Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-01-26
FORMER PLAINS
BOY,NOW TOBY
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CONTINUED from Page Seven.)

him was maze before his IdhoPoA|
had tied I'D at the pier. Every posi-
BILE effort was made to prevent the en-
rollment of men whose only concept
ion of their mission was that OF a
iunket In this connection it will ne
interesting to note that the Y. M. T.
A. has already sent overseas over
seven thousand men, of whom fully
five thousand are still there at work.
When this large number is borne In
mind. it should not be surprising that
here and there, under the trying ex-
periences of the work, there should
be found men who are disqualified. 1t
is our fixed practice to recall all such
cases.
QUESTION NO. g.
Were men chosen for Y. NJ. e. A.
work who were of draft age and Mt
for army service?
During the first months of the War
some men who were physically fit but
had not yet been called for service
were sent to France. Within few
months most of these men had volun-
teered for military service. This COM
uaratively small number of who re-
NAMED as late as August Of the pres
ent calendar year practically all d1-
vinity students and thereby eXempted)
were then notified that they must eth
or enlist or leave the service of the
Y. M. c. A.
QUESTION NO. 10.
Is it true that the Y. NJ C. has caus-
ed scores of men to be taken from
gainful occupations and after promis-
ing them overseas service, turned
item back without occupations?
It is that the Y. NJ. G. A. called
scores of men from gainful occu-
pations and after promising overseas
service. turned them back without oc-
equations. So did the Government OF
the United States and other civilian
organizations And where the Y. NJ.
C. A. has called scores, the army has
called thousands to give up their gain
full occupations. The Y. NJ c. A. has
expended its energy in bringing men
to New York City to embark for over
seas service when the war came to an
end; and it was still expected by the
Y. M. C. A. that those men who had
been called from gainful occupations
would serve the troops in France. The
War Department indicated its strong
preference that men should not be
sent from this side but whatever pos
sible should be taken from the army
overseas. 1t has recently announced
that it will release officers and enlisted
men who are especially qualified to as
sist in the educational program and
other activities of the organization.
This will mean that soldiers in France
can enter Y. M. C. A. service immediate
ly. OF course, it involves large saw
ing in transportation. 1t necessarily
effects an embarrassment OF those men
who were ready for overseas service.
But they are in exactly the same posi-
ton as officers and enlisted men dis
charged because the period of emery
ency. or the need for their services.
no longer exists. 1t is unfortunate,
and the sympathy of the Y. M. G. A.
goes out to these men; but they are
lust as much casuals of the war as if
they had been discharged from the en-
listed army. Their plight is one for
which the Y. NJ C. A. is in no way
responsible, although it wishes to do
all in it's power to see that these men
through no fault of their own are not
put in a false or unfavorable light be-
fore their acquaintances.
QUESTION NO. II.
Is it true that the Y. NJ c. A work
ers overseas did not go to the front
lines, but persistently lodged dangers
Only today Mr.. John Sherman Hoyt,
the Chairman of the National
War Work Council of the Y. M. c. A,
who was with the troops in the st.
Mihiel drive and in the Argonne, stat
ed to be that in the Argonne fight there
were seven hundred Y. M. c. A. sec
retaries, fifty Of whom were women
canteen workers, attached to the diff
ferent fighting units, with which they
remained in the danger zone and fire.