The diamond drill., 1919-02-01

those who supported II only how Il
carried on--how 1t functioned, To Q
considerable extent 1t depends great
deal upon the place which the ~" Il
going to claim In American life after
its war duties are over how concern
ed the general public should be in its
future.
| The "Y" has such a possibility for
good that ii is the hope of every well
meaning, right living man and woman
that II shall not return TO the restrict
ed zone that It occupied before the
war. but. to the contrary. that it shall
continue to be an active force in Amer
lean life, a force for clean. whole
some manly living II can be such a
force and II will be If those who have
its management In hand are able TO
rise TO the occasion, to cut loose from
the circumscriptions that have limit
ed its usefulness and fashion out OF
the criticisms OF the returning sol
diers an organization that will more
nearly round out with the average
American idea. IL these men hide
their heads in the sand OF Indifference
the ~" will miss a great chance.
The boys who come back from the
battlefield don't place any crime at
the door or the Y. NJ. c. A. Their
complaints are, to the contrary, those
which naturally arise from a badly
managed campaign In short the boys
are "sore" on the Y-some OF them
are.
Now, perhaps many OF the griey-
ances are fancied ones. No doubt
many OF the boys have exaggerated
when they found the current OF criti-
cism swelling to such proportions that
1t appears to be the proper thing to
add their Offering to the food. The
fact remains, however, that the sore
ness is there. At the same time that
they criticise the ~" in France they
will tell you that in this country the
"Y" was all that could be expected OF
it. The boys are honest in their con
yictions. however they got them.
We noticed a statement made by
preacher down East in which he
says that the criticism is due to jeal-
ousy OF rival organizations.
The attitude OF that man reminds US
of an anecdote told OF Theodore
Roosevelt. Mr. Roosevelt appointed
a we'll known governor of one of our
western states upon the commission
which was to investigate and report
which was the best route for the Pan
anna cahal; the route across the 18TH
mus or one across the lower end OF
Mexico. The said governor made an
inspection OF the two routes and got
very positive ideas In favor of the Yu-
catan route. He secured a personal
Interview with President Roosevelt
to warn the president against com
hitting himself TO the Panama route
He detailed his reasons, which were
based mainly upon sanitation, for his
opposition TO the Panama route, and
as clincher added 81 am certain
that canal can never be built across
the Isthmus"
President Roosevelt listened pa
tiently TO his reasons, but when ht
stated his belief the president could
stand it no longer and shot out, THAT
is because you're d--n fool"
II rival organizations escaped this
criticism II was because they had the
judgment to make a good selection OF
men or women in charge. The men in
charge were close enough to the sol
dier to sense his whims and they kept
their organization from getting in bad
II the "Y'' loaded up with lot OF
dubs who were asleep at the switch
il won't lessen the effect OF the wreck
by trying to smirch the wohk of the
fellow who kept his eyes open and
his train in the clear
What the ~" needs, IL II is to con
tinue in the broadened sphere which
It's war work brought II into, Is to gei
It's ear to the groundwork of human
nature and listen to the pulsations Of
the red -blooded American White
corpuscels are necessary 10 healthy
system, but an over-supply OF them
has as baneful an inhunce as has
lack OF them
ra E1 -
Theodore Roosevelt In sending the
American Committee for Relief In the
near East a check for 81 900 (coyer-