The Republican journal., 1919-07-31
y.M.C.A, train
SERVICE DEPT.
Serves 749,5S1 Members of
A. E. F. in Four Months
Great Difficulty Has Been Expert
enced in Properly Housing Three
Quarters of Million Men.

Boston, July.-The train Service
Department of the Y.MC.A. m Parls
served 749,581 members OF the A.E.F.
in the first four months.
On the Train Service Department
of the YMCA. devolves the duty of
not only welcoming all members Of
the A.E.F. upon their arrival in Paris
but being sure that they are properly
entrained and comfortably fixed at the
time of their departure This Depart
ment is being directed by James G.
Connor, a newspaper man OF Phlla-
delphia. When taken over by him, the
personnel consisted of six workers
and a Ford camionette, with a capa-
city of twelve persons. Since that
time, the work has developed so rap
idly that the personnel has been
increased to thirty men, besides
Director and an Assistant, and twelve
large army trucks are necessary for
transportation purposes.
The cares covered by the Train
Service Department, are st. Lazare,
Montparnasse, Austerlitz, Lyon, Or
say, Nord and Est. These station
are covered by Y workers from s
o'clock A. M. until II Midnight and
it is the duty Of these men to heartily
receive members of the AEF., both
casuals and those on leave, direct
them to the Red Cross canteens at the
stations for mt ais, if they so desire
and place them on the trucks for trans
portation to the various YIN CA. and
Red Cross hotels located in Paris, for
their stay while here. In addition to
this work, the men have been dis
pensing cigarettes, chocolate and
gum, which they have carried in large
quantities in musette bags, selling
them to the boys at cost price, and in
some instances distributing them gra-
tuitously, when discretion premits
them to do So
These Y welfare workers are ais
equipped to answer all sorts of ques-
tions put to them by the members o.
the A.E F. That an idea may be gath
ored Of the fund of information thar
they must have at hand, few of th1
questions asked might be mentione
here:
Where can I buy Kodak films?"
Where is Wanamaker'S 2"
"Where is an American dentfst?"
Where is the Odd Fellows Lodge?"
Where are the base hospitals?"
Where is Tiffany's?"
What is the rate of German ex-
changer"
Where can l change Swiss mon
ey?"
What hours are the Louvre open?"
In the past four months difficulty
has been experienced in properly
housing the three quarters of a million
men. Along these lines, Col. l.. II
McKinlay, Welfare Officer U. S.
Army, and Mr.. Connor have workeG
out plan for the establishing of a
Central Regulating Bureau the pur-
pose Of which will be to ascertain the
number of beds available at the Y.MC
A. and Red Cross Hotels in Paris, and.
through an intercommunicating tele-
phone system between the Directiny
Ofice, Central Regulating Bureau, th
R.TO Offices at the Cares and tn
Hotels keep a complete record OF
such accommodations which will BE-
corrected every two hours of the tim
between A. M. and Midnight. 1t j.
thought that this regulating system
will do away with troubles hereto
fore faced by the 'Doughboy'' when
upon arriving in Paris he finds that
he is unable to obtain sleeping quar-
ters. Booths for the dissemination o.
information have been esta blished at
five OF the seven Cares in Paris These
booths are adequately equipped with
all sorts Of literature bearing on the
hotels canteens, theatres, places that
the operates for the entertainment
Of the boys, Religious Services. Sight
seeing Trips, md all other data that
is of interest to the soldier visiting
Paris.
The Train Service Department has
been congratulated by United States
Army Officials on the work it has car
rled out. Its Directing Office is al
45, rue Boissy d. 'Anglas.