Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1919-08-13
ers served to bring the doughboy in
to stalwart defense of the Y. women

ers served to bring the doughboy in
to stalwart defense of the Y. women
workers"
For the period since the armistice
was signed Mr.. keagy's work has
been in the line OF Comrades in Ser
vice" an organization of all welfare
organizations that was promoted in
order to get the men back into a
closer touch with former civilian life,
giving them entertainment, making
them ready to again function as Amer
ican citizens. In the Paris office,
where he was headquarters secretary.
the work showed the organization Of
500 clubs with more than 100000
members. 1t proved that every man
in uniform was every other mans
buddie, unselfish, sincere and sturdy.
Americas Man Power.
ION July 4" says Mr.. Keagy.
America demonstrated her man pow
er to the world. I will never forget
the sight of those men in comparison
with the French poilu. They stepped
OF as II they owned the world. NOV
ed as one man. Each man was de-
termined to make his line the best in
the whole column, his company the
perfection OF them all, his regiment.
second to none. Every man five foot,
ten inches or more in height, their
bronzed faces above the khaki uni
forms, their battle SCARED flags
floating before them. It was sight
to impress and Paris simply went
wild again.
1T was great stuff, this war. Men
went through it and are dedicated
by the baptism Of hardship, blood
and suffering, to . greater and a
more thorough belief in Americanism
than ever before. The present indi-
cations may be turbulent. but they
are merely summer squalls. When
the men become absorbed into domes-
tic life. they will prove they are
against militarism.
Soldiers favor education with the
military idea secondary and they are
not partial to any European models
adopted by Americans because Of
emotions and sometimes other rea-
sons. They are willing to let the
frog fight his own battles in the flu
ture."
Then he continued hiA survey OF
his own work as 1t was done from
the largest hut in the world. where
5000 persons entered daily and
where ell the allied armies were rep
,'F
"The doughboys are all the same,
he laughed "Tney all look for the
funny side of things. The most in
sipid plays and the oldest jokes
found them smiling, until after the
armistice. They expected to see the
lndicrous, They never failed to ex-
press their opinions. II they did not
like religions service they would
stalk out regardless Of who. was
speaking. Some OF the men great IN
American pulpits were dismal fail
ures over there and inconspicuoqs
workers, going across to do what good
they could, were accepted for the men
they proved to be.
Bishop Mitchell made tour Of
the areas and Mr.. Keagy was with
him for a month, speaking to the
men OF educational work after they
got home. At the close Of every talk
he was surrounded by from 100 to
500 men eager to talk school and
home and men signing up for college
work this fall.
"But the greatest point was the
singing soldier. Down in st. Agony
where the boys slept in the mud for
a month, they could sing and it was
the old tunes they loved. When a
man wanted to sing he started a tune
and all joined in. Maybe in the
midst Of ball game some one would
start, When the Roll is Called Up
Yonder.' They had no use for jazz
music or the fox trot, but they loved
the ballads II they were not too SEN
timental. Nobody dared hum Home
Sweet Home it was too near their
deepest emotions. and when they got
near the harbor OF New York it was
Hail, Hail the Gangs All Here that
was heard instead Of an emotional
melody" he said.
Now he is back again and having
seen the Y as the greatest co-ordi-
mating body for Christian churches
abroad is going to give his services
there for the future for he believes
it Is the center. the clearing house
Of what Christian churches have
wanted and are trying to do in
America.
Rev. S. r. Beatty goes to Chicago
Friday to spend the week end with
his son, Lieutenant Francis Beatty.
The Missionary Society of the
Congregational church is meeting this
afternoon at the home Of Mrs. John
Porteous.
Robert Graham has purchased the
residence property OF Miss Margaret
49, = NY n