The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1919-01-17
JOHN R. MOTT
Defends ''Y'
OVERSEE WORK
REPLIES TO ARTICLE PUBL lsHEp
IN NEW YORK TIMES CRITICS.
ING ORGANIZATION.
ADMITS MISTAKES WERE MADE
viii Be First to Weed out lncompe.
tents and Men Who Get into Ranks
Of Workers Under False coiors.
Needs More Funds. L
Special to The Herald.

special 10 Inc Herald.
NEW YORK, Jan. I0.--The Y. M.
G. A. has no fund of 500, 900 900 i'm.
spent and is today operating on Dor.
rowed money, declared John r. Mott,
chief executive of the Y. NJ. C. A. Ma.
tional War Work Council, replying to
the dispatch OF Edwin l.. James. pub
lished in the New York Times, which
gave the reasons why the Y. M. q. "A.
was unpopular with the American SOL
diers.
The very first thing that impressed
me with Mr.. James story" he said,
was the fact that the people reading
it would get the idea that the Y. M.
G. A. is rolling in money, and that 1t
is likely to have surplus. The facts
are these: We had used by October
l last all of our fund, which was so
generously given by the American
people in our financial drive OF the
autumn of 1917 We then had the
United War Work Campaign OF No
vember last, and in the intercal be-
tween the campaigns we had to con.
duct our vast work on borrowed mon
ell
AS will be recalled, the United War
Work campaign brought in $203,O00,.
900 to the seven organizations partic-
ipating. OF that sum, only about $45,.
100000 has so far been paid into the
campaigns treasury. It was decided
recently to pay 20 per cent of each
organizations 70 rata share of the
$l70,500,O00 originally asked for in the
campaign. The Y. NJ G. A. received
as its 20 per cent about 100000, 900.
This was all expended on December
81, and we had also borrowed $1,000
600. Since then we have borrowed
$l,50O,000 more, and have arranged to
borrow within few days another
$1,500,000. Thus within ten days we
will be paying interest on $5,000,000.
AS for the criticism of the ~ can.
teens" DIR. Mott continued, ''in all Of
them we have brought down the
prices of all the articles. As a result
we had lost, up to Oct. 81, about 1900.
600 francs, and we expect heavier loss
es for November and December when
the reports for these months are at
hand. Beginning on the first Of this
month we started to purchase our
canteen supplies from the quarter ,
master and to sell at prices fixed by
him and we have an agreement with
General Pershing that, should there
be any profit, all income above our
outlay will be devoted to the good OF
the men in the service.
Point number two" said DR.. Mott,
relates to the personnel, want to ex-
press in the strongest manner possible
my agreement, and the agreement OF
the entire association, with Mr.. James
position that mistakes have been
made in the choice of certain work.
ers, the same as he will freely admit
has been done in all agencies called
upon to recruit large numbers OF men
and women on sudden call to meet
untried and difficult conditions. We
have no object in retaining incompe.
tent workers, and !, for one, will weed
them out as soon as hear Of them.
I'm regard to the complaint that the
Y. M. C. A. is devoting too much time
and effort to moral welfare work, I'd
say that If safeguarding the morals OF
our soldiers and sailors is a ground FOR
criticism and unpopularity, then the
Y. M. C. A. is ready to plead guilty.
We are willing to await the issue OF
time and the impartial judgment OF
American homes.
"Mr. James refers to seeing a group
OF Y. M. C. A. workers drinking with
NUIiioH. IL tHiS ease Is tTdCcu uOWH,
the chances are that the workers to
whom he refers have already been dis
charged, because that is our policy
and practice. l am gald to add that
cases such as these have been few"
Mr.. James," DR.. Mott contiued,
"raises the question of why the Y NJ.
c. A. doesn't plan to spend from $40.
100000 to $30,00O,000 in finding jobs
for the returning soldiers and sailors.
In reply to that, would say that this
is not at all necessary ecause every
branch Of the Y NJ. c. A. has already
indicated its desire and purpose to
place employment department at the
service of returning veterans without
charge for at least three months after
the soldier and sailor has been de-