The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-06
Y. M. C. AS GREAT
EST WORK WAS ACCOM-
PLISHED. IN 1913
Claim Made That the Association Made
No Money in Its Canteen in Europe
But on the Contrary Lost
Thousands Of Dollars,

New York, Jan. ga review OF the
year which the Young Mems Christian
association regards as the greatest in the
history of the organization in effort and
accomplishment was made public by the
associations war work council The re
view deals with the complaints Of can
teen overcharges made by some of the
returning soldiers, refers to the war de-
partment investigation which, it says,
exonerated the "Y, and states that be-
cause of frequent reiteration of these
and other complaints by returning sol
diers, John R, Mott, general secretary Of
the war work council, has asked that the
entire administration of the \, M. G. A,
war-program overseas be Investigated by
the inspector general,
at is our Judgment" says DR.. Mott,
that these complaints should be frankly
and fearlessly faced If we were TO ig~
more criticism we would be false to our
trust. Ii is our duty to discover the un.
founded criticism so that patriotic or
ganization, as matter of simple hon
esty, may not be blighted unmstly. II
is equally our duty 10 discover the well
founded criticism in order that we may
adopt a constructive program that will
obviate in our future policy any lax ad-
ministratiOn of the past.
"Is it true that the Y. NJ. c. A. has
been guilty of profting in the operation
of its post exchanges overseas The
following telegram from the third assist.
ant secretary of war, Frederick P. Keep
mol ia self -pynIanatory.
"'Matter Of prices asked by Young
Mems Christian association for its ar
| tieles sold in eanteens overseas already
investigated by war department and con
| ditiOn being remedied Young Men
Christian association originally asked by
General Pershing to run canteen for army
on cost basis, To do this had to reckon
/ in price fixing sue hoverhead charges as
transportation charges and marine iusur.
anee SO that prices were much higher
than in this country. Young Mem
| Christian association made no profit but
| lost thousands of dollars. Arrangements
now made will enable them to obtain
supplies from sources that will reduce
overhead charges and keep prices down.
Raymond b. Fosdick, chairman of the
commission on training camp activities
of the war department, following his re-
| turn from Europe recently, stated that
! he went into this matter thoroughly and
! found the complaints absolutely without
| foundation. I mention this matter only
because of the widespread rumor is most
unfair to an organization which is doing
heroic service"
/ Criticism of the "Y. 4" the review states
was thus leyeled at a branch of the asso-
cations work which was multiplied in
volume by fve-during the year Re,
ceipts of less than 100000 in the post
exchange system last January had grown
to more than $5,000,000 a month by Sep.
TENDER, 1918, and since then have main,
tanned that level At these post ex.
changes, millions of dollars in remit.
tances to the folks at home have been
handled without charges by the "Y."
Over 1000 People in ''Y" Uniforms.
One year ago, according to the report
| of the personnel board of the Y. M. G. A.
there were fewer than 1900 "Yp mer
and women overseas standing by the mer
! in uniform. From figures available or
Dec. Is, 1918, it is estimated that to-day
there are 6,04S men and 1906 women ii
icy" uniform overseas. Women are now
being sent overseas at the rate of 100 a
week for work with the army in the
leave areas and debarkstion ports o.
France and England.
! The Y. M. G. A. refers with pride tt
the response Of the men and women Of
America to the associations call for serv.
ice with the Golors, and recalls their wal
record and the list Of casualties among
these civilian workers, The ~" casualty
list, complete only so far as the list Of
dead is concerned, follows; Nine workers
two OF them women, were killed by shell
fire while On duty; % were wounded o.
gassed severely; many others received
minor INJURIES and 81 died in the serv
ice, chiefly because of exposure and over
work. Also on the records Of the person
mel board are the names of 10 worker,
who have been decorated for bravery by
the United States or allied armies
In every major engagement in which
American troops took part, the review
adds, the Red Triangle Of the Y, NJ. c. A
was in the thick of the fighting The re
Sport records that a "Y"' woman was thu