The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-03


and tho r man wouldn't give 1t to ID.
Many and varied arc the trouhles
connected with the canteen. A commoa
method for handling. supplies when
| supplies are short IL to limit the guam.
tity sold to each customer. ThA, Eoya
ssdsfly co-opsralz. rnsy can "a lust
how many cartons Of cigarettes are
| stored on the shelves, and they realize
that II the frst boys In line happen te
have plenty Of money and are allowed
| to buy all they want, there WON'T b
consent to limitstion, van Knowing
that all they have to do - 70 %. out.
side and get into limo again. I have
seen them doing this over and ovoy.
nursing childlike belief the I'm.
C. A. man behind the counter does not
| suspect the trick.
| / stood IN a Y. NJ c. A. canteAa IN
the city OF Baccarat. Il was . basv
shcr. Troops were always coming ana
going in the town. and the secretary
behind that counter was practically
slave to the canteeu He had ~ a.
sistance, and was too conscientious q
shut down for certain hours each day.
He told me that he finally had moved
his cot bed behind the counter, and was
on the Job every waking moment !
had come In to volunteer my eervtees
as assistant until my train left, and NJ
I waited for = word with him. major
OF infantry came In and engaged me In
lconversation.
| He had u sertss OF com plants a4aiust
\ certain official OF the Y. N. c. A NJ
tached to his division. He assured me
that he epoke rs . friend OF the or
Sanixatton, but ne felt that the g1tov.
ances against this individual were &C
fully justified that they should ~ re
ported tn headquarters. They seerseS
to me rather petty charges. but IL.
tened patiently. Then the major went
To the counter ane asked the privilege
OF purchasing three cartons Of ei9.
arettes. ssa
There are half q dozen OF ~ OIL.
GERS out here In the country" he said
and Ne can't get into town often. aud
the army commissary is out Of to-
bacco. so we hope you will obIigc Ms"
| II am sorry" said the ~ man;
! you ca see that 7 have only six eAr-
| tons of cigarettes, and ] am ssilins
| one box to man. do not believe
thst would be justined In favoring 4
] group Of officers in this way"
| The major swung on his heat, Oh
viousiy very angry. and without . fur
Their word went out. Another item had
heen added to the account against the
IT. NJ. G. 4.
/ D~e - the Cente<R. So
possible the criticisms. justified and I'M
! Justified, which are due solely to the
| csnteer: hut a greater cause than thls
, for dissatisfaction with the Y. NJ G. A.
| Is the personnel. call IL the great
cause. because many criticisms dsaas u
the cs,nteen might be modified Or u.
fenced IL a tactfut man or woman vstb
a sense Of hunor and unfaillnS good
I nature. stood behind the counter.
/ II is inevitable that in the. suddsn
expansion of the Y. NJ c. A. to al,
vast hsld. the wrong individual will
be accepted and put to work here 9.
there in France. Even the army, In
its sudden expansion. has found itself
embarrassed py oYicers Incompetent
TO handle men. or urtrustworthy or In
efficient IN the handling OF funds Suffs
men are being shipped home fast as
the higher authorities discover them.
The same is OF course true In tho
y. 81. G. A.: and the ~ iabors under
this disadvantage. that II has not 30
rigid a military organisation ana can
no, always get rid OF the incompetent
man as promptly and effectively - the
= ar-~~ does.
! One cannot prefer charges against a
elT NJ. G 4. secretary because he Is
ultra religious and lacks sense ~
humor. and yet that combination Of
! trsits can DO more widespread harm
TO the ~" than actual dishonesty. A
I Y. NJ. e. A. secretary establishes. 80
, far AZ he can close personal relation
, ship with every man throughout the
{ uait 10 which ne IL attached Two
thousand soldiers may be estimating
, the character of the Y. n G. A.. as 4
whole by that one individual. They
have no other means OF jadginE. The
!. competent man, handling his talk In
diligently and efficiently. rouses no
comment He Is what the army ex-
: poets he keeps his temper whss-th
boys are IN mood for kicking: re
"a 'ns his fund for humor while clame~-
Ing lines keep him on hts feet behind
the counter; he organizes batl taams
( and Qunrrets: he closes shop. packs hts
tobacco and chocolate in q knApGack.
and goes over the top" with his bat
r TALON, very often gets wounded. and
6 once in a while wins a decoration.
And all Of this is no more than what
Is expected of him. But over In tina
| next division there is man who has
| come to France intent upon sAying
| souls In his own conventional way. He
sells his tobacco grudgingiy because
he disapproves OF tobacco. He tures
; men 10 religious services BY tAA dis
r honest method Of calling them enter
( tsinmenss. And he loses hia temper
: At officers because they are goddess
l and swear in his presence. He II NOS
r a common type. but 1000 men heartily
a dislike him. and they talk about hius
Q when they meet men from other unitS.
3 He occasions more comment than ,
hundred competent secrstAriss- 1Aers
are several of this kind In Franco 1nors
! In fact. than mere aecidant can enpanan.
}. II must be that In the home n1ktCs
: among thoss with the power 81. aaA1ae.
: ton there are men OF his kinA
1 have talked In terms Of thu - ~
{ c. A. because II was In the Uot4oeM
I Of that organization that. opp0Tfuntey
. was given RE to see thu work At Mill
!. tarixed civilians IN FrsncAs Ona 0pMss
I away with Il feeling OF optimism~ And
with almost an absurd regret ever thu
early end OF the war. oecauees IN =
n month or two these militAriSod organic
e cations viii have reached . sp3oo46
: state OF efficiency, And yet Il u pFpe-
t able that TO- al, Of them tAesAs -wlti
e he an even GREATER opportunity for ar.
: vice after peace has. been declarsA than
D there Is at this moment Of WrttenG.
. Brt even II their work were e eAaes
. today. the memory Of these vARtoue
81 crits.fsms that have#hAard wuuM 81
overbalancs my satisfactory memories
) OF All that saw In Franco The hit