New-York tribune., 1919-05-07
Finance Committee Head
Replies to Criticisms by
Admitting That Personnel
Caused Much of Trouble
''Task Well Handled''
Great Aid Given Army More
Than Overbalances Errors
of individuals, He Says

its workers. that at times there was
CONFUSION in the matter OF prices
charged for canteen supplies and that
some secretaries were tactless and over
Jealous in emphasizing the religious
side of the work, George w. Perkins
chairman Of the finance committee OF
the Y NJ. C. A, in report issued YES
terday, answered the criticisms and
charges made against the association's
war service abroad.
The report is that of the committee
headed by Mr.. Perkins and including
Mortimer L. schif, John R. Hall and
F. S. Brockman, who in December
last, were sent abroad to investigate
conditions in France, England, Ger
many and Italy. The committee spent
four months on the work and concludes
that under the circumstances in which
workers were selected, the confusion
abroad and difficulties at home in for
warding supplies, the work was we'll
done.
The criticisms Of the ssY" abroad
have in the main consisted of charges
that men sent abroad were untitled
Tor the work; that supplies sold in
canteens were charged for; that in
some instances prices vera too high,
and in others goods contributed were
sold; that some workers were dishon-
est: that others secured the attend
ance OF soldiers at prayer meetings
under false pretences, and that the
"I" attempted to do too much
Personnel Big Problem
Beginning with the matter of per-
sonnel, Mr.. Perkins states that at the
start the organization was very much
handicapped by the necessity of TAX
ing men above the draft age, who yet
could not, in the nature of things, be
much above forty-five. There also was
the necessity Of speed, SO that it was
impossible to put them through a
course of preliminary training, though
this was possible after the work was
we'll under way, and there was also
great difficulty in getting instructions
and communications through to men
at widely scattered points.
"it WILL" says Mr.. Perkins, "be read
lily seen that difficulties, many of
which were unsurmountable, con-
stantly presented themselves and gem
orally and greatly hindered the for
organization"
The process by which workers were
selected is described at length. Briefly,
this cons listed of selection first by local
committees, then by state commit
tees, again by central or divisional
committees and finally in New York
In all the local committees investi-
gated 10000 candidates for the work,
Of which 10000 found their way to
New York for final examination. From
this number IL ,229 were finally Sc
lected and sent to Europe Last month
=, there were 5,693 men and 1851 women
still abroad.
Says Average Is High
Much" says Mr.. Perkins, "has been
said about the inefficiency of these
workers, and without doubt many Of
them were inefficient. In any form Of
organizatio in civil life, whether it be
public schools, chain stores or corpora
tions, if 80 per cent of those originally
employed make good the result is re-
garded as highly satisfactory. If 10
per cent of the 1929 operating in
France for the Y. NJ. C. A were ineffi-
cient it would mean that 1,122 men or
women were more or less of a failure.
] do not believe that anything like this
number, was unsuccessful, but if,
VIC ClOSt scrutiny WQlCN In0 sol
dlers give these welfare workers, even
5 per cent were failures it would have
put a large amount of criticism in cir
cuiatlon and the work Of the 90 per
cent who were successful would be for
gotten in the publicity given to the 5
per cent who were unsuccessful.
That the workers as whole were
brave and unselfsh is shown by the
fact that fourteen X. NJ. G.. A. secre-
l.,
wounded" ~
On the matter of managing the cam
teen. Mr. Perkins calls attention to the
1act that this work was taken over at
the request of General Pershing in
august, 1917. This, he points out was
at time when it was extremely diff
cult to get men accustomed to handling
supplies, difficult to get supplies and
oi.mcuit ana expensive to get transport.
one day." says Mr.. Perkins, eve
couic get supplies sent on a govern
ment boat without freight charges. The
mex. Gay the only way to send goods
%oe4o be to pay almost as much in
freight as the goods cost"
Total Cost Price Varied
This, he points out, made it almost
impossible TO arrive at an average cost
price at which TO sell goods or to avoid
ine occasional confusion of Qoods that
had been bought with goods contrib
utea 10 be given away to the soldiers.
The statement has frequently been
made that the Y. NJ. G. A. charged
hlgher prices for canteen supplies
tnan the army did," says Mr.. Perkins.
AS promptly as the costs could be
reduced the prices were reduced, and
5or many articles the Y. M. c. A..
charged lower prices than the quar-
ter'naster did. The final results of the
T. A. &. AS canteen operations win
snow substantial loss.
II has been said by soldiers of
different organizations who were in
the actual fighting that they did not
even see Z. 81. c.. A. man or any
canteen supplies. This was undoubt-
cay true IN many instances, and came
about because the Y. VI. g. A. did not
have sufficient funds with which to
provide the personnel or the trans
YortaSion TO supply all OF the army
units. The Z. VI. G. A. keenly regretted
its inability to fully extend it's work.
~ went just an far az It could 10 rem
coy the situation, even 40 far as To
run into debt last fall to the extent Of
Sl1,Ooo,0O0 before funds from the nexy
campaign were received
Some have criticised the Y. M. C. A.
Tor not giving away more articles. such
az cigarettes and chocolates. Its policy
fiaS been not TO give away generally.
bat only In special and needy cases
IRON June, 1913, TO April, 1918. the
Y. 81. G. A.. handled In France alone
7Jrwz rd of q 0fJfJ Gf.0 f,0a yo.t..xan . :