Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-27
\. N. CA. ANsWER rs.
CRITICS WITH A BIC.
DISPLAY QF FACTS
Free Distribution of Supplies
to American Soldiers Show
Total Value Of Nearly Mil
lion and Half Dollars.

ESPECIAL eoaREsrososncs MORNING JoussE.
New York, Jan. 25,-Free distribu-
ton of canteen supplies TO American
soldiers by the Y. NJ. c. A. to value
of 81 400, 000, and loss on operation of
post exchange overseas exclusive OF
the soldiers stores in Great Britain
amounting to $332,1S1, has been an
nounced by William Sloane, chairman
of the national war work council Of
the y NJ. c. A., in Il statement based
on a cable message from II. G. Garter,
chief "Y'' secretary in Paris.
This total of nearly $l,75O,00O," III
said MIR. Sloane, which does not in
clude the post exchange deficit for
November and December, is the most
emphatic answer that the Y. NJ. c. A.,
can make to the charges of profitinS
which have been made by the soldiers,
In neither of the items which make
up the total, hoWeser, does the magnl-
tude of the "Y' free service appear.
For instance, there is no mention of
the free use of athletic supplies, val
ued at $S29, 1914, no mention of the
entertainments provided or of the sta
tionery on which millions of letters
are written home. Some time ago the
600 for this item of stationery, esti-
mating that the supply would last six
months The soldiers in the home
camps wrote 14,0S9 S05 letters on Red
Triangle stationery in the November
alone.
Not Greatest Loss.
''The loss of $332181 on canteen
service up to october 81, 1913, does
not take into account the vast cost of
operating post exchanges Every bus
mess man knows how his expenses are
increased by the items of rental and
clerk hire These items have been
contributed by the W to the operation
of 800 post exchanges as part of
its program Of war service. In other
words entirely aside from the cost
of operation, the Y. NJ. G. A. conducted
it's eanteen services at an actual loss
in spite of the fact that our arrange
ment with the army provides that this
service should be conducted on cost
basis. The army has always made II
plain to us that ii preferred to have
canteen service run on cost basis
as it did not wish to have the soldier
feel that he was being pauperized
referring again to the free distrl-
button of canteen supplies by the y
Mr., Carter states that his figures are
undoubtedly substantially below &C.
tual distribution His totals include
only the giving away of sweets and
smokes and hot drinks to men in the
trenches, the prisoners of war return
ing from Germany and to soldiers
who had not been paid for months and
were without money.
Heavy Expenses Entailed.
by actual figures he shows that
the total value of supplies distributed
free up to October 81 by the 'Y' was
$532.110 His November estimate is
$lS3,4S6, To this combined total viii
be added the very large expense en-
tailed by the elaborate Y. M. c. A
Christmas program. The war work
council authorized the distribution tc
every fighting man overseas gift that
included two packages of cigarettes, a
can of tobacco, a package of gum, five
Christmas cards and a bag of candy
Consultation of our latest price list
from overseas shows that these gifts
could not have been assembled at a
cost less than 80 cents man, OF
$500, 900. Transportation difficulties
in spots DELAYED, but did not prevent
We believe. the achievement of this
program The grand total is obtained
by estimating the December free dis
tribution at 100000 exclusive of the
cost of Christmas gifts.
There are cur latest figures, in
complete and conservative. There re-
mains just this to be said: There are
very few branches of the great Y. NJ
C, a.. war service program which are
not free to the soldiers and sailors: in
every one of them those few branches
where some some charge is made, the
Y. NJ. C. A. is operating at a loss.