The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-03

Called
II is said that this is the way It
began. whether II is or not, for
weeks gobs and doughboys by the
hundreds have been guests of honor
In London or Suffolk homes, or play
Ing the young laird in households up
In the Highland country. Now 10000
homes IN the United, u ,,erd np, are, csll-.
s-t.s ~ t + ri - ~ = :. =,
alone. Hundreds of British homes,
each trying to do honor to Yank!
Shades OF Patrick Henry and Paul
Jones.
Harsh news. withal for the girls
back in the states, but the truth. As
has been alleged, the English and
Scotch girls started it They came by
the scores to volunteer for work in the
American Y. NJ. G. A.. and now the
I Y. ". G. A. is the victim of Its own
system, for its week ENDS. weekly
and breakfast dinner luncheon guest
service Is one OF the most important
of all its departments.
Hundreds OF boys are going back
| home to boast that they had dinner
at London restaurants whose menus
and prices--are world famous The
lord mayor has given dinner for
, sailors in the historic banquet hall
of The Mansion House. There has
been big tea party at the Savoy ana
another at F'rascati's.
But, attractive as these pubic gath
er,ngs are. They are no; the feature OF
Britains hospitality. London Is lead
ing, and all England and Scotland are
following suit. Unbelievable as 1t
sounds. AN English Home for Every
ank" is the big job tina, the Amcri-
can Y has undertaken and that 1t
il putting over with nothing bu, sue
cess.
At first this was rather difficult
problem. IL WAS tried out by q few
venturesome families who had be-
come interested In the work of the
\. NJ. c. A. al the Eagle Hut, in Lon
| don, or one Of the many kiosks In
the city or in other paris OF the United
kingdom. The English and Scotch
girls invited the boys TO their homes,
as individuals.
Boys Make Hit
The boys, Ii seems, made a hit.
They, in turn, spoke OF pals who would
soon be coming over on leave. and
these pals were invited on the recon-
mendauon of the original guest These
family visits made the boys leave time
! infinitely more attractive than IL
would have been had they had to put
! up with the ordinary routine of no
| tells and restaurants and that the WIS.,
| its we're a welcome diversion tor the
| hosts WAS apparent Immediately. The
English and Scotch demanded more
boys Just as strongly al the boys de-
manded more families. So the ''Y''
| took up the demands and formed d
| separate department TO handle the
! situation.
| Many of the English families have
put their names q N on The hospi
! tality list as the T. nit OF incidents
/ SO informal that the would have been
! shocked at the mcre suggestion be
/ fore war taught them to view life from
a different angle.
/ A doughboy met an English girl at
q dance arranged by the American y
/ NJ. G. A. She Nas most anxious, like
all English girls, to learn the Ameri-
| can dances, so he, being an expert
taught her and had her for parsncr
Tor most OF the evening. When i
was time to leave, h, said to her:
You don't know how I have en-
joyed this evening. wonder whethe,
you would let me cali on YOU at YOU
: home tomorrow
With little n,ociA G gn4ty, she said
$ I'm very particular about who call
on me-
Yes" he asked calmly. well. Tn
, very particular about whom / teacl
to dance"
TIL readiness OF his retort disarmet
her, and the result was tina; The fol
lowing afternoon he called and me
her family The inagnificence st tn
, home that he found did not seem I.
| emharrass him in the least II
| proved so perfectly at ease that he
| family was delighted and invited hin
TO be their guest for The remainde
| of his leave. During his stay the
drove him In "A motor through mucl
! of the historic aad beautiful countr,
in the south OF T. land. and ended b.
asking him to hem any of hi
friends who wer, ing across from
France.
Take Them Hearts.
I Yet there is "a. ide to thu
. universal hospital. American
boys. The YANKEE, especial,
, popular with the fanll.Ns who hay
lost their own boys in the war. an.
their number is legion Throughout
England. Bereaved mothers seem Il