Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-04-03
funny NOTIONS
ABOUT Y.M.C.A.
The Canteen Produces q Strange
Crop Of Fables-Ludicrous
Misunderstandings.

The war has brought the Y. M. c.
A. into world prominence. Because Of
this prominence. constant questions
have arisen with reference to 1t in
the minds of the uniformed and
some most ludicrous statements have
been passed about
For instance. we have 1t on the
word of a good friend. former secro-
tsry Of the Y. M c. A.. that a soldier
in one OF the southern camps came
to him to express his appreciation OF
all that the Y had done for him. and
said that he was doing all he could
to help the "Y." Some one asked him
what no was doing, and his reply was
that he bought all his postage stamps
there. and It developed that he really
thought the Y. M. c. A. made a profit
from the sale Of postage stamps
which they sold IN such enormous
quantities to the soldiers as a matter
of convenience.
Another ridiculous assertion on the
part Of men who have come in con-
tact with the Y. M. c. A. for the first
time, emanates from overseas, and
we hear the statement, in all serious
ness by somebody who processes to
know, that the Y. NJ. C. A. is making
great deal Of money from its can
teen and is even over-charging the
soldiers. OF course, the story would
not be complete without invenung
some way Of utilizing these alleged
large earnings from the canteen. In
some cases the story goes that the
local Y. NJ. c. AS back home receive
the profits from the canteen, In other
cases the story has been solemnly
passed about that the Y. NJ. c. A. was
q great stock corporation and that
its stock was paying big dividends.
on account OF the canteen earnings.
The inventor Of the story did not, Of
course, understand the difference be-
tween a voluntary religious corpora
ton and a stock corporation for bust
ress purposes.
On the other hand some of the folks
back home have contributed to the
first Y. N. G. A drive. expecting that
the soldier needed. failing to realize
that the sums contributed to Y. NJ. C.
A war work II used in that way
would be but . proverbial drop in the
bucket. The Y. M. c. A. did give
away vast quantities of supplies
such as tobacco. hot cocoa, chocolate
etc, to men in the front line trenches
and those coming back from battle
but the great bulk Of the money con-
tributed was used for the wonderful
service program Of the Y. NJ. C. A.
The canteen received none Of this
money, that department being han
Lled entirely for the government on
borrowed capital on nat cost turn
over basis. as a convenience to the
men who could not get those supplies
IN any other way.
Another strange statement was t.
the effect that "Y" secretaries did moi
brave the dangers of the front line but
stayed safely in the rear. OF course
they were in the rear, because tina,
was where most Of our army was
They were, however, in the front line
and went over the top with our boys
Witness the hazards that have over.
taken some Of our own New England
men. Remember the story Of Edward
Sherman of West Roxbury, who
served in the "Y" outfit OF the Second
Division. who saw his bunkie. Jane:
Birchby, given his orders to go Wes
by machine gun bullet. Sherman
himself, sampled two kinds Of gas
and lay in hospital for weeks: Harr,
Chase Of South Braintree Just re-
turned from France with the marks O
exhausting service and exposure t
the acids OF war in his face. 1t wa.
arsenic gas that almost finished hi!
career as a ~" secretary. In thu
October drive he was driven back b,
shell fro from taking supplies to an
ether secretary who was killed II
the same drive. Voorhees, of Hart
ford came home to die Of his wounds
Bolon Borglum of Connecticut, an,
eleven other "Y" men received tn
Croix de Guerre. and two moro wer
cited for that decoration. Henri,
Smith Of Beverly. Mass, was badl,
wounded on October 10; Rev. Joe
Metcalf of Winchester. Mass, Will
the 3rd Division. was gassed tn
same day. We wonder where thes
"Y" secretaries met up" with th
bullets. gas. and shells II not in tn
danger zone.
Perhaps the funniest part OF al
these ludicrous Misunderstanding
the fact that some Of our most intelli
gent people here at homo. hear them
accept them without question an
pass them on.
This is a funny world.