The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-06-25
The "Y'' Made Good

ment made. public today, the EXecu-e
tive Committee of the Army and Navy
Department of the Brotherhood of st.
Andrew presents a report made to It.
upon the A. E. F. activities of the f.ss
NJ. c.. A. by Benjamin F. F iney, its.
Chief Secretary. In his report Mr..
Finney speaks frankly Of the \. NJ. e.
A. criticism, and says that the tide
has turned.
Mr.. Finney, who is not connected
with the Y. NJ. G. Ain any way, went
overseas in March on a special COM
mission for the Brotherhood of st. Anz
drew. In citizen clothes, he visited
the ports of eInbarkation for home.
the back areas, famous battlefelds,
and thelArmy Of Occupation. His re-
port is as follows:
Everywhere 1 went I found t ~
NJ. c. A. 1t is doing a WOMB. II
piece of work There has been cr1e--fii
icism of it among the doushboys, es-
pecially in the port cities, because OF
misunderstanding but the tide has
turned and now they are praising it,
The men of the IA z. F. flock to
the Y. M. c.. A. leave area as the next:
best. thing to going home: went :.
down to the Nice area on a dough-boy.
special, which is one of the two trains
leaving Paris every day for the leave
area. The 'Y' has made arrange-3.
ments with the government for these
trains. Red tape has been cut out,
and the mans pass is the only ticket
required; in fact, it is the only ticket
accepted on either Of these trains. z;
while travelling about talked with
both enlisted men and officers about
the Y. NJ. c. A. | found that when
ever a. dough boy publicly made some
criticism he was Immediately calledAE
upon to defend himself by other !.
dough- boys.
Il talked with some major generals
and found them unanimous in assert.
ing that the 'Y' had done a remark
able piece Of work under adverse,
circumstances. One general, whose
men made names for themselves in
the Chateau Thierry fighting. told me.
that the 'Y' was right up front with i
his men during that engagement, II
do not know, and neither do the men.
what they would do without thei.Y.'
Everywhere I went I found it at
work The other welfare organiza-s
tions are doing good work, too, l was
told about. them but l did not see
them in action.
The soldiers of the A.iE. r. look :
to the " as a general guide, and :;
source Of { information. It is thes
friend of ALL
Sometime ago the BROTHERHOOD OF
st. Andrew issued a statement on the
war work of the EY' in the United
States. At that time it did not take,
up their overseas work, because full
information was not at hand. MI.
Finney's report backs up the statement
made by the Brotherhood Of st. An
drew and is therefore used in order
that the general public may be in
better. position to pass judgment in
the matter. A...,.,.
Since the beginning of the war the
Brotherhood of st. Andrew has main
taihed it's secretaries in all the larger
camps and training stations following.
program Of non-Scctarian religious
work based on personal service to the
individual soldier and sailor. This
work has won commentator from all
the welfare agencies and has been a..
notable contribution to the. religious
forces in the camps 1t is noteworthy
that the Brotherhood secretaries were
the only layplen who were privileged
to work ip cooperation with the sev-
en- big agencies recognized by the war
and navy departments.
Help the Other Fellow has been
the motto Of the Brotherhood work
and in formiag groups of men to;
cary on persona; service among their,
fellows it gave a real impetus to
large amount of purely religious en-
deavor carried :on by the enlisted
men themselves. 49,