The Cordova daily times., 1919-01-15

greeted as tney Cdlilt up lht DaS ny
the citizens committee aboard a po-
lice boat and by choruses of sirens
ing the material side of their vel
come.
They give us an official 'how-dye
do'-but what does that get us?" was
tie comment of a 'doughboy,' ard his
comrades nodded assent.
Their first moment ashore was one
of enlightenment The pier was pla
CT rded with announcements of the
"Community's' weekly vaudeville
show, to which "Your uniform Is your
pGss." and at the clntonmcnt the
men found war camp workers waiting
for them, circulating information con
corning the organizations numerous
stations in New York and arranging
With their officers for various types
of free entertainment. AS a result
tie soldiers typical lets go" found
ready outlet
To keep EN- smiling" the war
camp distributes every week among
returned troops. along with other
soldiers. sailors and marines within
the city's gates, 10000 tickets for the
best metropolitan shows. many of
them donated by theatre owners: it
stages in the port hospitals six or
seven entertainments a week. with
broadway actors and actresses as
volunteer performers; it conducts in
the Manhattan Opera House every
Sunday afternoon a continuous Vaude
vile performance to which American
and allied uniforms give admission.
. it provides every Sunday and when
ever possible during the week auto
mobile sightseeing tours for 300 to
500 wounded men; and it holds scores
of home again parties, at which
hundreds of girls from the comrade
society make merry with the men and
help to ease them back into civil life
after their necessarily restricted
existence under military discipline.
This is the lighter side of the war
camp work, which provides comforts
a swell as entertainment With
hotel on West Twenty-seventh street
as its center, the organization main
t;ins Il feedia4 and housing system
capable Of accommodating thousands
of men at time. At the hotel. which
has $500 beds. man in uniform may
spend the night and have breakfast at
a cost of 80 to 80 cents. Similar ar
rangements prevail at cantecns and
smaller stations throughout the city.
| In the aggregate the war camp has
sleeping quarters for 900 men, soon
to be increased to $1,000 through
| gift from the war department of 5000
beds
At all these stations a soldiers or
he Is broke" the workers take his
/ Il Q. t." The organization credits
its patrons, who have numbered many
hundred thousands, with record
showing only one per cent OF failures
to redeem this pledge.
The war camp community service
Is one OF the big Seven" orEoniza-
items pushing to promote the welfare
f the fighting men. The work in New
York where $4,000 week is eXpend-
ed, is most important. because Of the
city's strategic location in relation
beth to the homecoming troops and
the sailors who are manning their
Transports. but at minor ports, as well
as at inland stations of all branches
of the army and navy, the program is
conducted on a scale in keeping with
tic number OF men assembled.
Letters from thousands of mothers.
one file at headquarters. attest the
character of the war camp service,
which stands as assurance to the fam
lilies and friends of more than four
million men in the army and navy, n
majority of whom will be discharged
within the year, that the time of wait
ing will be lghtcned for trem with
activities that are antidotes to home
sickness and discomfort
-A-
On the Fourth OF July, 1868, the