The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-06-28
FOSDICK TALKS
ABOUT SOCIAL
WORK IN ARMY

Washington, June 27.-Social work
in the army in any future emergency
should be handled by the govern
ment itself through a single. nom
sectarian agency. in the opinion OF
Raymond d. Fosdick, chairman of
the commission on training camp ac-
tivities, expressed in a report made
public today by the war department.
Secretary Baker was said to be sub
stantially in accord" with Mr.. Fos-
dicks views.
Rivalries engendered by the sectar-
ian nature of the Young Mems Chris
tian Association, Knights of Column
bus. Jewish Welfare Board or other
societies sharing in the United war
work campaign fund of $172, 900, 900.
Mr.. Fosdick found to have provided
"the worst possible basis for social
work with the army" a result for
which he held the training camp COM
mission responsible for having turned
to these private agencies.
1T seems to me-" said Mr.. Fos-
dick, that the lesson of the war in
social work involves perhaps three
points: The elimination of sectarian
auspices; reduction in the number
of agencies employed, and the trans
fer to the government itself of much
Of the activity hitherto left to pri-
vate initiative
Discussing the work of the six or
CARNATIONS that served abroad with
the army. the report said the Young
Mems Christian Association. handling
So per cent of the war work budget
and with 5000 representatives in
France, was far the largest and re-
ceived a good deal of criticism from
the soldiers in France
Some of this criticism is merited."
Mr.. Fosdick said; much Of 1t is due
/ believe to misunderstanding"
The bulk of the complaint arose
from the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation operation of army canteens.
which Chairman Fosdick said was a
mistake although it was undertaken
as service to the army and released
a large combatant personnel. From
early days the canteen had been an
army requisite and the soldiers could
not understand why it should be
handed over to private society
which was at the same time raising
millions at home for support" the re-
port said, and continued
Moreover, the personnel of the Y.
NJ. c. A. was unframed for this kind
of work and it soon found itself in
maze of business and technical diff
sculties with which it was unable at
first to cope. In the minds of the
soldiers it Immediately became a COM
mercial organization and from this
stigma it has never succeeded in free
ing itself"
So far as the effect of the transfer
of the canteens went on the army
command. the report continued, TT
was a genuine relief to the general
staff that during the fighting days
of the army, it did not have to handle
the ever troublesome canteen prob
lem.
The charge that the Y. NJ. c. A.
made money out of the canteen is. of
course, erroneous" said Mr.. F'osdicll.
However high it's prices may have
been in individual localities. consid-
cred as a bushes venture the total
results show large losses"
Another ground for criticism of the
Y. NJ c. A, which Mr.. Fosdick said
was somewhat justified was in the
character of it's personnel. While
many of it's men were well qualified
for their work, he said. many others
were utterly unadapted to this pur-
pose and had no common ground in
mixing with our virile, red blooded
young soldiers" He found also, how
ever the field of choice was limited,
men of proper qualifications being in
most cases in the army.