Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-06-22

= young soldiers" He found also, how
ever, the field Of choice was limited,
men IF proper qualifications being in
most cases in the army.
The work Of $500 young women
SERVING under the Y M C. A. with
the troops in France, is beyond
praise" Mr. Fosdick stated, the girls
being for better adapted to the task
! than the average man. He said also
the charge Of poor adapted person
mel could not be confined to the Y. M.
C.. A., alone.
X. of c. Also Criticised
Similarly Mr.. Fosdick said that the
i Knights of Columbus carried on
helpful work on the same general
lines, noting particularly that this
organization furnished amusement to
many units SO located as not to be
served by other societies. He also
commended the stimulation of boxing
and athletics due to the society, but
said there was a Legitimate criti-
| cism" against it in that it's work in
France was not as large as it's allot-
'ment of the War Work Fund would
suggest.
"The Knights were late in starting
with the American Expeditiona1S1
Forces" he said, land never succeed
ed in overcoming that handicap"
"Moreover l believe they are los
ing real opportunity for service
through their failure to employ wom-
en- personnel"
after eight months with the boys
in France, | am convinced that the
average woman worker attached to
| hut l.
ers. Certainly her effect on the NOR
ais and the spirit of the troops is
extraordinary. An Honest to God
American Girl as the soldiers call
her, can do more to keep the man
cheerful or create an atmosphere of
home than any other factor; and the
work of our women in France-Y. NJ
C. A. girls, Salvation Army girls,
Red Cross girls and the representa-
tives of other agencies-has been in
no small degree responsible for the
unflagging devotion and inexhausti-
Bile patience with which our troops
carried forward their high enter
pris."
The Jewish Welfare Board, conduc-
ted under able leadership a work adj
mirable in every. respect, Mr.. Fos-
dick said. He noted that it's facili-
ties in the lie Mans area were widely
employed by Jew and Gentle alike
S. A. Most Popular.
The Salvation Army was beyond
question the most popular of these
organizations with the army itself,
the report said While it employed
in France only 200 workers and ac-
tually reached only few divisions,
"Its fame has spread far beyond its
work and it is difficult to find sin
gle doughboy who does not speak its
praise"
Contrary to popular impression,
Mr.. Fosdick stated, the Salvation Ar
my did not give it's supplies free eX-
cept in case of need
+ ats policy is to sell it's canteen
supplies, even it's far-famed dough-
nuts-and it's prices due to the fact
that it had no extensive buying ma
chinery, were generally higher than
those of the Y. M. C. A.
"It is the inner spirit of service that
has endeared this organization to the
heart of the doughboy. It's person
mel has been carefully selected from
trained workers of the Salvation Ar
my-men and women who know how
to meet their fellow man on COM
mon plane, and no task has been too
humble and no service too small for
them to perform for the troops. It's
! reward is the genuine affection of
the American EXpeditionary Forces"
Too Much Sectarianism
AS to the difficulties due to the
sectarian nature of the societies
which served the army, the report
said the facilities of all were open to
men of all faiths, "but the auspices
through which these privileges are
extended are sectarian. The tenden-
cy is to stimulate rivalries and jock
eying for position that are disheart-
ening to witness. To see the repre-
sentatives of those different agencies
vying with each other in an attempt
to make lasting good impression
upon returning troops bringing prom
inently into the foreground their re-
spective emblems and insignia, is to
despair Of the whole system of social
work in the war.
"Our men have been glad to re-
ceive what the societies had for them
in the shape of service of supplies,
and they have not cared two straws
whether it came from Protestant,
Catholic. or Jewish hands. Our boys
fought at Chateau Thierry and in the
Argonne as Americans. They did
not fight as Professionals, Catholics or
Jews. AS matter of fact there is
reason for sectarianism. The relig-
ious interests of the army are wisely
confined to the chaplains."
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