Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-10
YIN. A. TRIED
To DO TOO MUCH,
PERKINS |NDS
Ooughboys Swear by the Sal
walton Army and at the ny =
Saying They Failed to Get
Their Smokes Up,
BY Cyril Brown.
Copyright, 1919, by the Press Pub
fishing Co


fishing Co.
(The New York World
Especial Gable Despatch to the World
and Albuquerque Journal)
Nancy, Jan. 9.-With the Y. NJ c.
A. under fire for alleged inefficiency
on the firing line, G. w. Perkins has
spent several profitable and hard
working days in Coblenz and in scour-
ing the American area of occupat on
trying to learn the truth about the
Y. n. G. AS past activities.
He is studying TO see how any
shortcomings can be avoided and Y.
M. c. A. funds in the future spent
with the utmost efficiency to benefit
the American army abroad.
The consensus of opinion appears
to be that the Y. NJ. C. a. has not
made good all along the line in the
PAST, that it frequently has fallen
down, particularly in the battle zone,
end that its work compares unfavor-
ably with that of the Salvation Army,
which, despite its limited means and
small personnel, has won the respect
and effection of the doughboys.
Doughboys Quick to Complain.
Analysing the criticism of the Y.
NJ c. AS past activities. it appears,
however, that the Y. NJ. c. A. has
been roundly damned by doughboys
and others for shortcomings and cir
cumstances that appear entirely be-
yond its control. Typically, perhaps
nothing caused so much unfavorable
doughboy criticism as the Y. NJ, c.
A. being apparently unable to furn-
ish front troops with adequate guam
titles Of smokes and other canteen
supplies But this has been due al
most entirely to the hopeless traffic
situation through France and the in
ability of the Y. M. c. A, to get Its
goods up to the front lire for distri-
button, owing to the inability TO OBJ
tain the necessary transportation.
Another trouble with the Y. NJ. c.
A. in the past has been that it has
bitten off more than it could chew,
and has had all the larger portion of
the work and activities wished on it,
which, for its own reputation, it
ought never to have undertaken to
tackle.
Too Much To Check.
Another past trouble has been the
insufficient personnel. and that not
of the uniformly high quality de-
sirable owing to the limited class of
fHen from winch the peTSOIlHdi UnT-
ing the war could be recruited. The
Y. NJ. G. A. now is making a determ-
ined effort TO make good record in
the area of American occupation
where the troops need its services
most.
Mr.. Perkins is fighting hard TO
break the traffic blockade on y. NJ.
C. A. goods so as to get smokes and
other canteen supplies in adequate
quantities up into the American army
area. If the military transports peo
pie can solve the traffic problem and
get the stuff out to Coblenz. the prob
lem OF distribution to the most re-
mote outposts is Il relatively simnle |
proposition, and much adverse criti- |
cism will be spiked.
No Fault With Fntcrta 'nments.
The most successful phase of the |
Y. NJ. G. AS work here has been the |
of entertainment for the |
troops. which WIS hadlv needed, and /
also in supplying books. music and /
papers to the doughboys marooned |
In obscure Rhine villages.
There is fertile field here for con-
tinued Y NJ c. A. activities. and ey-
cry dollar collected at home can be
nrofitably spent.