The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1919-07-10
ODD HUM0RS OF
"Y MOBILIZATION
Some Of the Humorous Sidelights
of Picking Secretaries for
Overseas Service.

What can you say of his home
life?"
Ideal. He is bachelor"
What, if any, special weakness OF
character has he?"
He owns a Ford
What are his qualifications for re-
hgious leadership"
wise"
When approximately 10000 per.
sons volunteered to go overseas for
the Y. M. c. A., 10000 were chosen.
Some OF the recommendations" that
applicants got had as much humor as
truth-and vice versa.
Among the responses and confes-
sions were the unconscious bits of
humor that relieved the tension Of the
drama of "Y'' mobilization. And now
that the crisis is past the curtain is
lifted on these comic interludes
There stands revealed the minister
who, according to one of his refer
enceS, plays in a band and uses his
horn to social advantage otherwise
Here is another who won this com
pliment: "A small-town preacher is
too often a granddaughter but
is the opposite" One would-be "Y''
secretary was recommended because
Ibis right leg is about an inch shorter
than his left leg. Would use this man
because of his ability to meet men ON
their own level"
eff any further information is de-
sired ran letter commencing the
secretary of one of the leading mission
boards of the country, Il shall be glad
to give it. l hope he will be able to
get his passport at an early date as it
will be for the good of the country to
have him go as soon as possible"
One candidate, facing the prospect
of being sent to Vladivostok or Meso-
potamia, wrote:
IF | go to either of the countries
mentioned, would it be permissible to
carry a rife or two? l understand
that both are big game countries and
are only semi-civilized l have sew
eral high-powered rifles and would like
to be allowed to carry at least one, il
not two
Another determined not to let
Jerry" get away with anything just
because his own duties were to be non
combatant, inquired:
Fighting on the Side.
What is the chance of doing lit
tie fighting on the side, if | am in the
front line, trenches or open? In other
words, if | am carrying in a casualty
or passing out cigarettes and Boche
takes a shot at me, can l shoot back
or will l have to let him get away"
One secretary from a Western State
said that woman called on him be-
fore he left to go overseas She had
heard that some rare ferns grew in
No Mans Land and she wished he
would dig up a few and send them to
her
Like most preachers" said one rec
concentration, che is used to giving
orders rather than taking them" An
other comment was: He is perfectly
honest, but highly educated This
was cited as an eccentricity of char
acter He sometimes tells the truth
when he should have said nothing
Other "eccentriclties' included being a
bachelor and being "a lawyer and red
headed"
One applicant gave his build as
"Scotch-Irish." Another, under "po-
sitions held" wrote: Have always
worked in the employment of myself. "
Under use of intoxicants?" were
found these notations by applicants:
"NoC as intoxicants," do not use
them-axcept rarely" Total abstain,
er, dry as punk" The motives of one
applicant for entering the work were
given as For the sake of humanity,
and making his expenses"