Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1919-01-29
LET'S BE FAIR TO
THE ". M. C. "A.

Il
Iank It time for us TO stop and ask
ourselves whethar we are being quite
fatr to the !, NJ C. AZ We are poo
pie fond Of generslities; we do not deal
much in fine distinctions year ago
~ we're all saying 10 each other; 1.-THE
Y. NJ, 6. a. Is doing wonderful work"
To-Day one hears everywhere criticism Of
the association. frequently from people
who hear it themselves at second hand,
and are not in any position to have
weighed all che facts.
pr. John r. Mott, with characteristic
frankness, asked the War Department to
make an investigation Of The criticisms
aEainst the X. Nj. G. A, az soon as they
hegap to be common ia this country;
thai Investigation is now under way and
its results viii be available in a reas-
opable time They will show doubtless
shat both cur first enthusiasm for the
X ~ G. A. and our present proneness
~ criticism have been considerably over
siensthat the association jumped into
difficult situation and has done great
pfsee Of work which, because It's tools
a1e afite human beings, has not been
frse from irperfeetions.
one Or two points are obvious even
IN advance Of the investigation The
y. NJ, G. A. Is engaged IN the store
keeping business In France. engaged on,
4eaia involving Sb,000,099 Of sales a
Rtqnth. 1t was business which the
Il had no expectation OF undertaking
shen IL vent TO France a business thrust
Upon 1T by the army. which knew its
diIftcultteS. Now there Is no store IN
5petcn. or anywhere else, no matter noW
wen established and finely organized
which does not receive every das It's
quota OF complaints. Transfer that store
20 foreign country; break It up into
several hundred parts, separated by miles
81 altell~torn roads; let Il deal In foreign
money. and In good that have to be
brought from this country and trans
ported miles by motor~trucks, and 80
must sell at greatly enhanced prices--
create this condition and Is it any wonder
tnHt the complaints are constant and
often hister7
Goods could not be sold at any price
under such conditions without creating
diasat lsfaction, Soldiers are proyerhiai
Srun1bierai they must have something
Noked by long hours of idleness, or duli
Tnutines and the ". NJ G, A. cantcon
mas, 10 this war served the useful IL
unpleasant, function Of giving them a
target for their complaints,
Another thing which the investigation
y - s.tsts1se ASA tfainig iShpW Is tHal inc
whole difficulty IN France has had its
roots IN tho question of personnel.
CERTAIN type Of Jovial, good humored Y.
90, 81 a. secretary could sell goods at
AlFnqst any price To boys; and the boys
would still love HIM. Rut new aud then
ps1e LAas III Alae Y Al, g. AL. Ms la other
organisations gentleman who carries
me burden OF tue worlds wrong doing
Oh his own back, whose soul ia 80 laden
ae with his responsibilities that he for
gets 70 isusn~ssuch q one could not give
cigarettes away without epeating an
taEonism And II is the misfortune of
the NJ. G. A. that the good and sue
cesEtnl secretary receives himself the
credit. while for the secretary who fails,
the II Is blamed
Taking 1000 men at random ana send
ing them to France after a few weeks
training means that there will be some
tools n the company, Inevitably: par
Ltediariy IN a year when the government
Was laying first claim to the best men
Of the land. The investigation will doubt-
70 their task neither intelligence nor
tact. Cases Of inefficieney or neglect of
auty ought TO b. uncovered, and win
he, But until we have The iuvestiga-
Mons results in full let us reserve ludg-
ment for little while Let US reinem-
her that General Pershing, who surely
ought to be in position to iudke II
anyone can, has repeatedly testified to
his appreciation Of the service rendered
have given themselves TO the Y. M. q
= beth IN this country and overseas
Tor Boston ever to believe that the Y
NJ 81 a. has not, in spite of its short
coYllnss, done a wonderfully effective and
nsetul piece Of work in the war.