Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1919-03-13
Influence of the Y. M. {. A.

Much adverse criticism has been
heard concerning the work of the Y.
M. C.. A in France. Here is COM
mandatory letter from Rev. c. E.
Buffers, formerly of North Freedom
and now with the army of occupation
in Germany. He is with the 10Th
Sanitary Train, A. E. F., the letter
was written on January 4, to friend
in ViroQua and published in the Cenv
sor, January II, He says:
Dear Otto Brown: Your letter OF
November IL, reached me with big
batch of delayed mail on Christmas
day and went far to making the day
a happy one. Now the general run OF
news over here you can get from the
papers and so | will confine this letter
to the subject you speak of-Y. M. c.
A. and K. C's and kindred organiZa-
tons. One vivid picture stands out.
A. Y. M G.. A. worker, Presbyterian
preacher from the east somewhere,
small of stature with woman's voice
stayed continuously for over ten days
in our receiving ward tent at Mont
fancon during the last drive being
made by our division, with boxes of
chocolate candy, and cookies and
cigarettes, and as the ambulances
backed UP and the wounded were
brought in he was the first man there
giving each soldier cake Of choco-
late, a package Of cookies and some
cigarettes. l am sure he never left
that tent for the ten days. He was
muddy and dirty and unshaved. He
slept. what little he slept, on the
ground with his clothes on. Shells
burst at times dangerously near. Three
men were killed within 100 yards OF
him others got into dugouts but dur
ing all that trying time without a
word or murmur, he was there to help
brighten some wounded mans way
before the operating table or the fast
growing cemetery near by found him.
don't even know his name, but | do
know that this one girlish like
preacher was worth all the money
that the Y NJ c. A. expended for his
benevolences many times over.
Yes, I've heard a lot of criticism but
nothing / have seen has warranted it.
Back of the lines the Y. M. c. A. has
charged for their goods a reasonable
not exhorbitant price. They have been
as successful, if not more SO in get
ting the various knicknacks the sol
der likes, than the sales cOmmissary
run by the army itself. Their huts
and recreation rooms and stationary
have been absolutely free and always
full of soldiers. They had good enter
tanners free shows right up to the
firing lines, yes they have gone over
the top with the boys and been killed
and wounded in doing their duties.
Red Cross, whose funds allowed them
to give whatever they had to give
whatever they had and never charge
for anything. The Red Cross work
was very noticeable around the hos
pitfalls. They have had a fine business
organization and even now were it
not for the Red Cross our sick men
would suffer for the food that sick men
need. Our hospitals get such extra
only other Baraboo boy in Company F,
dainties as canned soups, canned
fruits, butter, cookies, oatmeal,
canned milk and like articles of food
that the army does not furnish. The
work of the Y M. c.. A. and K. C's
is along a different line and reaches
the men on the front lines as much
as at the hospitals. [ don't know
what pay the secretaries get and don't
care, l do know though that as a
whole they have done fine work that
is greatly appreciated by the large
majority of the soldiers. Your money
has been we'll invested when it went
to the Y. M. c. A. and kindred organ
izations. With best regards to your
parents, wife and Bens folks.