The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-15
He DEFENDS The Y
Kelsey Petro, Home From
France, Tells of Work.
Association Carried Out PERISH
ing Instructions to Letter.
HITS The EASY CHAIR CRITICS
Have No Right To Say Any
thing About Soldiers Conduct.
YankS in France Do Nothing
To Be Ashamed OF.
HITS The EASY CHAIR CRITICS

1t is not within the province of any
one of the persons who sat on this side
of the water in easy chairs to criticise
anything that the soldiers did while
they were in France. The life the
soldier overseas led is not subject to
the criticism of the carpers on this
/ side who desire to dictate what it shall
be or should have been. They may
cuss and smoke cigarets but they do
nothing to be ashamed Of
This was the statement of Kelsey
Petro this morning as he launched
himself into defense of the Y. NJ. c.
A. in France and the actions of SOL
diers overseas. Petro was a sergeant
| in the 312th sanitary train, headquar-
ters detachment. He enlisted in the
Washburn ambulance corps organized
in Topeka by DR.. c. H. Lerrigo short
ly after the declaration of war. AT
Camp Pike he was transferred to the
headquarters detachment and went
overseas with that company.
The 312th sanitary train was part
of the S7th division, and Sergeant Pc
tro wears on the shoulder of his left
sleeve the acorn insigne of that divi-
sion. PetrO says that he was asked
by lady in a railway station in Chi
cago why he wore the turnip on his
sleeve" The lady referred to the
acorn insigne.
In his defense of the Y. NJ. C. A
Il
he had no knowledge of the condi-
lions sor the kind of service rendered
in the front line. but he did say, and
most emphatically, that he took eX-
.ception to the criticism that has been
going the rounds on the work of the
Y in France.
Worked According to Orders.
Sergeant Petro declared that Gen.
era1 Pershing in an official memoran-
dunn distributed among an of the
American troops in France designated
the Y. NJ. c. A. as the organization
| which was to work behind the lines in
| the rest camps and concentration
| points and that the Red Cross, the Sal
walton Army and the Knights of Co
lumbus were named as the organiza-
| lions to work at the front. He assert
| ed that the memorandum set up the
work for the Y NJ. c. A. the mainte-
nance of recreation centers in the rest
camps and the establishment and
maintenance of athletic fields at the
same points.
Petr6 declared that the Y. NJ C. A
| fulfilled this duty to the letter and to
substantiate his statement he spoke OF
| the work of the Y. NJ. C. A. at st. Ma
zaire. one of the debarka ton points oil
| the troops overseas. He said that
| troops sent to st. Nazaire are held in
the debarkation camps about two
weeks. In this time no passes of any
| kind are issued and unless some sort
| of recreation were furnished them
| Petro said, the man would be about
half nuts
At ST. Nazaire the Y. NJ. C. A. main
! tanned a big athletic field, a canteer
and a picture show. The last named
| entertainment showed about eight OF
| ten reels of pictures to the show-an6
| gave three shows a day.
Sergeant Petro was discharged from
the army Wednesday. He will prob
| a hju enter the dr1Ip business with his
father, A. NJ. Petro, in North Topeka
within a short time. Before enlistins
| in the army he was associated with
his father in the drug business il
| North Topeka, and, at one time, was 6
| reporter on the State Journal.
The S7th division, of which Petro':
| organization was a part. was on it:
way to the front to relieve some divi
sion in the Verdun sector at the time
| the armistice was signed.