capture Of Jerusalem the med
ical stan was faced with the grave
danger OF serious epidemic, due to
the utter lack of sanitation Owens
and Jessop Immediately purchased in
Cairo complete sanitary outfit, send
ing 1t UP with an engineer in charge
Thus the first sanitary system in Jeru-
salem was furnished by the Y NJ C. A.
In the city Of Jaffa the Jerusalem
hotel, which was run by Germans be-
fore the war, is now being conducted
by the Y. NJ. C. A. for officers. They
have taken over the largest cinema
hall there. The German consulate, the
finest building in the seaport town, Is
Y. M. C. A. soldiers canteen. Head
quarters is located in a former pala-
tial German residence.
When Gen. Allenby's forces pushed
their way across the Jordan, two ''Y''
Fords, loaded with smokes were the
first cars to cross.