The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-01-09
REcT|FY MISTAKES
SOON AS LOCATED
Many in tho t<Y" Crftized for Short
Comings of the Very
Few.
By Damon Runyon.

With the American Army OF Occu-
patton in Cobienz. Jan. S.-+-Mr. George
w. Perkins went seeking an carful
about the Y. NJ. c. A. last night and
received the same. He invited the
war correspondents. with the army of
occupation. to an unofficial dinner
along with some officers. The cor
respondents had been stirring I'M
easily In their cage at the Hotel
Reichfurstenhof for several days, hav-
tent. so when they were led out they
were r'arin' to go.
Mr.. Perkins fed them venison. This
further invigorated them. Then he
asked them what in their minds had
been the matter, IL any. with the Y
NJ. G. "A and what 1t might do in the
future. He mentioned that the
organization now had something like
sSo,oo0,oo0 and is trying to determine
in what manner this money may be
expended to ths greatest benefit of
the soldiers
He requested the correspondents to
be candid, and we will say they were
In fact. there was probably more can
dor spread over the premises. than
there has been in this part of Ger
many IN the last twenty years Most
of the correspondents, who spoke, are
men who have followed the army a
long time and were talking from
first hand observations Furthermore.
they are men who get the viewpoint
and sentiment of the soldier pretty
we'll
They have known the things, they
told Mr.. Perkins as the whole army
has known them for months. but none
of them ever bothered TO put them in
print, because they all felt it would
have been unfair to condemn the
many for the shortcomings Of the
few. After all, it still goes back to
matter of personnel as we have
said before.
Heard No Real News.
II developed that few of the things
they told Mr.. Perkins were news to
him. for he has been making inquiries
among a great many people. other
than newspaper men, and he Is no
way deceived as to the situation. In
fact the object of his visit here il
to correct. as far as possible. that
, situation.
He agreed that the fault had been
! largely in the personnel. then he
PoihtNd put TIE dlI1tuiIIeS unuGf
which the Y. Nj. G.. A. labored to
amass 5000 personnel from the
limited class from Which it was allow
ed to select He also pointed out
the difficuities~of Y. NJ C.. A. work
ers In getting supplies for canteens
at the front-and there is much truth
in what he says in that respect.
When supplies do not arrive the
soldier doesn't inquire into the trans
portation difficulties. He simply
blames the Y. M, c. A. and lets it go
The correspondents told Mr.. Per-
kins, they thought the organization
erred in trying to cover too much
ground and in letting the army stake
it to canteens without assurance OF
comnissary supplies. They also ex-
pressed the opinion that the publicity
department had promised too much
and that charging soldiers for ciga-
rettes and other supplies had been a
:.rievous mistake ,a
Army Insisted on Charging.
Mr.. Perkins said. however. that the
army had insisted on the Y. NJ c. A.
charging There was time when "
was common knowledge shat the Y
NJ. c. A charged more for supplies
than they could be bought for at COM
missaries, but that this was rectified
weeks ago,
The gathering and the discussion
were purely informal. but Mr. Perkins
frankness and his evident desire to.gat
at the bottom OF matters, indicate
that the mistakes of the past will not
be repeated.
The only regret In that Mr.. Perkins
did not come to France Some months
sooner; then a lot of hard. working.
earnest, efficient people wouldn't now
be feeling the results Of the ineffi-
cient.
Itslooks like big time for the lads
along the Rhine during the next few
weeks