The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-26
Richard RICHTER Tells of Work
With the CRUSADERS"
Excursion Boats on
River Rhine.
ASSES OUT 10000 PAPERS
Thousands of Meals Every Day
to Our Yanks.
Ten Hotels Are Operated in
COblentz by Y. NJ. C. A.

The defense of the YIN. C. A. In
the war zone and the work it is doing
with the army of occupation is ably
carried out in a letter to the State
journal received today from Richard
Fighter. son of DR.. William H. Right
eProf Topeka. Fighter has been doing
wonderful work in France and his
activities have been recognized by
army and Y. NJ. C. A. officials. He
formerly was a reporter on the State
journal,
y His letter follows:
$50 many reports are current in
Paris of harsh criticism of the Y. NJ.
CA. in America that, however absurd
these criticisms may be- I cannot re-
frain from telling you about one or
ttvo phases of FY' work in an area of
which even the W men in Paris know
very little, the area held by the Ameri-
can army of occupation, the Third
army.
How do the men of the Third army
learn what is going on in the outside
World? Every day the Y. NJ. @. A.
distributes gratis 10000 newspapers
among them. These papers arrive by
espress in Coblenz at 4 o'clock of the
DAY following their publication in
Paris and except to the more distant
posts are distributed each week. 1t is
q fact which you will not believe, but
which is the absolute truth none the
less. that the Saturday Evening Post
6f-the date of March l was being read
BY members of the A. E. F. in Cob
ientz on March T. the time of transit
being about IS days. The magazine
was OF course shipped from America
before it was released for the public
IN America.
Y Operates Hotels.
The Y. NJ. c. A. operates ten no.
tells in Coblentz. largely for men on
leave. The Y operates the only places
IN this area at which. aside from his
company mess. a soldier can obtain a
meal. Two of these hotels are for Of
ficers, and there is the customary Of
ficers' club as well. The great Fest
hall at Coblentz, a beautiful building
seating 5000 men, is leased by the Y.
NJ. c. A. Every afternoon and eve
ming vaudeville or other entertain
ments are given there, the evening
performance being different from that
of the afternoon. Between perform
ances orchestra and band concerts en-
tertain the men. A dance is given at
the Fest hair every evening after the
SHOW, girls dancing with the sol
liers, and, as there are never enough
siris to 20 round, each wednesday
evening there isSa great costume ball
In which soldiers dress as girls. A
prize is given at each costume dance
for the best girl" and the has 5000
complete feminine costumes from
which the men may select.
Two Theaters, Also.
Besides the Fest hall the Y oper-
ates two other theaters in Coblentz.
ssthe Little Play House." seating
1000, with different shows afternoon
and evening, and movie theater
which runs continuously from 2:SO to
$3.50, seating from 1900 to 1000 and
showing American films. These en-
tertainments are free.
One of the kaiser's palaces is situ-
ated in Coblentz on the principal bou-
levard and the Y. NJ. G. A. is now
erecting two large buildings on the
front lawn of this structure. Not In
the back yard" or the side yard
but in the kaiser's front yard, one on
either side of the centIa walk. One
of these structures is restaurant
which will when complete feed 1000
men an hour; the other is large
gymnasium. 1 might add, as rather
Irrelevant detail, that they are also
digging a sewer across his Tate"
majesty's lawn.
Excursion Boats on Rhine.
The Y NJ. c. A. operates six excur-
sion boats on the Rhine for the use OF
of interest along the historic river.
The trip includes a dinner and a dance
and music on the boat. and the whole
affair does not cost the doughboy a
cent.
:. Speaking of cents, the Y. M. c. A.
Is the only place in the area occupied
by the Third army where the soldier
can get his money changed from
francs to marks or from marks to
francs at the true rate of exchange
one franc to two marks
In February, the Y. M. c. A. served
100000 meals to soldiers in CobleEtz
OF these $4,000 meals were free OF
charge to soldiers on leave, for whom
two special restaurants are reserved
Forty .Canteens in Germany.
= The Y. NJ. C. A. operates forty re-
gional canteens in Germany. and ex-
elusive of these forty regional can
teens, the average number of can
teens per army division in the army
of occupation is thirty-two. The diff