The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-08-14
.Y.M.C.A. TRAIN
SERVICE DEPT.
Serves 749.5sl Members Of
A. T.. +. in Four Months
Great pif'eul'y Na Been Expert
sneeo in Properly Housing Th~s
Quarters Of q Million Men.

Boston July. The train Service
Department Of the Y.M.C.A IN faris
served 1881 members OF the AE.F.
In the FIRST four months
On the Train Service Department
OF the YMCA deyolves the duty OF
not only welcoming all members OF
the AEF upon their arrival In Paris
but being sure that they are properly
entrained and comfortably liked at the
time of their departure This Depart
ment is being directed by James q.
Conner, newspaper man OF Phna-
delphia when taken over by him the
personnel consisted OF six Y workers
and Ford camionette, with = cAps-
city OF twelve persons. Since that
time. the work has developed 10 rap
idly that the personnel has been
Increased to thirty mem besides
Director and an Assistant, and twelve
large army trucks are necessary for
transportation purposes.
The cares covered by the Train
Service Department, are St LAsare,
Mon tparnasse, Austerlity, Lyon, Or
say. Nord and Est These stations
are covered by workers from
o'clock A, M. until IL Midnight and
II is the duty Of these men TO heartily
receive members Of the ABF, both
casuals and those on leave, direct
them 70 the Red Cross canieens at the
stations for m, ais " they 30 desire.
and place them on the trucks for trans
portation to the various YMC.A. and
Red Cross hotels located In Paris. for
their stay while here. In addition To
this work the men have been dis
pensipg cigarettes, chocolate and
gum. which they have carried In large
quantities In mnsette bags. selling
them to the boys at cost price, and in
some instances distributing them gra-
tuitously, when discretion permits
them to do so.
These Y welfare workers are also
equipped TO answer all sorts OF ques-
tons put to them by the members OF
the A.E.F That an idea may be gath
ored OF the fund OF information that
they must have at hand, few Of the
questions asked might be mentioned
here.
Where can buy Kodak flms7"
Where is Wanamakers'"
Where is an American dentist7"
Where is the Odd Fellows lOdge7"
Where are the base hospitals?"
Where is Tiffany's?"
what Is the rate OF German ex
changer"
where can change Swiss mon
ey?"
What hours are the Louvre OPEN"
In the past four months difficulty
has been experienced In properly
housing the three quarters OF a million
men. Along these lines Col. L. II
McKinlay Welfare Officer Y. S.
Army, and MIR. Conner. have worked
out a plan for the establishing OF
Central Regulating Bureau the pur
pose OF which will be to ascertain the
A. and Red Cross Hotels In Paris, and,
through an accommodating tele.
phone system between the Directing
Office, Central Regulating Bureau, the
RIO Offices al the Cares and the
Hotels keep a complete record OF
such accommodation which will be
corrected every two hours OF the time
between A. NJ and Midnight II IL
thought that this regulating system
will do away with troubles hereto
fore faced by the "Doughboy" when
upon arriving in Paris, he finds that
he is unable TO obtain sleeping quar-
terf. Booths for the dissemination OF
information have been established at
Ave OF the seven Cares In Paris These
booths are adequately equipped with
all sorts OF literature bearing on the
hotels canteens, theatres. places that
the operates for the entertainment
OF the boys, Religious Services. Sight
seeing Trips, md all other data that
Ia OF interest to the soldier visiting
Paris
The Train Service Department has
been congratulated by United States
Army Ofiicials on the work IL has car
ried out. Its Directing Once il At
As. rue Boissy d'Anglaa.
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