Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1919-03-26

plants were true, the balance in
favor of the soldier would still be
ninety nine percent of the entire war
service performed by the Y. M. G. A.
It's work as l saw it from Belgium to
TIE AdFiatic, and from the home
training camps to the front line
trenches was simply magnificent.
While, of course, mistakes were
made, they were on the whole fewer
than those OF most other organiza-
tons operating under such difficult
circumstances, not excepting the mil
itary authorities.
In my judgment, 1t was the "Y"
and its splendid army Of volunteer
minister workers that saved the
face" Of the earth in this war. 1t was
practical Christianity in action and
did more to humanize the church and
delegate creed and rituals to the back
shelves than anything that has hap
pened II fifty years.
These grave, quiet, bravely cheer
full and happy, simple minded boys of
| ours, who looked like cherubs and
fought like devils, had already made
| the supreme sacrifice, had offered
! their lives to make the world safe for
| their loved ones and for the children
Ct the future. Greater love hath no
man than this, that a man will lay
down his life for his friend" There
was no crucifix that could be held be-
fore those boys that they had to look
up to see.
1t was the bravest, gayest, most
loyal, justest and kindhest brother
hood l was ever admitted to, and
they're going to tear this gray,
greedy, selfish old world of ours at
home 10 bits and make 1t over again
and better. And God be with them in
their crusade and God help anyone
who stands in their way!
, Through them great humanizing
process began, by which the Y. M. C.
A. has been fairly transformed, with
! splendid augury for greater and
| more efficient service in the future
than it has ever performed in the
last. It's programme was early rec
! ognized as essential to military eff
| ficiency ard l violate no secrets of
the military authorities, not only of
| the American army but also Of the
French and Italian armies as well,
when ! say that the "Y" programme
could not have been dispensed with
except at the cost of prolonging the
war AMI delaying the victory.
And may add that they seriously
considered the possibility Of organic
ing some other force to do this work
in the camps. and ended by turning
everything over the Y M. C. A. and
giving the Association carte blanche
and hearty support. The French
looked at it for months askance on
account of the &C" in the name, but
ended by asking for 1000 French
speaking American secretaries and
their STATS. And although the "Y"
was already burdened by the service
demanded of 1t in the American EX-
reditionary Forces, the response was
in the affirmative and today the "Y"
supervises the operation of 1900
Foyers du Soldat in the French army.
The Italians did the same and more
than $50 American workers are now
in Italy, where three times that num-
Der Of natives have been assigned to
assist In the carrying on of the "Y"
programme and operate it when the
Americans withdrew.
saw the "Y" in operation from
Belgium all the way across the west
ern front, on the two fronts In Italy,
on the Isonze, and in the mountains
of the Trentino. By its casualty list
one may estimate the service which
the workers rendered in the most
dangerous sectors. Nine dead by
shell fire and gas, total Of 100 cas-
ualties, 81 Of whom died, II men
awarded the Croix de Guerre, two
cited COR the same honor, 10 given the
distinguished Service Cross-these
figures tell a story of heroic service.
So vitality and pricelessly valuable
was its work in keeping up the mo-
rale Of the troops that the German
General Staff declared 1t a combatant
and ordered its front line stations and
huts shelled just as II did the dress
Ing stations and field hospitals.
This work at the front was spec
tacular, the Kind that newspaper
readers like to read about. But the
routine work in the ports in the
training and concentration camps and
in the great leave areas was even
more basically important.
The "Y" programme repulsed the
greatest enemy of an army, the bore
dom that settles over fighting forces
between battles and over such
branches as the S. o. s. and as such
was a great war-winning contribu
ton. The "Y" gave the soldier a
home, a club, a library, concert |
lall, church, a theatre, and an ath-
letic field and stadium, but ..D last, |