The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-05-27
BY WILBUR
On the New York Tribune.)

tuih u WdcnI an Hnefn mere In Ter
many is to be envied by those who
have hurried back through the French
winter months to home and Preside.
The homegoers are possibly well
pleased with their lot, but the 'stay-
abroads" are beginning to come into
their own.
The American army and the Y. M. @.
A. have combined into a harmonious
partnership here at Neuwied-on-the-
Rhine. which gives full compensation
for enforced foreign service. 1t is
called the Third Corps Recreation Cen
ter and is today operating full blast
for the benefit of morale of some 49,
OOO Of Uncle Sans boys composing the
Third American army corps, command
ed by Major General Hines.
Eleven hundred from the First, Sec
ond and T~hirty-second divisions come
from their prescribed villages and
towns Of the occupied area into Neu-
wied every three days to rest, recre-
ate and see the sights of the Rhine.
"The Third Corps Recreation Center,
sa00E ROoSiDiG By tAt III Ut Obu
through the Y. M. G. A." is the slogan
you may read In Neuwied today. And
the doughboys are beginning to appre-
ciate 1t and talk about 1t.
American army engineers have built
the largest Y. M. G. A. club and recre-
alton hall in Europe--the home of the
~recreating d~oughboy, In which he
neither worries about reveille nor sa-
luting. 1t Is here that he first goes
when he arrives from the area, and
he Is told to make himself comfortable
by one or all of six comedy American
girls who have come from home to
cater to John D%oughboy and he alone,
natty young officers Notwithstanding.
The boys are invited to make them
selves fright at home" and they lose
nc time In doing SO.
How the Idea Works.
Follow MFR. John Doughboy through
q three-day leave In the Neuwied Rec
reation Center. He packs up his blan-
kets. towels, toothbrush and safety
and departs from the scene Of
duty. He arrives In Neuwied by vari-
y routes-1,10O of him-and Is greet
ed by q brass band at the railway sta
ton. A guide conducts him to the big
recreation hall and turns him loose
among ported palms, and deep uphol-
stored easy chairs, divans and 'lazy-
backs" set lastly In a great room
nsnked on two sides by big red brick
6re-places. In which CHEEKY log fires
are burning. He is assigned a place
In q double-deck bunk and he throws
his blankets aboard and returns to the
big room to loaf.
Perhaps he sits down at a table and
writes a line or two to the folks back
home. Then he meets a friend and
plays q game OF billiards or pool on
the overhanging balcony at one end Of
the room. Or he just Tolls around on
those easy chairs and sofas until lunch
time.
Then some one suggests that he
stroll down to "Uncle Sans Hotel
the place that used to be the "Hohen-
xollern house" Here the Uncle Sam.
Y. NJ. G. A. combination serves a meal
for him and his 1.O99 companions that
he has never seen equaled in the
A. =. r.
crockery Suffers Sadly.
This "crockery." as the doughboys
cali II, Is In reality an excellent grade
or German china. and as Sergeant J.
". Seidenfelt, commander In CHIEF
of Uncle Sans hotel, explained,
breakages at the hands OF some scores
Of German Mattresses run up to 1
per cent q meal. or nearly 100 per
cent q month. But 1t is Uncle Sans
party, and the Coys enjoy 1t.
Sergeant Seidenfelt was head wait
er at a hotel in Cleveland when Uncle
Sam drafted him. His home. however,
Ii Hartford. Conn.,, and he never
dreamed the armistice would bring
him here to run 'the biggest army ho-
tel In Germany" where nearly 500
doughboys can "sit" simultaneously at
z single meal and 1000 IL necessary,
drop In at two sittings for any meal
Of the day.
From the hotel the recreating soldier
wanders back to the recreation hall.
which now becomes his principal point
OF orientation. Here he chats with
American girls who make him feel at
home and point out the afternoons m
t~ertainment. There Is "Uncle Sans
theater,r q pretentious German play
house, With a good bill showing at two
o'clock and again at seven. There Is
the 4ittelstrasse theater--continuous
movies both afternoon and evening
and when all this does not appeal there
are athletics Of almost every charac-
ter on q nearby field. From $3.50 to
$50 there is music and tea or choco-
late and cakes In the recreation hall,
and from that time onward there are
music and games inside or outside,
winding up with ice cream and cake
1t 3 p. N.
Thus ends In brief outline the first
of : three-day leave for the "stay-
abroads" here In Neuwied. Iii addi-
tlon there Is q large swimming pool
md plenty Or baths for those who wish
q take the time.