Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-02-19

IFpctldt 'biTtSpouuShSV w
Republican,
nv Victor McNausht,
Paris, Feb. lS.-The inauirins
stranger who arrives In France at
n. N. ~ fully aware by noon that the
Institution most unpopular WITH the
American army u the Y. NJ, &. A, Any
dough Will tell him so, and VIII 'aNe
obvious pleasure In the telling.
There is no news IN this, 10 be sure
as everybody knows that one OF the
greatest of all spirits durihs the past
few weeks has been exposing the T.
No doubt the people back home nave
heard and read many abte deiense~ o.
,h, organization. and statements or
the great amount Of work done Tor the
soldiers. Ny purpose Ia to set down
what have heard from prlNates, oHi-
ccrs and Y workers on this side, ana
what | have actually seen. with tae
intent To state the plain and exact
truth,
Why Soldiers Protest
WHY do the soldiers decry tho Y
NJ. &. A? We may take the folio~inS
ns the chief reasons advanced for their
discomfort:
I, Inc \ INll'u W U'ilit N''s''' -
into the fightins zone during the oiS
drives. tho 1t has been very active ana
efficient in rest areas.
.. men have had safe and easy
time of It when they ought To nave
been carrying rifles In the infantry
>, There are too many eNcursionlsts
and sight -seers in the Y. who are
ready to go home az son as they nave
toured the hattlehelds and tasted OF
the excitemeu,s of life in Paris.
4. Too,many preachers in the aud
too much preachinG.
:. The douehboys resent the I'M
plication that the Y has saved them
from various forms of perdition- TieN
allow with some heat that Few
workers needed a bit OF shepherdins
that they didn't get.
s. Too many workers are conde-
scending and supcrcilious; too many
small men with inflated opinions OF
themselves.
7. The usual complaints about over
charging for canteen supplies. Win
many protests that the y. ". G. A.
should give away it's wares.
The reader will please remember
that the seven counts in this indict-
ment were drawn up for me by sol
diers met in various parts of France,
and that they are set down here, not
as conclusions. but for further refer
ence and examination. Before we tase
up the case for final judgment. we
will have a look about and see how tbe
organization is actually operated.
Y. N. c. A. At Vsrdun.
One Sunday morning party OF
newspaper men drove into Verdun in
the st. MihieI region to the Argonne
forest. We NEEDED a few things to eat
at midday. as we were about to enter
a region swept bare of all civilian
life, so we drove to the Y. NJ c. A.
hea dquartes. We found the Y in a
large, bare and partly ruined build
ing opening into a desolate court
strewn with stones. bits Of broken tile
and other debris. The canteen occupied
a large room on the ground floor. IL
was crowded with men and officers.
standing In line that wound back
and fourth. waiting their turns at the
counter. A man and a woman were
working as hard as they could.
judged they had been there for hours,
and that they would remain for many
hours more.
Now the reason why like the
Salvation Army better than the Y. NJ
G. A."-came voice at my side.
listened. One doughboy was telling
another that the Y acts as tho it Is
doing you favor, while the Salvation
Army folks make you feel that you are
doing them favor in coming to
them ! did not. personally. envy the
workers their long. hard hours in
this muddy. desolate place, where no
one seemed inclined to give them any
thanks for their effort.
Foilins the Women.
The Y. NJ. G. A. occupies large
ton in Bordeaux. and it seems to be
crowded all the time. The canteer
workers get little time to reflect about
the aspersions OF critics. because the
critics keep them too busy.
The library maintained at this place
is literally patroniZed by the soldiers
and sailors. and the lounge Is a popular
room. especially in the evening. One
Sunday night RUDE Goldberg and
dropped in to buy some soap and other
home comforts, and we found the
place crowded. A sailor was playing
on the piano. and in a moment he wal
acting as accompanist for woman
violinist. who performed to the evident
enjoyment OF the boys. Outside. thu
wild young women Of Bordeaux were
literally combing the streets for vic
tins. but they were deprived OF thu
opportunity Of parading their eha
before one large building full OF Amer.
leans