Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-10-06
Had an Organization Ten Times
Larger Than ALI Other Over
sea Welfare Agencies Com
bined-Filled Many Fields.
MOVIE SHOWS A FEATURE
Athletics, Amusements, Relig-
ious Services and Letter
Writing Provided by Associa-
ton Helped Keep Up Morale.

Just what did the Y. M. C. A. dc
during the war?
What did the association leaders dc
with the vast amount of money raised
for war work in the cantonment ano
in the war zone?
Why has the association not made ar
announcement of its work and expen-
ditures?
These and similar questions by those
who are prone to look with suspicion
upon an organization carrying on an
extensive campaign for good and bet
terment of conditions are answered, n
is claimed by Boise association mem
bers, by officials of the United States
government.
Summarized the governments state
ment shows that the Young Mems
Christian Association was 10 times
larger than the combined forces of all
other cooperating agencies in war ac-
tiNities. When one thinks of what the
Red Cross did, the knights Of Colum :
bus, the salvation Army, the jewish
Welfare society, the other relief or
ganizations and then multiplies their
activities by 10, they will then be able
to estimate the job which the associa :
ton and its limited corps of paid and
volunteer work ers did during the war
The first work which the association
undertook was the establishment OF
huts in which to entertain soldiers and
carrying on their activities. on No
vember II, 1918, there were 1856 W.
huts in France. Seven portable saw
mills were used to provide the lumber
for the 1000 American "Y" huts built
PLAY BALL.
Recognizing the value of play, the
association at once started a campaign
of base ball and provided free the
equipment for the men. This necessi-
tated the purchase of 152,776 baseball
bats which We're shipped overseas.
Placed on end they would reach 534, 716
feet in the air or to a height equal to
s65 Washington monuments.
Other athletic equipment distributed
free overseas included 74,414 standard
footballs, 20,405 standard basket balls,
SO playground balls, 1911 pairs Of
boxing gloves, the total expenditure of
which cost $3.50, 207.76.
FREE MOVIE SHOWS.
When 1t came to providing free en-
tertainment in the shape of moving
pictures, the Y. NJ. CO A. did a job
which film men claim is almost uncon :
ceivable. Every month from the shores
of America to France there was
shipped through the association So
724,OOO feet of movie films a continu-
Gus ribbon. OF film, 1913 miles in
length, which would reach from New
York city to sydney, Australia. Each
month in France 9,354 free movie
shows were given for the men, which
is shown at the regular admission price
then charged throughout the United
states, would mean admissions total
ling 100000. In addition to this
there were 100 theatrical performances
given free daily by the Y. M. G. A. with
\ +. F. and COS of Americas best ac-
tors and actresses overseas by April
with the association, over There The
stre League"
KEPT HOME FIRES BURNING.
Amid the many activities on the
field the Y. NJ. e. A. did not forget
the home ties and one of the biggest
assets Of their overseas wasthe keep
ing Of the home fires burning" through
chain of letters from the front. Ev-
erywhere signs greeted the soldiers
which read, Write Letter Home"
free paper and envelopes were fur
nished the government frank ed
through the letters written by the boys
without stamps, so there was no cost
to writing home The result was that
3O5,029,63l sheets of letter papers We're
sent overseas for free distribution to
the boys
RELIGIOUS WORK.
Religious services We're conducted In
all Y. NJ. G A. huts and of these serv-
ices DR.. George w. Truitt, a prominent
clergyman, says: Throughout the
British Isles and in France and in our
army of occupation in Germany have
spoken to several hundred thousands
of our soldiers and sailors, in the fields
and woods and streets and in huts,
tents, barns, halls, great cathedrals,
market places-the most challenging
and romantic of all the preaching of
experiences of my life
The ~ huts were open for Protes-
"a