Omaha daily bee., 1919-06-22
GOVERN MEN1
7 0 HANDLE
SOCIAL WORK
IN U. S. army
Training Camp Activities
Commission Recommends
Creation of Non-SeCtar-
ian Social Agency.

Washington, June 2l.-Social
work in the army i'll any future
emergency should be handled by the
government itself through a single,
nonsectarian agency, in the opinion
of Raymond D. Fosdick, chairman
of the commission On training camp
activities, expressed In a report
made public today by the War de-
partment. Secretary Baker was
said to be Substantially in accord
with Mr.. Fosdick's view.
Rivalries engendered by the sec
tartan nature of the Young Mems
Christian association, Knights OF
Columbus. Jewish Welfare board or
other societies sharing in the United
War Work campaign fund of $l7z.-
100000, Mr.. Fosdick found to have
provided 'the worst possible basis
for social work with the army a.
result for which he held the training
camp commission responsible for
having turned to these private agcn-
cies.
at seems to me-" said Mr.. Eos.
dick, that the lesson of the war i'll
social work involves perhaps three
points: The elimination of sectarian
auspices; reduction in the FIl,lrnbes atq
agencies employed; and the Transfers
to the government itself Of much of
the activity hitherto left to private
initiative"
"Y" Had 5000 in France.
Discussing The work of the six or
CARNATIONS that served abroad with
the army. the report said the Young
Mems. Christian association, hand.
ling So per cent of the war work
budget and with 5000 representa-
tives in France, was far the largest
and received a good deal of crit
Iicism from the soldiers in France ="
Some of this criticism is merit
ed" Mr. Fosdick said much of it
is due, l believe, to misunderstand-
| ing"
The bulk of the complaint arose
from Young Mems Christian asse-
citation operation of army canteens,
which Chairman Fosdick said was
mistake, although it was undertaken
as a service to the army and re-
leased large combatant personnel
From early days the canteen had
been an army perquisite and the sol
diers could not understand why it
should be handed over to private
society which was at the same time
raising millions at home for sup
port" the report said, and cont;n-
ued:
| Moreover, the personnel of the
Y. M. c. A. was unframed for his
kind of work and it soon found it
self in maze of business and tec:--
nical difficulties with which it was
unable at first to cope. In the minds
of the soldiers. it Immediately be-
came commercial organization,
and from this stigma it has never
succeeded in freeing itself"
So far as the effect of the transfer
of the canteens went on the army
command, the report continued. 1T
was a genuine relief to the general
staff that during the fighting days
of the army, it did not have to ham
die the ever troublesome canteen
problem.
"The charge that the Y. M. c. A.
made money out of the canteen is of
course erroneous" said Mr.. Fosdick.
However high its prices may have
been in individual localities, consid-
cred as a business venture the total
results show large losses"
Another ground for criticism Of
the Y. M. C. A., which Mr.. Fosdick
said was somewhat justified. was in
the character of its personnel. While
many of its men were we'll qualified
for their work, he said. many otli-
ers were utterly unadapted to this
purpose and had no common grourd
in mixing with our virile red-bloci-.
ed young soldiers" He found also,
however, the field of choice was linz
tied, men of proper qualifications,
being in most cases, in the army.
| The work of $500 young women
serving under the Y. NJ. c, A. with
the troops in France is beyond
praise" Mr.. Fosdick stated, the
| girls being far better adapted to
the task that the average man. .JHe
said also the charge of ! baeiv
adapted personnel could not a,c
confined to the Y. NJ. C. A. alones
| Similarly Mr.. Fosdick found that
the Knights of Columbus carried
on a helpful work on the same
general lines.
Praises Jewish Welfare Board.
The Jewish Welfare board con-
Quoted under able leadership a work
admirable in every respect" Mr..
Fosdick said. He noted that its ia
cilities in the lie Mans area were
widely employed by Jew and Geu-
tile alike" -. q. 80, ..ss,-
The Salvation Army was beyond
question the most popular OF these
organizations with the army I'D
The report said.