South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-03-06

Here IL is scattered in possibly 60
villages-perhaps $50 men TO a viii
lage. They lived In darkness, slept
on stone floors. and were utterly be
reft OF any home comforts. Could
tempt TO get such men a bar OF choc-
olate or a cigaret? Neither could
the y. and 50 il undertook it. 1t
had 10 charge or go bankrupt.
IL had no autos. but broken down
cars. which no one wanted, and you
know the sorrows OF any man who
tries 10 operate secondhand cars
when spare parts are not obtainable.
We never had more than an aver
age OF is men per combat division.
mostly old men. who did remarkably
well, but couldn't stand the pace.
The y couldn't get supplies across
fast enough, as the army was never
aDle te spare as sufficient tonnage,
and the result of the whole situation
was that the Y never did completely
cover its constituency. Men have
worked like beavers, day, night and
Sundays for IA months trying 10 do
this impossible thing, with utterly
inadequate facilities.
Costs Were High.
Early in the game. 10 make up for
goods which could not be gotten in
America, we did buy some on tho
local French markets, at rather high
prices. You will recall that out OF
the first $4,000, 900 campaign only
100000 was appropriated for
work overseas. Prices were so tre-
mendousiy high for lumber, furnish
ings, etc, that we had TO try TO make
the canteen self-supporting. and
that is why we charged the boys
all that the goods cost US. Well, TO
make a long story short, the short
age Of supplies, the scarcity OF au-
tos, and secretaries, the untouched
35 percent OF our men, whose par,
ents had contributed funds for their
benerit, which they could not see
that they were getting, and the
initial high prices on our canteen
goods finally had its reaction, and
the storm broke. We knew il was
coming. but there was no way to
avoid it. You may be interested in
Z
spite of all this, the Y had put on q
job over here that eclipses any
piece of Y work that | have ever
known.
France is simply studded with fine
aggressive associations from the
Searto Coblenz until those who have
traced the triangle trail whe- ever
the American soldier has gone in
France, stand amazed at its proper
tiOns. Ii has been an imperfect job,
but eVertheless an astounding one,
for which / shall never blush. Then
the first men who reached America
were the boys from the hospitals
Originally the and the Red Cross
had an agreement that the Red
Cross would build recreation nuts
in each hospital and the Y would
furnish the secretarial staff.
This worked well for a time, until
1 the campaign for the Red Cross
7 funds approached. and for reasons
which / will not explain, but which
cast no discredit on either organiza~
ton. the Y retired from the hos
pital field. at the request Of the Red
Cross. This meant naturally that
wounded soldier was picked up
in the thick of the fight, rushed to
a dressing station, then to a hos
pital, from which the Y was eXclud-
ed by the new agreement. then
home, and during the entire process
he had never seen a Y. He did not.
know of this agreement between the
two organizations, and naturally
thought the had deserted him.
This probably explains much of the
criticism of the early home corners.
but not all.
South Bend Distinguished.
South Bend sent some of its best
citizens into this war work: Davies.
Beers, Slower, CubbisOn, Smith,
Beck. Hubbard, Titus and others
whose names have slipped me for
the moment. They have always
done their best, and they and 5000
men and women like them have done
their best over here, and after the
smoke has cleared away, and inves-
legations have been made. the Y will
emerge from this fray the worlds
best known philanthropy. for which
il and its friends need have no
cause for shame. / am glad / have
been with il and. though it will have
kept me here three times as long
as 1 ever dreamed, and entailed sac
rifles which / never surmised would
be mine. yet / am glad to have done
what 1 could through this great
agency 10 bring this, wonderful army
back to America, with no great
bIotch on its record. morally, re-
Hgiously or intellectually. IL has
been a great privilege.
I should be glad 10 be remem
bered TO my many friends; as good
as I have ever known. and whom 1
shall never forget. l spent happy
DAYS in South Bend. / never nope
TO eclipse them, and as l write you
tonight the faces that / see are
legion of kind and thoughtful
friends, whom I knew there.
should be especially pleased 10 have
you read this letter to the board OF
directors and trustees. if il seems
wise to use il, and 10 have you say
10 them that the best days of the
y. NJ. c. a. are ahead, and that
shall always expect To hear that that
wonderful Studebaker Y. NJ. c. a. IL
ISL