The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-01-09

|. FOR OUR SOLDIERS
Time Spent in Debarkation
Camps Lightened by
Seeing Shows
CHEER up AGENCY
FOR HOMEBOUND MEN
War Camp Community Service Believes
in Keeping the Boys Smiling and to
That End Provides Variety of
Wholesome Entertainment.

Wholesome Entertainment
NEW YORK, Jan. 81 Some show! -
yep, Broadway for mine!"
Veterans of the 'big show over
there and, incidentally, veteran and
somewhat blase first nighters of theat
rical performances given within hear
ing of the crash of battle, fisherman
from Maine and a Kansas farmer, re-
United States army, were talking it
over" as a midnight train bore them
| from an evenings amusement in New
York 10 a nearby debarkation camp.
| With several score of their comrades,
guests of the War Camp Community
IServicc, which had provided orchestra +
tickets for a star attraction of the met
lropolitan dramatic season, they had en- /
ioyed one of the numerous features of /
the welcome to homecoming troops con-
Quoted by this organization. Backed by |
a fund of 100000 appropriated for its |
1 work in the immediate future in this |
vicinity, the War Camp has arranged |
an attractive program of entertainment
] towering the months Of debarkation and |
intended, while giving evidence of the |
/ country's appreciation of its soldiers
. sacrifices, to combat the most insidious
{ enemy, of army morale-lonehness
$ During a year or more of constant
! change of scene--from cantonment to
t transport, to training camp abroad, to
!. the hardening trenches, to battle,
f to rest billets and back into the fight
$ again-the American soldier, the War
n Camp directors say, has developed IN
/ an extreme degree the Where do we
Y Igo from here?;' habit Returned to
g home soil in one process of demobiliza-
l. ton. it is inevitable, they declare, that
The will chafe over detention' at de-
e barkation camp To meet this situation
It the organization provides theatre par
+, ties. automobile rides, meals and sleep
d ing accommodations for men on leave
v in New York, while for the bed-ridden
d wounded in the debarkation hospitals
al almost daily entertainments arc given
1t by players from the leading Broadway
!. productions, appearing ON professionals
IN ly equipped stages in the wards.
he The New York War Camp makes it
as self felt as a ''ehecr up agency for
st homeward bound troops as soon as their
C. transports enter the harbor. Its activi-
en- ties continue until the returning units
re Estart for the rehabilitation canton
" tments, when other branches of this eoun-
r; trywide organization, which is to re-
Id eeive approximately $20,000,000 of the
!, United War Work Fund, take up the
'h task which leads eventually to the sol
Is Cliers hearthsides.
eo Some of the earlier contingents, greet
e. ed as they came up the bay by the Cit
en izens' committee aboard a police boat
he and by choruses of sirens and whistles,
Oh were skeptical regarding the material
side of their welcome.
"They give us an official how dye
lido but what does that get us!' was
the comment OF a 'doughboy,' and his
comrades nodded assent.
! Their first moment ashore was one OF
ny enlightenment. The pier was plaeardet
~ with announcements of the 'Commun
y ity's" weekly vaudeville show, to which
. ny Your uniform is your pass. and at tho
eantonment the men found War Camp
workers waiting for them, circulating in
formation concerning the organization
numerous stations in New York and ar
ranging with their officers for various
TYPES of free entertainment. A. a result
the soldiers typical Lets go" found
ready outlet
ers 10 Keep EN- smillng the war lamp
distributes every week among returned
:, troops, along with other soldiers, sailor
~ and marines within the eity's gates
In 10000 tickets for the best metropolitan
nee tshows. many of them donated by theatre
,ad owners; il stagrs III the port hospitals
six or seven entertainments n week
Mt with Broadway actors and actresses a
the volunteer performers; it conducts in th
Manhattan Opera House every Sunds,
,en afternoon a continuous vaudeville per
II formance to which American and allie'
uniforms give admission; it provide
:. every Sunday. and whenever possibi
~ during the week automobile sightseeing
for ). - ~ -.
at which hundreds OF girls from tn
nor Comrade society make merry with TIL
list men and holm In ease Them hack into ciyi
DOL life after their necessarily restricted ex
istenee under military discipline.
at This is the lighter side of the Wa
has Camp work which provides comforts a
in well as entertainment. With hotel o.
Mr.. West Twenty street al It's cen
ter, the organization maintains feedin
and housing system capable of accom-
ted modating thousands of men at tim,
the At the hotel. which has 1900 beds Il ma
in uniform may spend the night and hay
. breakfast at a cost of 81 to 80 cent,
Similar arrangements prevail at eanteen
and smaller stations throughout the city
al In the aggregate the War Camp ba
nm sleeping quarters for lou00 men. soon {
s be increased.to $1,000 through a gift froi
use the war department of 1000 beds.
the At all these stations IL soldiers o
'ss, sailo~'s ereditsis good. Ii a guest say, h
md is sibreke' the workers take his II.
her T. The organization credits its patron
ian who have numbered many hundred theu
E.. sands. with a record showing only on
I. -. =.