Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-01-06
SUGGESTS BUILDING "Y"
AS MEMORIAL TO BOYS
DIR. Carpenter Thinks Nothing Else
Would Be So Appreciated By Them
As Such Building In Richmond.

Suggestions for a suitable memoir
lal to the boys from Madison county
who answered the call of their coun-
try, have assumed a wide RANGE.
Paved streets and a White Wav for
Richmond We're suggested by one citi-
zen the other day, but as the CITY has
already voted bonds to build the
streets, some say that some other
means should be adopted to build !,
lastlng memorial to the valor and ma
trIotlsm of the thousand and mora
young men who placed their lives on
the altar of their country. DR.. Homer
/ W. Carpenter, of the First Christian
church. has submitted an idea TO the
Daily Register, and a number Of
prominent citizens, which is meeting
with much favor and indeed will nm.
doubtedly strike a popular chord
when its various phases and potential
good are carefully considered. DR.,
Carpenters idea is embodied in the
following, which will be read with
much interest:
In view of the fact that the cues.
ton has been raised regarding suit
able memorial for the Madison county
boys who went TO the colors. il NAV
be well to remind ourselves that there
are some things which our men nave
had IN training camps and at the
front which they viii miss feelingly
when they come home again Even
under the stress of war and under the
iprlvatiOns of army life they have had
a place where they could drop in and
find a comfortable chair and newspa-s
pers and good books and a whole
some fellowship with their comrades.
They have been accustomed to have a
place where, by hundreds, they sat
down with stationery and writing ma
terials at hand to use their spare mo-
ments in correspondence. a place
where game rooms and baths were at
hand-a community house. known as
the "Y", where under the best infu-
ences they could spend their hours Of
leisure and recreation.
But when they come hack 10 Rich
mond and Madison county they Will
find no such place as this. We may
be sure that they will be asking the
question, why is it that in a county
from which more than twelve hun
dred splendid young soldiers could go
out, one of the wealthiest In the state
through these long years no provision
had been made to conserve the leis-
young men.
AS they look around with pride
upon younger brothers who are COM
ing up into manhood, they will Won
der why it is that we are making no
provision to give these boys the ad-
vantages of such an institution, but as
far as their downtown life is con-
cerned. are leaving them to the
streets. Within themselves they will
be saying "if you believe in US, give
the boys chance to develop full orb
ed manhood-phvsical, moral and in
tellectual"
When the boys come they will miss
the "Y" hut and the things for which
it stands. In camp and on battle
front, they lived in mud and had
streets that We're sometimes almost
impossible, with only an arc light
now and then, but the hut was always
there and it was home for the boys
When the county boys come into
town or the town boys come down the
street there is no stopping place, un-
less indeed, he trespass upon the hos
pitality of business house, barber
shop. a hotel lobby or a pool room.
We shall difficulty in squaring with
our soldier boys until we have met
this issue, which is involved vitally
the future of our young manhood
Field Marshal Haig said that victory
, for the allies would de due. twenty
five per cent to the military and seven
J ty-five per cent to other forces, chief
! among which would he spiritual
forces. In the thinking of Hsig "mo-
! rale" was the big thing upon which
! everything else depended. The "Y''
hut, beyond any question was making
. the largest contribution to the "mo-
rale" of the soldiers.
The big thing in Richmond. as well
! as at Chateau Thierry, is morale y
. and if our young men of the Second
Army of the Republic-the army of
reconstruction, are to play their part
; in the great task, the matter Of Y.
NJ. c. A or community center is a
} matter of immediate and urgent con-
. Germ.
It occurs to me that this is the hour
, when grateful and patriotic citizen
ship would leap to such privilege as
! the establishment of this memorial
! to our returning soldiers.
HOMER w CARPENTER