The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1919-04-11
DR.. MOTT REPLIES
TO ATTACKS UPON
WORK OF Y. N. c. A.
GENERAL SECRETARY OF Or
cANizATloN "coMEs BACK" At
RETURNING SOLDIERS
TELLS OF WORK DONE
IN ITALY, FRANCE, RUSSIA

\
IN ITALY, FRANCE, RUSSII
New York, Feb. 15.-In the mos
detailed defense yet made against til
attacks of returned soldiers and othe
critics of the methods of the Y. M. {
A., DR.. John r. Mott, general secre
tary Of the Young Mems Christian as
ISOLATION, made a vigorous Comeback
in speech before the League for Pc
litical Education in Carnegie hail.
DR.. Mott pointed out that the Y. NJ
G. A. has been commended by Genera
Pershing, that 1t has been thanked b,
the king Of Italy and Premier Clemen
ceau for the work done among Italian
and French soldiers. that it has pro
vided free writing paper. free maya
zines, entertainment, athletic supple,
and other comforts to the American
soldiers, and that 1t has done q score
and more of other things to lessen the
Inconvenience of the trooper in the
field.
In the Home Field.
Come to our work in Mexico and or
the Mexican border. How little COM
plant about it we have heard! When
was having luncheon with General Per-
shing in France. he spoke with evident
feeling of the way the American Y. M.
C. A. had served along the border dur
ing that trying, irksome period. and how
we had gone with him into the area Of
occupation and stood by when we were
most needed.
Now take the war work that we have
been doing on this side of the Atlantic
on land and sea. since America entered
the war. There have been next to no
about what we have done in
the many great cantonments and the
large camps and countless small detach-
ments from sea to sea and along our
coasts in serving the army and navy.
This ID highly impressive that working
In nearly 1000 buildings and tents and
other structures and with a staff of over
|, 900 men, conducting their varied, helpful
activities before the very eyes of tho poo
pie who could criticise were there ground
for criticism, on the whole we are COM
nended for doing a very good piece of
work. and by none are we more COM
nended than by the men who are being
,erved themselves.
In Italy and Russia.
1.-THE king Of Italy sent for me to visit
lin at his villa near the front lines. He
1ept me an hour, cross questioning me
bout our methods. He became espe-
tally interested as expounded the phys
cal. mental and spiritual building up Of
men. At the end Of the interview he
said Mr.. Mott, you tell the American
z. NJ. c. A. to spread its work to the
maximum in our army. We now have
nearly 800 workers there under the lead
srship Of DR.. Nollen, president Of Lake
Forest university.
Nov we have = staff of nearly 100
men In vlAdivostok and across Siberia
almost to the Urals: alss in the region
4 the northern ports. BsfSrs tho more
'minous stage Of the revolution we had
'ur workers in the heart Of ancient. or
Holy Russia. and along the eastern front.
do not recall single adverse criticism
nth reference to that work / wish you
ould hear the Czecho- Slovaks speak Of
t. / wish you could have heard DR..
the president of that new re-
ublic, comment upon It with the great
st appreciation.
II think of what we have Leen per-
nitted to do with our British brethren
a serving the men that guarded the
uez canal. and how with the Austria
an. the New Zealand and the British |
we went with Allenby through |
no Palestine campaign.
French Make Appeal.
Some weeks after that we received in
merica the oablegram telling that in
10 vsrdun fortress the ons-thousandth
,yer had been dedicated. The French
ar ministry. which at first had turned
deaf car, sent = deputation to New
ERIK and laid before the National War
FORK council Of the Y. N. C. A. the re-
lest Of the French government that
. spread our work to 1000 points COW
ing the entire French army.
You have not heard anybody criti-
sc the fact that the Y. NJ C. A. has
I'd in operation in the A. E. F. 1900
its. rented buildings and tents, and free
'e Of. which is given to every man In
iiform. Last winter men did not criti-
Sc when we paid between $50 and $40
ton for coal in order that in hundreds
villages and other places where our
on were biIleted there might be one
ace, and often 1t was the only place
ose bitterly cold days and nights, where
II boys who had been drilling on the
dden ground and had wet feet, or were
the drifting sleet and rain and had
u clothing, could come to dry them |
Ives and get some warmth, and also
We some light; whore they could write
cir letters homo and read their maya
aes. You haven't heard that criticised.
How many within your hearing have
lticised the fact that W have sent
erssas hundreds OF athletic directors
eve draft age and that We have already
snt between 81 COX. 900 and 81, eoo, 900 on
hletic supplies for the free use Of Amer
in soldiers and sailors7 Have you heard
ticism concerning the fact that We are
overseas 100 entertainment |
,upss selected by some OF the leading ,
,mbers Of the theatrical profession?
Have men complained to you that We
} showing over 1000. 900 feet Of films
ch month In our 7. N. c. A. huts and
it, to = nightly attendance OF nearly
|.ooe7
Asks Critics to De Fair.
Our request Of All sincere critics, and
that 1 mean all those who really de-
, to have the grounds Of criticism re-
NED for the good 0f the service, 10 four
4. In the first place, b. definite. &c.
1, be constructive. No critic should
content with dsaltng simply IN naga-
- Thirdly. play the game: that \.
~ assurance has been given that the
nplAint Win ~ investigated and that
- Al -