Mexico weekly ledger., 1918-04-18
ED. WILLIAMS TELLS
OF Y. N. C. A. WORK
Singer Says Boys in Cantonments
Are Often Blue and HOme-sick
and Need Cheering
ARTISTS GIVE PROGRAMS
All the Best Among Singers, Actors
and Entertainers Are Eager TO
Help Soldiers

Ed Williams, who has sung in many
Of the army cantonments Of the I'm
tied States since the war began. says
the Y. N. c. A is doing one of the
most wonderful . orks possible in the
camps.
Mr.. Williams says:
"Imagine yourself in a cantonment
of some thirty thousand soldiers with
out a club, theater, a concert, or other
place to go. We would raise some
what Of fuss should we not have the
0rpheum and Rialto to resort to when
the days work is done. Then again,
we have our cars (some of us) our
Victrolas, our little social gatherings
and we are happy lot, but you take
the Y NJ. C. A. away from the boys
and you have denied them ALL OF
those, for as | see the Y. M. C. A., it
has given them everything.
CAS- a rule, most Of the boys are
happy and bubbling over with life,
but many are home-sick, lonesome
and tired. If they can go to the Y.
NJ. c. A. where some prominent
speaker can cheer them up, some con-
cert company can sing or play to
them, entertain them and make
them laugh, they will soon be all
right. But even if this fails, some Of
those gallant youths that are in the Y.
! NJ. c. A. work can take them to their
quarters, talk to them and send them
away rejoicing. have had strange
boys look me up at some hotel, come
to my room, drop on the bed and cry as
if their hearts would break. They
were lonely and home-sick and want
ed kind word, little cheering up,
for all lads are not used to being
away from home and their first
months in camp are hard. 1t is here
that the Y. M. C. A. gets in its work;
it offers the boy home and school;
it gives him good literature, good
clean games, classes in English,
French reading, spelling and writing
paper to write his home-folks.
"Our big artists have been wonder
full about giving their assistance to
the cause. Mccormack is now out
making the camps, as are Schuman-
Heink, Elman, Gluck, Homer, Lauder
and many other noted comedians and
vaudeville stars. The lyceum has
sent the best she has and all are will
ing, canceling engagements here and
there that they may entertain the
boys-and do the boys Ike it? Well,
I rather think they do when they rush
up by the hundreds and nearly tear
you into pieces slapping you on the
back and shaking hands with you.
"At the Y. M. C. A. it is all ONE
class-the east, west, north and south
all together for one purpose and all
with a brotherly feeling. You hear
boys stand in groups discussing every
section of the country and the boy Of
today is seeing, learning and hearing
more than any other generation. 1t
is wonderful to notice the good feel
ing the lads have for each other.
"First will come the fine looking
fellow, straight, clean-cut, who refers
TO your program as one who knows the
different composers, calling them by
name-then just behind him comes
the lad from the east side in New
York, who says, by c., youse
guys is alright; wish to luck they'd
send more like you cause we poor
devils likes good music and we gets
tired of hearing Marie Cahill sing
Dallas Blues on the monograph
So there you are, you reach them all.
Speaking of the Dallas Blues, our
Y. M. C. A. Secretary told me that
he would like to pack up all the rec
ords of the Dallas Blues and break
them into a thousand pieces. They
play the thing morning, noon and
night. | made the Y. NJ. C. A. from
Maine to Mississippi and 1 always en-
tered the building to the tune Of
Dallas Blues so l can understand
the stand the gentleman takes.
"My work of late has not been for
the Government, but | have made it