Evening star., 1919-03-14
Y FEEDS 10000
DAILY AT COBLENz
Yanks Enjoy Movies, Vaude-
vile and Trips on
Rhine.
A "MIXED-TRAIN" STORY

COBLENZ. March 1.-Supplies l. are
still slow coming into this center of
the American Army of occupation, but
already sixteen red triangle signs in
dicate that the Y. M. C. A. is very
much on the job with the association
program of real service and recrea-
ton. Ten thousand meals day are
now being served under the super
vision of the "Y' in the eight hotels
and restaurants requisitioned by the
Army authorities. Thousands of feet
of the latest motion picture film from
home are projected twice day in the
huge Festhalle; or festival hail. vau-
deville entertainers from the United
States are plentiful, and two after
nooons sightseeing boat trips on the
Rhine are attractive to the 5000 men
who are here on leave at all times.
Considering the obstacles which
confront the Army and the Y. M. c. A.
in their efforts to get sufficient sup
plies here, the operation of the hotels
and restaurants is very satisfactory.
And it ought to be. when one con-
siders that the solution of this prob
lem is in the hands of Lawrence
Maresch of the Bellevue-Stratford Ho-
tel, in Philadelphia. Maitre Maresch
reckons on 1000 regular meals a day, in
addition to those required by the men
who are here on one-day passes and
two-day leave.
Hotels Requisitioned-
The Army has requin toned two hotels
others for enlisted men and ono each
for the man secretaries of the Y. n. c.
A for the woman assistants and
canteen workers There Is also q res
taurant for enlisted men and ono ex-
c1usively for leave men in addition to
the restaurant in the Y. NJ c. A head
quarters in Festival Hall. A club for
officers also provides dining and read
ing room accommodations.
The Y. NJ. c. A. operates canteens and
reading rooms at three centers. presents
continuous motion pictures from 3
O'Clock to $50 daily at the Lesevsrein.
a capacious but much smaller auditor
lum than that at Festival Hall, and
also rovides popular service in the
department of money exchange.
the men is shown by the fact that
chef and ten assistants are kept on the
jump every afternoon on each of the
two 'Y" sightseeing boats. Men who
know Rhine history and red triangle
mattresses who need no other recon-
they came from the United States are
regular attaches Of these excursion
steamers The doughboy has his choice
between three-hour trip to StolzenfeIs
Castle. described as the property Of the
kaiser" and two-hour trip to Ehren-
breitstein, one of the strongest German
Notifications.
Helped Organize 2. NJ. c. A.
q
teacher Of the Country Day School in
Boston. played. large part in the
organization of the Y. M. G. A. sys-
tenn here He returned home a few
weeks ago after having been in con-
tinuous service overseas since August.
sent him to return. Some Of his early
TRANSFORMATION problems were Solved
for him by another Massachusetts
man, Harry L. Chase, a railroad en-
employe Of South Braintree.
Chase's railroad experience stood
get two freight cars filed with COM
forts into the army of occupation.
For i've days he never lost sight of
bis precious freight and about the
time he thought he must have gone
beyond his destination he discovered
that he and his two cars were in the
passenger station at Metz. His early
disgust was dissipAted by the dis
covery that the Luxemburg limited
departed from the track on which his
cars had been left.
Yank Shrewdness Wins.
When the limited pulled ont it
satisfied all American definitions Of a
mixed train" At the first stop the
conductor, aided and abetted by the
engineer and the fireman. insisted
that he take himself and his two cars
and get on sidetrack. BY a combi-
nation Of Inducements, threats and
Yankee shrewdness Chase overruled
their objections and succeeded in get
ting as far as Treves. Several days
later he had the satisfaction of re-
porting to Mr.. Sprenger that he had
arrived with two carloads of smokes.
sweets and sports supplies.
Transportation problems are not as
acute as they were when Chase made
his famous trip. but they are still
far from ideal. Nevertheless. the lot
of the doughboy across the Rhine
might be a whole lot worse.
Al hf.k C.