The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-25
GOODBYE, BOYS, GOODBYE.

The paper has served it's purpose.
which was a high one, based on an
unselfish desire to help maintain at
Camp Funston the spirit and morale
of the soldiers in training for overseas
duty in the great world war for de-
mocracy and the safety of national.
preservation and extension of liberty
the crushing of brutality and ruthless
ness that vas imperiIlfng the world.
When the armistice was signed and
the men in the cantonment could no
longer be said to be training for ac-
tual war duties, it was the thought of
the publisher of this paper, who has
also been by virtue of his position one
OF it's editors, that the paper should
be discontinued. This view was not
shared by John Stewart Bryan OF
Richmond, a., chairman of the board
of publishers. who has at great per-
sonal expenditure of money and time
assumed the responsibility and burden
of inducing his fellow publishers to is
sue these papers and continue their
publication while war lasted.
Neither was the view like that of
r. L. Lewis. who has SO successfully
of the paper. has been it's editor and
has done a great and satisfactory
work in that position.
General Camp Secretary James E.
Atkinson wrote as late as December
IT:
at seems to be that at the present
time there is greater need of camp
paper than ever before. The men
have more time now than they have
had at any time during the history of
the camp. The result is that there is
a greater call for reading matter.
There is nothing SO eagerly sought for
as the Trench and Camp, and 1 hope
that the publication can be continued
for many months to come. 1 thank
you for the kindly interest which you
have manifested for the soldiers well
fare"
AS late as January II, Mr.. Lewis
wrote:
1.-THE demand for the paper is in
creasing and this week. as week be-
fore, all the 5000 copies were distrib-
uted within nine hours after delivery
to the Y and K. of C. huts. The boys
simply eat them up"
On January 6, Editor Lewis wrote:
According to the latest advice from
Col. S. M. Williams, camp chief of
staff; Col. E. H. Humphrey, chief of
staff of the Tenth division; Capt. w.
L. Rucker, camp morale officer; Capt.
B.. V. Ogden, camp athletic officer,
and others well informed, there is a
greater necessity for Trench and Camp
at the present time than there ever
was before in it's history. They inform
me that the publication is doing more
to hold the morale of the troops intact
than any other one agency, and that
to think of disseminating it at the pres
ent time would be disastrous. Its ne
cessity of publication is so great that
it would be almost a calamity to dis
continue it before next summer. &C
cording to those who are in close
touch with the situation"
John Stewart Bryan wrote January
., two or three days before sailing for
Europe:
THE Y. NJ. C. A. will be in a
position to pay for the white pa
per and expressage on Trench and
Camp, and 1 will be glad to o. K
these bills when they are sent me.
think your letter from Captain Rucker
makes it highly desirable that we con-
tinue your excellent paper at Camp
Funston. 1 do not want to be accused
of Dragging or boasting, but l think
we have well established the fact that
this war was won by morale, and that
Trench and Camp took a large part in
creating that spirit"
In view of these expressions, what
could the publisher do but say he
would go ahead with his end, hoping
for the best and poeketing the losses
and continue to shoulder the burden
and expense of conducting Trench and
Camp.
The State Journal office has as
sumed the entire expense of preparing
the publication in the composing
room, for the white paper, for the ex-
pressage to Camp Funston, the pres:
| work and stereotyping. 1t has never
rendered a bill to or received pay from
| the Y. NJ. c. A. or anyone for any OF
these expenses. No copy has evel
been sold. Nine thousand copies have
| been circulated weekly at the camp.
Subscriptions offered with money
were always refused. The applicant
was told there was no subscription
| price: that the paper was printed fol
the soldier only and that the only way
for a civilian to procure a copy was
by application to a doughboy or officer
who having earned the paper by vir-
| tue of his enlistment, could mail, give
or barter it away-after he and hi:
comrade had read it.
There was never revenue from cir
culation; and none advertising fol
the first five months of the paper:
conduct. The paper has now beer
printed every week for seventeen
months. This, the last issue. is No
| GO. No issue has been of less thar
four pages, eight columns to the page
some times six pages have beer
printed and sometimes eight pages.
l. After its publication. as noted above
| for five months, it became necessar.
! to increase the number of paper
printed from 1000 to 5000 or 1900
| in ordar RI he 10