Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-10
COMMUNITY FOLKS
SOLDIERS FRIENDS,
COMRADES AIDS
Service is Home, Fireside, Par
ent Host, Provider and Enter
taincr Of Returning Men.
MOTHERS PRAISE WORKERS

New York, Jan o--"Some show;
"Yep, Broadway for mine.
Veterans of the "big show over there
and, incidentally, veteran and somewhat
blasc first nlghtcrs OF theatrical per-
formanccs given within hearing oi the
crash of battle, n fisherman from Maine
and n Kansas farmer, respectively ser
grant and coporal IN the tnited states
Army, were talking 1t over rs n mo
night train bore them from an evening
amusement in New York to a nearby
dcbarkation camp.
MOST GENEROUS HOST.
With several score of their comrades,
guests of The War Camp Community
Service. which had provided orchestra
tickets for n star attraction OF the metro
politan dramatic season. they had on
Ioved one of the numerous features of the
welcome 10 homecoming troops conducted
bv this organization. Backed by fund
Of 5000. 600 appropriated for its work IN
the immediate future III this vicinity. tho
War Camp has arranged an attractive
program Of entertainment covering the
months Of dcbarkation and Intended
while giving evidence of the country's
apprcciation Of its soldiers sacrifices, to
combat the most insidious enemy of
army morale loneliness
During year or more Of constant
change of scene-from cantonmcnt 10
transport. to training camp abroad. to
to the hardening trenches, to bal tie
to rest hillcts md back into the fight
aCain-the American soldier, the War
Camp directors say. has developed ~
m extreme degree 'Whcrc do We 90
from hcrc?' habit Returned Ia home
soil in the process of rehabilitation, il
is inevitable. they declare, that he viii
chafc over detention nj n dcbarkation
camp. 10 meet this situation the or
ganization provides theatre parties, auto
mobile rides, meals and sleeping ac-
comn0dations for men on leave in New
York while for the hcd-riddrn wounded
in the dcbarkation hospitals almost
daily entertainments are given hv PLAYERS
from the leading Broadway productions,
appearing on professionally equipped
stages in tie wards.
GENERAL AGENCY ron GOOD CHEER
The \ " York War Camp makes IL
self felt as cheer up' agency for home
ward bound troops as soon as their trans
ports enter the harbor Its activities
continue until the returning units start
for the rehabilitation cantonmCnts when
other branches OF tins countrywide or
ganlxation, which IS to receive approNI-
y atclv S20.00000O Of the United War
Work Fund, take up the TASK which leads
eventually to the soldiers hcarthsidcs.
Some OF the earlier contngents, greeted
aS they came up the bay by the Citizens
Committee aboard police boat and by
choruscs of sirens and whistles were
skcptlcal regarding the material side Of
their wclco G.
They give us an official 'how-dve-do'-
but what docs that get uS? was the com
mcnt Of dough oy. and his comrades
nodded assent,
UNIFORM PASS FOR MEN.
Their first moment ashore was one Of
enlightenment. The pier was placardcd
with announcements Of the "Communitv's
weekly vaudeville show, to which "Your
uniform IS your pass, and at the canton
ment the men found War Camp workers
waiting for them, circulating iniorma-
ton concerning the organizations numcr-
Gus stations in New York and arranging
with their officers for various types of
free entertainment. As a result the
soldiers typical Lets 20" found ready
outlet.
To Keep 'cm smiling the War Camp
distributes every week among returned
troops, along with other soldiers, sailors
and marines within the citys gates,
10000 tickets for the best metropolitan
shows, many Of them donated by theatre
owners; it stages in the port hospitals
six or seven entertainments n week, with
Broadway actors and actresses As volun-
teer performers; it conducts in the Man
hatten Opera House every Sunday after
noon a continuous vaudeville performance,
10 which American and Allied uniforms
give admission; it provides every Sunday,
! and whenever possible during the week,
! automobile sightseeing tours for 500 to
! 500 wounded men; and it holds scores
of home again" parties. at which hum
! dreds OF girls from the Comrade Society
make merry with the men and help TO
ease them back into civil life after their
necessarily restricted existence under
military discipline.
| BEDS AND TABLES FOR THOUSANDS.
This is the lighter side of the War
Camp work. which provides comforts as
we'll as entertainment With hotel on
! West Twenty-seventh street as its center.
| the organization maintains q feeding and
/