The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-03-20
FUNNY NOTIONS
ABOUT Y.M.C.A.
The Cantecn Produces q Strange
Crcp Of Ludicrous
gguaaeg landings

A into World pft mnenCt Because %
This prominence, constant questions
have arisen wi,h reference 20 q Ia
the min4y oi ,he anintorm.d aud
some MOST mdicrous statements have
hen passed about
For instance. We have Il on ihs
word OF a good friend. former socrr
tAft 81 the Y " &. A. that q soldier
IN one Of the southern camps cams
To him To express IA appreciation OF
al that the Y had lone TOR him. and
sald that he was doing all he could
10 help The ~ Some one asked him
what b. VAS doins, and his reply wa,
that he bought al his postage stamps
there, and IL developed that he really
t'loughi the \. VI G. A. made a pfoft
from he sale ul postage stamps
which they sold IN such enormous
Quantities 10 the soldiers as matter
of convenience.
Another ridiculous assertion on the
part OF men who have come IN con
tact with the Y NJ e. A. for the nrst
time. emanates from overseas. and
We hear the statement, in all serious
ness by somebody who processes to
know. that the y NJ. &. A, is making
grca, deal OF money from lts can
teen and IL even over charging the
soldiers on course, the story would
lot 3a complete without inyenttnK
some way OF utilizing these alleged
large earnings from the canteen In
some cases the story goes that the
local Y. NJ C. As back home receive
The profits from the cantaen, in other
cases the story has been Golemnly
passed about that the Y. NJ &. A. WAS
4 great stock corporation and that
its stock was paying big dividends.
or account OF the canteen earnings
The inventor Of the story did not. Of
course understan the difference be
tween voluntary religious corpora
ton and a stock corporation for bust
ress purposes.
On the other hand some of the folks
back home have contributed TO the
first Y NJ c. A. drive. expecting that
The Y. NJ c. A. gave away everything
the soldier needed, falling TO realize
that the sums contributed 10 Y. N. e.
A war work II used In that way
would DO hut proven bal drop In the
bucket The Y. NJ G.. A.. did give
away vast quantities OF supplies-
such as tobacco. hot cocoa. chocolate.
'tc., 10 men In the front line trenches
md those coming back from batiir
,ut the great bulk Of the money con
ribnted was used for the wonderful
service ErograrN OF The Y NJ. G. A.
The canteen received none Of thi.
money. that department being han
led entirely for the government 0n
borrowed capital on Nat cost turn
,ver basis, as a convenience TO the.
men who could not get those supplies
n any other way.
Another strange statement was 10
he effect that "Y" secretaries did not
)rave the dangers Of the front line but
tayed safely In the rear. OF cOurse
hey we're In the rear, because that
vas where most OF our army wa
They were, however. IN the front line
md went over the top with our boys
Witness the hazards that have over
AIKEN some Of our own New England
mem Remember the story Of Edward
herman Of West Roxbury. who
erved In the "Y" outfit Of the Second
who saw his bunkie, James
,irchby. given his orders 10 no West
" machine gun bullet. Sherman.
imself. sampled two kinds Of gas
nd lay in a hospital for weeks. Harry
hase OF South BraIntree Just re-
irned from France with the marks or
1hausting service and exposure TO
he acids OF war IN his face II was
rsenic gas that almost finished his
areer as 4 'Y" secretary. In the
october drive he was driven back by
hell nre from taking supplies 10 an
ther secretary who was killed In
he same drive Voorhees, OF Hart
,rd cane home 10 die OF his wounds
dion BorRlum OF Connecticut, and
leven other "y" men received the
roix de Guerre, and two more were
tied for that decoration. Henry
NTH OF Beverly. Mass, was badly
'ounded on October 10; Rev. Joel
etcalf Of Winchester. Mass, with
,e Bird Division vas parsed the
sme day We wonder where these
Y" secretaries met up" with tho
Clletf, gas and shells II mi IN tho
anrer zone
Perhaps The 'pnnieei part ~ slE
ESQ ludicrou, miFnnderaiauA ngs Is
70 fact that some ~ our most fDteili-
mt people here a. home. hsat them:
Ncept them without 1DsgijDn and
ass h.sm on
This "a funny Hnrtt