The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1919-03-20
Y.MC.A. Work Discussed
Continued From Page Three.)

ing millions OF dollars home for the
boys without the cost of L cent 10
them? There had been some com
plant about the quality of the paper
they were giving away at one time,
but when one realizes that they- were
giving away, absolutely free. ten mil
lion sheets a week, it is natural to
suppose that they could not always
get what the-T wanted.
Yes, there was some complaint
about the canteen service, some SOL
der boys had claimed that they
were overcharged, and it Was posi-
BILE that they had been, but the can
teen service was no part OF the \.
NJ. c. A. program; they took it as
military necessity at the request
almost commanded the Govern
ment; it was outside their line Of
work, had no part in it, and many
of these complaints when traced
down, were found to be the result
VI tuC luCh uOI S<A
change values, etc. For instance,
one man said he had been charged
sixty cents a package for cigarettes.
Why? Because he had paid sixty
centimes; that is, six ten centime
pieces, but the ten confines are
worth two cents in American money,
so the fellow had really paid little
less than twelve cents a package for
his cigarettes, not sixty cents, he he
really thought. Another fellow com
planned that the ''Y' would not let
him have postage stamps because he
had no money. Well, now, the alb
surdity of this complaint becomes
apparent, when it is realized that
soldiers mail required no stamps.
Then someone else complained about
the hospital service, not realizing
that there was an agreement with
was not to have anything to do with
the hospitals, and was not to visit
them. The soldiers all say, when
asked. they enjoyed the moving pic
lures, the lectures, the concerts, the
athletic sports, the place to go when
tired and worn out, the comfort and
cheer which they received, the free
paper and envelopes, the best must
cal and entertaining talent that this
country affords, without cent OF ex-
pense, the religious training. the en-
lions, all such things, but all OF
these services are lost sight of be-
cause some fellow paid more for
package of cigarettes than he thou
ght he should, Or because, having
Uncle Sans canteen in charge, at
the request of the Government, the
'Y" had to charge for all these
things, while some smaller organiza-
lions doing, perhaps, one-tenth as
much work, gave away those things
which they had.
But all of this has nothing to do
with the Rural Y. M. G. A. movement
which is working just as successful
" as the Y. NJ c. AS in the great
cities. 1t has been an active force
in comm unity development in the
States OF Illinois, Indiana. Wiscon-
sin, New Jersey, part Of New York,
part of Pennsylvania for several
years. 1t is part OF the work to
take care of the return soldiers. The
war is over, but the spirit OF thrift,
of enterprise. OF kindly feeling, of
patriotism, OF naighborliness, Of good
ness which it developed cannot be
put aside We cannot, and would
not if We could return to the old
conditions; we have been awakened,
we have found The need for living
closer to. each other; we have found
out the worth of the other fellow as
well as our own, and SO now that
the war is over we must see to 1t
that the country is made attractive
to the boys and girls who live there
in order that they may remain there,
contented, happy and prosperous, in
stead of running off to the great
cities, where a few succeed, but
many, many fail.
The V NJ. c. A. agent proposed
would start with four counties; he
would come into each county and in