The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-24
Spoke Before State Convention
at Luncheon Today.
TELLS OF KANSAS MEMS WORK
Price Increase Not PrOfiteer-
ing or Dishonest Blunder.
David Page of Topeka and Old
Directors Are Elected.

The nine members of the board of
directors whose. terms expired this
year were reelected this afternoon
at the annual state Y. NJ. c. A. asso-
citation meeting, with the exception of
H E. Wilson, who has moved out of
the state. David Page, former
member of the board, resigned to en-
ter military service, was chosen to
take the place of Wilson. The other
members reelected to membership on
the board are: w. w. Bowman, d. F.
Shirk, g NJ. Wylie, DR.. Z. S. Petty
John, NJ. e. Pearson, of Kansas City;
f. w. Jeffrey, of ElmdaIe; j. Luther
Taylor. of Pittsburg, and A. A. Hyde,
Of Wichita.
/ At the meeting of the executive
committee tonight, officers will be
chosen.
More than 200 prominent Kansas
men attended the luncheon given at
Pelletier's tea room today for the as
ISOLATION delegates in Topeka. The adj
dress of the afternoon was given by
Governor Henry j. Allen, who spoke
in defense of the work of the Y. M
G. A. abroad.
Il am offering no criticism he
said ~tOf the war department in this
speech. 1 am not going to crltlclse
any more until the secretary of war
lis through with me this time. But L
am going to tell you some of the rea-
sons why we made such a rotten job
Of our work as we did at times"
Cites Work of Kansas Men.
The governor proceeded to point out
to the Kansas men some of the deeds
OF valor performed by their own Il
NJ. C. A. men abroad. He spoke OF
George Hoyes, former secretary of the
Topek Y NJ. c. A. He told of How
ard Huffman, of Topeka, whom he
described as quiet man who per
formed the mental tasks set to him,
Faithfully and without complaint, re-
GREETING only that he could not dc
more He told of the Rev. John Wal
dron, who fought cigarets before he
went abroad and shut the picture
shows of Galena on Sunday, and spent
his first Sunday in France selling Gig
arets and running a movie exhibition.
Jesse Taylor, of Atchison, and Charles
Main, of Wichita, were other secre-
taries from Kansas whose work was
praised by the governor.
"Our first great mistake was the
adding of 10 per cent for supplies tC
the price of the commissary. We die
it to make another campaign for funds
at home unnecessary, and to cover
the cost of transportation. 1t was
bfunder but it was not a dishonest MOI
were largely due to insufficient trans
portation facilities, and a shortage OF
men.
Furnished Real Entertainment.
"Our critics have forgotten what We
did in the way of entertainment fol
them for we furnished entertainers o.
real talent, and did it under great diff
ficulties. We furnished recreation fo1
the men, and places where they coulC
read, write letters or play games. II
many divisions we had a secretary fol
each battalion.
I'VE were at times unfortunate II
the men we sent over. The available
men were so scarce that we were oc
casionally obliged to send men WIFI
were cheap at home. and who wer
worth but little to us there. The,
were not always pleasant to the men
p but they were the best we could get
The governor told of receiving TO
the men four carloads of candy. which
the menwere so eager to get that the
were willing to walk miles to obtain
He told of sending cherries by a
aerial tramway to the men in tn
trenches, and their comments to tn
effect that ALLEN must think us 10
of birds
McClain on Program.
At the committee meeting follow
ing the governors address, a speec
was made by r. II. Mccain, of Ne'
York. who has been engaged in
NJ. c. A. work in India. From tn
subject "The Y. NJ c. A. as a Nauone