Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-01
Calls Criticism Of the 'Y' Unfair

To me Editor Of the Ercnin0 Public Ledger
Sir-'rhe criticism Of the Y. NJ g. A. has
reached the stage where those who had a
part In the work over there nave n right
to defend themselves. ! say Themselves, for
the criticism seems to be general, the infer
ence being that all men in the work of the
Y. NJ. c. A..were failures
I am not sure what public opinion calls
failure but from criticism H. seems to be
unable to make good in giving supplies.
If It is that, I know that is unfounded.
was attached TO the Fifth Regiment. United
States Marine Corps went into the
trenches with battalion March t6, or about
that time ! cooked forty gallons OF cocoa
each night serving without charge the out
post in No Mans Land and the sentries az
they changed during the night Some posts
was unable to reach at night but each
day delivered to them milk and cocoa that
they might have TO make for themselves.
At the request of the captain of the
Eighteenth Company, a corporal and | served
with hot cocoa and without charge seventy
FIVE marines who were digging trenches
under machine gun fire. They drank their
I'll and very graciously called the Y. NJ c. \,
a life-saver.
think every person knows the Y. VI. e. \,
was asked to take over the army canteen
and those who know anything about the
army canteen know that nothing is given
away. so that line of stock carried by the
cauteen we We're supposed to sell, hut when
lad in the line needed a smoke or chew
wanted chocolate and did not have the
money. he usually got what he wanted, per
haps not as much as he wanted, but he
got some | was charged with these supplies.
used the few francs of my personal allow
ance to help make up the deficit each month";
II never covered the deficit.
We are accused of selling cigarettes which
We're TO be given away. Perhaps | am
guilty, but an explanation will clear that
up. When gift tobacco came to the company,
the boys lined up for their ration regardless
Of whether they smoked or not. The boys
who did not smoke drew their tobacco the
same as the boys who did smoke. They
then came to me and traded the same for
chocolate or cookies and without opening
those packages | sold them for the price of
the chocolate which ! gave the boys for the
tobacco. Is that business? Is II unfair?
was with these lads through some OF the
worst scraps and gave cheerfully everything
at my disposal
When sent to post at l.uZancy.- where |
found 500 marines who were mustard gas
victims, I read their letters TO them, wrote
their letters. read Scripture for and prayed
with those who requested IT, fed them,
dropping cookies and chocolate in their
mouths like a bird feeds her young They
did not pay for these things. They We're
not asked for cent and | can truthfully
say that | refused TO take money for sup
plies given to The Sixteenth Field Hospital
Company. as the boys will surely testify.
l do not want to be misunderstood in my
motive for writing this letter. ! do want
those who read to know that the y. VI. &. A.
is unfairly criticized. why? Well. ] canno;
explain. but If | heard of any lads whom /
served criticizing, | would say they are
guilty of the basest ingratitude. Associated
with me some mighty fine men who
did splendid work. Some of these DR..
]. II. Clifford, kilcrease; the Rev Mr.. Bing-
ham, of Philadelphia. and Dr. Lynn T.
White. | am sure we all made mistakes.
Where is he who does not? We did our best
20 make the boys the very best fighters and
now TO be so numerically criticized surely
seems very unfair. Lets be reasonable.
CHARLES W. SAYRES,
y. NJ. G. A. Secretary, Attached Fifth Regi-
ment, United States Marine Corps,
Lancaster, Pa January 81