Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-06
Chautauqua speeches, or in some In
stances. kept on driving trucks.
ConslescentIiup Secretaries

Chautauqua speeches, or IN some IN
stances, kept on driving trucks.
COndescending Secretaries
The greatest damage was done the
Y. NJ G. A. by those hundreds OF Sec
retaries who maintained a condescend-
ing attitude toward the soldiers and
whose every net was done as favor to
the American fighting men. 1t is mighty
hard to set down In a few words just
what this situation was. In it's net ef-
feet one must bear in mind that one silly
Y. NJ. c. A. man would counteract the
good work of a dozen capable Y. NJ. c. A.
men.
But, let us take an instance I Wit
messed of four doughboys who walked
! five and a half kilometers In the ra,n u
/ buy some cigarettes from Y. NJ. C. A.
canteen and got there ten minutes after
6 o'clock, 6 being closing time for The
Y. NJ. c. a. man. He refused to sell
| them cigarettes because II was after
\ hours and they had to walk baclt five
and half kilometers-eleven kilometers
In all--in the rain and without their
| cigarettes. Those lads were sore ard
their comrades to whom they reported
were sore.
/ have seen dozens of times Y ".
j c. a. man refuse to sell matches tS SOL
dier5 because they did not have the right
change and he did not have It. ! once
! asked a Y vi. g. a. man why he did not
just give some soldiers three cents
worth of matches He replied that if lie
did he would have to make II up out of
his salary, and he could not do that
Looking at the Y. NJ. C. AS work
for the moral welfare of the soldiers
according to the doughboy's way of look
ing II. the is rpfOrmntOrN
and ar is no sunday school picnic
Now no one wants to go on record as
saying 1t is wrong to try to take good
care of soldiers morals. Yet at the
same time the American soldier came
TO France to whip Germany and not
get holiday and consequently he has
done considerably better at whipping the
Germans than he has at getting religion.
American Soldier Well Behaved
This may illustrate what I mean by
saying that at Mr.. Perkins's dinner. fully
one-half of the conversation of the Y.
NJ G. A. leaders was taken up with
discussion of protecting mep from
evils which beset young men in leave"
areas. Now. the doughboy believes he
is n pretty good fellow. morally. spirit
ually. and physically, and the evidence
all indicates he is right. Ours is the
scarcity of disease is regarded as
phenomenal. The American soldier is
well behaved. can take care of himself
and does not look kindly upon being
wet-nursed when he gets leave
Now as for its huge fund on hand.
gather that the Y. NJ. G. A. counted on
the wars lasting a long time and when
the war walked out on 1t ii found itself
with something less than hundred mil
/ which n had nrOn1iSp0 would
be spent for the soldiers also gather
that Mr.. Perkins and other Y. NJ. G. A.
leaders are very anxious 10 spend this
money In manner that will raise the
stock of the Y. NJ. G. A. among our sol
diers Now that is lot of money. and
, there are lots of things tnat ran be done
with II.
, Personally believe it is going to take
. more than money to put the y. NJ. G. a
, back where it was before it started IL
work with the American army. But on
, thing is certain--if, at the conclusion o.
military activities. if on the day whei
the last American soldier gets home ant
, is dernobilized. the Y. NJ. g. A. has il
its Golfers more than hundred million
, dollars, it will mean disaster for the
organization
The best thing the Y. NJ. c. a. can de
will be to end its campaign with tn
American army campaign. and to make
the fact known to the soldiers
A., There is throughout the army an ides
that the Y. NJ. c. A. is operating on in
terest from money that people back home
, gave it. and the Y. NJ G. a. must correc
Z that idea or have Il permanent bllgh
! upon 1t. l believe the Y. NJ. c. \. doe
not realize this feature.
The Y. NJ. G.. A. might as we'll reduc
its prices in canteens. In that way
might solve part of its problem In get
ting rid of some sS5. 100000. I don
believe that at this late hour 1t woul
gain much by copying the knights @
Columbus or salvation Army methods
; free distribution.
WHAT | am coming to Is this go ou
$ among soldiers and talk to them 20 fin
!, out what they are thinking. 1t is a
i about home. The one big idea that
!, in most Of their minds is that they war
= to get back and get a good job to max
. money for themselves and their folks.
= And regardless of the many state
I n,ents sent over about manufacturer
- and business mems associations guar
: / anteeing jobs for returning fighting me
:, and plans by the Y. NJ. G. \. and Others
II believe that in the minds of man
e thousands of them there is well
! founded suspicion that it is not going
!, he smooth sailing to get back into goo
y Jobs when they return
:. Then why cannot ihe Y. NJ. G. 4
!, spend S1O.O00,oOO or s20.O0O,O00 or $40
- 900. 900 out of its weli-filled Golfers I
, make doubly sure Of jobs for the fgh
. ing men when they get home?
q Mr. Perkins and the other able men
q the Y. NJ. {. A. understand how thos
Il things can be done, and | may safel
q state that the doughboy will feel MOI