The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1919-06-13


France, and almost the only one, it
makes one sick at heart. Over and
over boys passing through here tell
us they want church services and ser
mons and religious music and not
movies on Sunday, and shows in the
place of sermons When thev con-
denim the "Y" because it has not been
a religious organization, as ii loudly
advertised itself in the states to get
money, we get the doughboy's view
point. They told us flatly we could
not conduct religious service without
movies and an entertainment to keep
the boys from worse things Sunday
nights; we told them we would show
them. After going to the head man at
Brest We succeeded in having movies
cut out of the auditorium Sunday
nights. Then we put on three
quarter hour song service, using the
slides to put words on the screen;
last night | used popular songs, as
Keep the Home Fires Burning"
Long, Long TRAIL" Sweet AIDE
line" Gust Song at Twilight" l
started with Long Trail telling the
5000 boys it had been a long trail, but
was nearing its end; they ought to
be happy now; then | reminded them
of home fires they would soon see,
which had been kept by the mothers,
fathers, wives and sweethearts back
there; then how they sang Sweet
Adeline," puttino in the melody. There
were some really fine voices there.
| told them to substitute any name
for Adeline. Then quietly they sang
"Just a Song at Twilight" From that
we went into religious songs, What
Friend We Have in Jesus" II Need
| Thee Every Hour" Throw Out the
| Life Line" Miss Burrell, one of my
soprano soloists, sang the verse very
beautifully and half the audience sang
the first refrain. the other half the
other. The last song told them our
boys sang better than any other
hymn; they would be no exception il
they had just come into camp. II
you could have heard the roll of music
when they SAM two verses of Nearer
NY God to Thee" | think it the most
wonderful and thrilling music ever
heard; 5000 men singing the last verse
softly till the air above seemed to
vibrate; l could imagine | was play
ing a pipe organ. When ! swung my
hands the melody poured out; ther
a mixed quartette sang; then Miss
Burrell; then DR.. Hunniwell who wa:
the sanest man on Billy Sundays
staff, spoke, giving one OF his rapid
fire addresses of about so minutes
with every man Sitting tight; thei
more singing by Miss Burrell and
fine band concert. That was my pro
gram and it was success. Unfor
tunately, on account of scarcity o
. song leaders, l had to rush over t.
another hut and lead another SOM
. service, SO that n could not see tn
program through. We must hav
touched over 1900 soldiers last night
but at that our work is inadequate
! for there are over 10000 in the camp
, | have small organ and am planning
some quartette singing and speaking
! out of doors.
When came over it did not seer
possible for me to do a work all @
my own and l am greatly pleased
have been able to do this much. TIL
, association with these men is ais
a great privilege. But going HON
!, is in the air. Orders have com
through that "Y" men are to be de
, modified rapidly and as our cam
: grows smaller we will return. l bav
/ seen seven divisions ra~" throug
, here. We have the 36th. part fifth
/ 9th and about 10000 black men of tn
( service of supply. From anothe
: source comes a report about thos
, services that week. There were
} communion services, Is baptism
!. 5000 signed confession of faith card
e 2l6 in one service at one of the hut
, and the Paris "Y" officials say the
i have found one man who was intel
t ested in his work and that the Bres
;. camp was the only one in which a
{ adequate religious service had bee
. put through. And another effort +;
!. service is the sending out throue
t the camp what they call "an Iris
:, monoplane," a wheelbarrow full I
literature for the men.