The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-01-15
War Time Troubles Of Young
Mems Christian Association

ing to serve more than 80, 900 men
with less than twenty workers.
Naturally. many officers and men At
tscned to these divisions never saw
a Y. NJ. C. A. worker and never had
any 7. NJ C. A service.
The entire confidanca and fullest
cooperation and approval in all OF
their efforts by the general head
Quarters OF the army, from General
Asrshing down. Is sufficient evil
dcnce OF the good work which has
been done By the association.
NO attempt is here made to claim
that the associations work In France
is without faults l am simply set
ting forth from my own personal
knowledge the facts concerning an
enterprise so vast and difficulties so
msurmountab.e that. all who look
upon the proposition with fairness
and desire to do Justice to one OF
the most wonderful undertakings
eFer placed In the hands OF any or
gAniIation- And It must be remem-
bered that this organization was
without any previous experience or
trained personnel to handle the
work We must agree that. with all
the shortcomings CHARGED to the ~
il has accomplished results beyond
anything that could be dreamed Of,
With the exception OF the accom-
plishments Of the army itself"
Comment. on Perkins Report
Cedar Rapids Republican: From
the investigations made by George
w. Perkins, who is competent bust
ness man. the Y. NJ G. A. permitted
elf to be imposed upon. The army
wished upon them the
handling OF the goods in the can
toms The goods were often delayed,
for the traffic conditions were gtut-
ted, and many of the goods were
higher priced than suited the boys
In the uniforms, many .of whom be
Meved that the home contributions
we're paying for tho goods. It was
a big business undertaking for any
and for an impromptu
ike the Y. 81. c. 4. it
was suict6aL almost. The organtza-
hon did not have the pick OF the
best men In the country, but t had
TO tax what was left when the best
men had gone into the army. And /
Il was also restricted by. its own
standards reiigiously. Belonging to
particular churches does not always
make 3 business man out OF fel-;
ow.
The z. N. C. A. ought never to
nave undertaken to do so much. It'll
Vas 30 successful In the early years 1
II the war that 1t took on over conf. |
ience and tried to do more than Its I
Allotted work.
On the whole 1t would have been .
,etter IL there had been no organi- /
;ations along religious lines con- I
,ected with the armies. The boys In Il
he army were and would nave been !.
imply cared fog spiritually by the i
lrmy chaplains and the Red Cross
lDrses. who practice the sweetest
eligion, eren II they do not pre- q
t The idea that the souls Of the
uen neede: any more care IL the |,
he army than outs1de Is not tenable. Il
L sn did not change by going into (,
he army. and many OF them. we /,
re told, more or less resented being 4
coked after in that way. But what Il
yer the religious needs OF the men, !.
he army should have supplied |
nough chaplains for that. To fur j
ish entertainm ents. to run canteens 3
nd TO do more or less religious
reaching and prayingthat was too
1uch for any one organization. II
If we had to go through this war /
gain. We believe by common con- I
ent the work of ministration would /
g LEFT to the Red Cross alone-with /
he regular army chaplains.
Z IA