Trench and camp., 1919-01-30
CROSSETT, NOTED BOSTON "Y"
MAN, ANSWERS THE CRITICS
Says Association Did Splendid Piece of
Work and That Pershing and Clemen-
ceau Knew Value of Every Bit Of It.

ca Of many thousands of tons per
month. These supplies were bought
in America and were upon the docks
ready for shipment, but the govern
ment could not spare us the needed
room on their ships. for the reason
that it was of the first Importance to
get men overseas as fast as possible.
At first we were not allowed to buy
supplies from the quartermaster's de-
partment, but were forced to purchase
where we could. Our first boys ar
rived in France in July, 1917, but 1t
first supplies arrived from America.
How disappointed we were when
the ship with our first cargo came
within sixty miles Of the French
coast and was torpedoed resulting in
>the loss of everything. we had on
board.
All the supplies used in our can
teens during those first months were
purchased in England, France. or
Switzerland. I shall never forget my
service. We had loaded one Of our
large trucks in Paris with $4,000
worth of cigarettes, chocolate. tobac-
co and other things, we thought our
soldier boys needed, and we drove all
night and all day for 180 miles to
Grandicourt. There, arriving at z
o'clock in the evening. we distributed
our supplies among four or five of the
camps in that neighborhood. How the
boys did pile in to buy. shall never
forget the pleasure on their faces. We
only allowed each man to buy to the
amount OF two francs worth: We had
practically no sleep that night: we
had been up all the previous night;
and the next morning we were at
xWork making our camp attractive and
getting ready for the sale. While we
were preparing soldier came on
motor cycle saying he had heard that
the supplies had arrived and had
come thirty miles to purchase some Of
them for the boys in his camp. We
told him that BY orders OF the ,o com n.
open the camp until II o'clock. He
replied that he had to be back at that
time and went away cursing the Y:
M. C. A.. little appreciating the hard
the service possible and the fact that
we were not to blame for his dis
appointment.
An Answer to Criticisms.
This illustration answers the criti-
cism of those who say that many
times the camps would not open again
for sales after the hour for closing
had come. They do not realize that
we were under military orders. that
the commandant fixed the hours at
which we should open and close, and
that any disobedience OF his orders
would bring upon us severe repri-
mand. Two days afterward. when
all the supplies brought in had been
sold and the boys were still clamor-
ing for the delicacies, l made TWO
trips in my automobile to Bar-le-Duc,
and picking up there in retail store
such supplies as we could, we brought
them back and sold them at cost to
the boys, who seemed to appreciate
this service. So It was all through
the first six months Of our work.
when we had to. depend on buying
things at the best price possible.
1t is only within the past two
months that we have been permitted
to purchase everything at the quar-
termaster's department. thereby saw
ing freight across the ocean, high In
surance rates. and part Of the cost
of automobile transport over there.
We have had to establish immense
storehouses; hundreds of automobile
trucks had to be purchased; we are
operating no fewer than five large
biscuit and cracker factories In
France, and it has taken larger
force to operate these canteens than
to carry on all the rest of the activi-
ties of our association.
Agreement With Pershing.
We made an agreement with Gen.
Pershing to the effect that any profits
which accumulated from the canteens
should be spent for the boys in the
service. But instead of there being
profit the loss has been very consider
able. When 1 left France in Septem-
ber the auditors told me that the loss
would probably amount to rs per cent
of the volume Of business done. This
includes, of course. all the supplies
we were giving away in the fighting
zones. the loss in transportation and
the expenses Of operating. Here,
then, alone, Is an amount OF money
given to the soldier boys as large as
the total budget Of any other organ
ization, with the exception OF the Red
Cross.
The article alludes to the feeling Of
the boys that, as folks at home have
given such large amounts. the can
teen ought to give away its articles
for nothing. The slightest considera
tion Of the matter shows this to he
impossible. If things were given
away for nothing the demand for
them would be larger. and this bill of
ours would soon run up to $500, ,0O0,-
600 year. But some say that it has
been done by the Knights Of Column
bus and the Salvation Army. The
Salvation Army officials state posi-
lively that only in the shell zone have
they given away their supplies-that
in the rear areas they have always
charged for them. According to in
struofiouu from, ranaraI hea dU1ia ri era