Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-09-23
ODD HUMoRS OF
Y" MOBILIZATION
Some of the Humorous Sideight'
Of Picking secretaries for
Overseas Service.

what can you say of his home
life?"
Ideal. He is a bachelor"
what, If any, special weakness o
character has he?"
"He owns Ford"
What are his qualifications for re
Igious leadership"
"Plays organ. Not much other
wise."
When approximately 10000 per
sons volunteered to go overseas 10
the Y. M. C. A., 10000 were chosen
Some Of the Recommendations" tina
applicants got had as much humor a.
truth-and vice versa.
Among the responses and comics
sions were the unconscious bits o.
humor that relieved the tension of thu
drama of "Y" mobilization. And nov
that the crisis is past the curtain II
lifted on these comic interludes.
There stands revealed the minister
who, according to one Of his REFER
ences, plays in band and uses hi
horn to social advantage otherwise.
Here is another who won this com
pliment: "A small-town preacher II
too often a gloom-dispeller, but
is the opposite" One would-be ~
secretary was recommended because
"his right leg is about an inch shorter
than his left leg. Would use this mar
because Of his ability to meet men OF
their own level"
"If any further Information is de
sired" ran a letter commencing TIT
secretary CT one of the leading mission
boards of the country, II shall be glat
to give it. l hope he will be able II
get his passport at an early date as i
will be for the good Of the country II
have him go as soon as possible"
One candidate, facing the prospec
of being sent to Vladivostok or Meso
potamia, wrote:
"If | 60 to either Of the countries
mentioned, would it be permissible II
carry a rife or two? understand
that both are big game countries ant
are only semi-civilized. / have sew
eral high-powered rifles and would lik'
to be allowed to carry at least one, l
not two"
Another, determined not to le
Jerry" "get away" with anything jus
because his own duties were to be non
| comhatant incurred:
Fighting on the Side.
What Is the chance of doing lit
tie fighting on the side, If am IN tn
front line, trenches or open? In othe
words, If | am carrying in casualt!
or passing out cigarettes and Boch'
takes a shot at me, can shoot back
or will l have to let him get away?"
One secretary from Western Stat
said that woman called on him be
fore he left to go overseas. She hat
heard that some rare ferns grew u
No Mans Land and she wished b.
would dig up few and send them Il
her.
Like most preachers" said one rec
ommendation, The Is used to givtni
orders rather than taking them" An
other comment was: "He Is perfectl,
honest, but highly educated" Thi
was cited as an eccentricity Of char
acter: HE sometimes tells the trut
when he should have said nothing.
Other "eccentricities" included being
bachelor and being "a lawyer and red
headed"
One applicant gave his build" a
"Scotch-Irish." Another, under pc
sitions held" wrote: Have Away
worked in the employment of myself.
Under use of intoxicants?" wer
found these notations by applicants
mot as intoxicants," do not U.s.
them-except rarely" Total abstain
er, dry as punk" The motives Of on
applicant for entering the work wer
given as For the sake of humanity
and making his expenses"