Trench and camp. ([Admiral, Md.) 1917-1919, 1919-06-19
Secretary Baker Pays
Glowing Tribute To "Y''

comforts. which were carried to the
very edge of 'No-Man's Land"
There were 1891 American wom-
en- Y. M. c. A. canteen workers and
theatrical entertainers sent over
seas up to April 10, and Secretary
Baker glorifies these self-sacriflcing
workers declaring they have the love
and full respect Of our American SOL
der manhood.
I'm the huts, the Y. M. C. A. man
and woman were found-that extra
ordinarily beautiful thing which the
Y. M. C. A. sent over, and which the
doughboy learned to call an Hon
t-to-God American girl
Sometimes her hair was .streaked
with gray, and there was the re-
lationship of mother and son; but
ordinarily the relationship was the
tender relationship of brother and
sister. l have had these fine girls
say: Mr.. Secretary, live with a
regiment of soldiers fifteen miles
from any other woman who can
speak English, and although l have
been with that regiment month, |
have never heard one man swear in
my presence. f.
81 asked, but do you always feel
safe in such a desolate place.?
"She replied, with a laugh:
When l lie down at night the dough
boys voluntarily post a guard around
my tent, and / am never disturbed
until reveille in the morning"
OF the work of the Y. M. C. A. on
troopships, in the overseas training
camps and in evacuating the wound
ed, Secretary Baker says:
! "As l crossed the Atlantic during
the war, through the danger zone, !
found the Y. M. C. A. worker on the
ship, taking his place beside the sol
der. When that hour was over on
all these ships, coming and going.
these agents of the high social pur-
pose of America, ministered to the
sick and wounded and with their
amusements, magazines, books, ct
cetera, comforted, entertained and
advised the we'll.
lin the long periods of training
over there, the Y. NJ. G. A. workers
were constantly found organising
amusements, aiding men in cores
ponding with their friends at home,
giving counsel and advice in the en-
barrassmeIts that arose in the daily
life of the soldier, ministering to
them by distribution OF such things
as could be provided by the .gener-
Gus funds of the people of America,
welcoming the incoming soldier and
giving the outgoing soldier God
speed"
The splendid work Of these vari-
GUS war welfare agencies is very
largely due to the fact, says Score
tary Baker, that ''no army OF any
size, or nationality, including our
own, ever before in the history OF
mankind, has had such a record OF
health, cleanliness and high ideal
ism OF purpose. There were assem-
bled about these soldiers not only in
huences Of home and OF neighbor-
hood, but the great organized
agencies for dealing with life OF the
young.
"The churches in every community
had special services, the Y. d. c. A.
the Knights of Columbus, the Com
mission on Training Camp Activi-
ties, the War Camp Community Ser
vice, the Jewish Welfare Board, the
American Library Association, the
Young Women's Christian Association
all of these agencies realized that
this was an opportunity to do great
thing for America. With a singular
singleness of devotion to this great
cause, they co-operated and co-ordi-
mated their forces SO that there was
but a common purpose among all;
that was the purpose of service to
the army, to the country and to the
cause"