The Topeka state journal., 1919-01-18
Says Y. M. c. A. in France Did
the Best 1t Could.
Mistakes Due to Fact 1t Had
Too Much Work.
EXPLAINS THE TOBACCO FUND
Lays Blame at Door of Army
COmmiSsary Department.
Asserts Association Kept All
Its Campaign Promises.

]
against the work of the Y. NJ. C. A.
during the war has been made in To-
peka by Governor Henry Allen. who
was in charge of the Y. NJ. C. A. work
| for the 35th division. Governor Allen
spoke at the annual meeting of the Y.
| w. c. A. Friday night. touching upon
| the work of the women abroad, and
dealing in particular with the charges
lodged against the Y. NJ C A
| THE association" he said, made
many serious mistakes. Sometimes l
| thought it was just about as bad as it
could be, but its mistakes were prin-
| cipally due to the fact that it under
took more work than it was prepared
| to do"
Then he went on to explain the
charge for supplies in excess of the
charge made by the commfssary de-
apartment of the army The Y. NJ. c.
| A. made it's first big mistake when it
| charge made for tobacco and other
supplies to the charge made by the
lcommissary deoartment. This was
done to cover the cost of transporta-
ton charges which the army did not
| have to pay. When 1 went into the
Y. NJ. c. A. from the Red Cross the
first of July. 1 stated that 1 would not
sell any supplies for more money than
the army sold them. l was told thai
the extra charge was already dispensed
with and that the Y. NJ. c. A. was SELL
ing its supplies and taking the loss on
the transportation charge.
| Says Y. NJ. c. A. Kept Promise.
THE boys thought that SO long as
their people at home were giving so
literally for the Y. NJ. G. A. they Oug ght
to be getting things for nothing over
there. When the campaign was made
for funds in America, it was distinct
ly explained that the money would be
used to build and man huts, to fur
| iCt nd ont fprta linn dr1f n ND
to do all that the association could do
to add to the comfort of the men and
sustain the morale of the army. Then
it was arranged that the supply part
of the service should be made self
supporting. This arrangement was
made perfectly clear during the cam
paigns.''
Gov. Allen explained the incident
of the sale of tobacco from the Y. M.
| c. A canteens that had been given by
people in America for the soldiers. The
commissary department had sold that
tobacco to the Y. NJ. c. A. and the
: association was innocent of the fact
I | that the toba eco had been a gift from
Americans. The conn .issary depart
: ment took all the blame for the acci-
dent, But" Governor Allen said they
l have not yet explained fast and far
enough to catch up with the original
5 complaint
t He Blamcs Jealousies.
We nave to remember, Governor
Allen continued. that there were 9TH
same field, and you know that whole
some jealousies and competitions
spring out of such situations. 1 need
say no more, on that point, and name
| no names"
Then Governor Allen launched into
/ an account of a few of the tasks thai
= the Y. NJ. had accomplished for the
/ soldiers. He said that in his division
e and he thought in the other division
s as well, no charge whatever wa.
e made for tobacco and candy to the
men going into battle returning
from battle. My superior told me tina
y my account was $4,000 behind fol
< supplies given away on the eve of th'
: Argonne battle. I told him." tht
n governor said, that I was ashamed
that it wasn't more, and that the rea
son it wasn't higher was because hat
= run out of supplies"
, The governor explained that ever,
day the men were in the trenches
5000 newspapers were taken to then
i and distributed. They should hav'
: had 27,000, but they couldn't get them
f He told also of the entertainment
e feature of the hut work, where the!
e had "all kinds OF parties, from a pray
er meeting to a prize fight, where run
| ming races and other athletic sport
I were put on for the men" He ex
!, planned that the Y. NJ. C. A. mad
=. and delivered at the front in tn
Vosges mountains 10000 doughnut
=. a week for long time. borrowing
= flour, sugar and lard, by turns, from
the commissary department. Tn
a doughnuts had to be sent in trucks
o and then by aerial railway, in planes
and then delivered direct to the men
He told also of the service of sendini
: home money for the soldiers. a worl
2. that kept the secretaries at tedious
IS uninteresting labor for long hours, wa.
Y into the night many times.
), Boys Gamest on Earth.
THE boys of our army he said
ARE the gamest men on earth new
a er heard one of them complain at til
,, greatest suffering, privation and sacri
7. flee, even to the sacrifice of life. The
# never complained Of anything tina
: really mattered. All of their com
: planning was over unimportant things
r, A soldiers idea Of gratitude is live
: ly appreciation of favors to come an
not those already realized.
I'VE have heard some complaint
ii of the men sent over. 1t was not pos
g sible, out Of the great numbers O
men chosen. to get in every instanc
u just the right man. but we did tn
> best we could. and / have never taIke
to an officer of the army who did no
declare that he didn't know what hi
: army would have done without tn
n Y. NJ. c. A.
The governor told also OF the wori
the women did abroad. in the Y. w c
# A. the Red Cross and the Salvation
? Army NO French woman" he said
would have submitted to wearing sue
uniforms as the American nurses wore
in which they could not be distin
gufshed from men a half block away
T But these American women were al
eagerness to serve and indifferent t
the way they looked"
! Miss Grafton Speaks.
= Miss Allena Grafton. secretary o
= the local Y. W. c. A. gave. an addres
E on the opportunities of the associa
y ton. declaring that IL was the purpos
,s of the organization to extend its worE