The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-05-04
WAR CAMP COMMUNITY -
REPORT IS MADE TO
# WAR DEPARTMENT
Detailed Report Has Been Civ
en-, Showing Expenditures
wv of Funds Furnished


bilized for the benefit of the man IN
uniform is described In the report OF
War Camp Community Service Just
made to the War Department and the
Committee of Elevation on the ex-
penditure of $14,S42,946.70, received
by the organization from the United
War Work Campaign up to December
81, 1919.
It was the job of War Camp Com
munity Service to translate into per-
Torrance the friendliness of Amert-
can communities toward the soldier,
sailor and marine who swarmed into
them from the camps, ships and
training stations. 1t aimed to help
solve, through organized effort, the
tremendous problem of cities and
towns which saw their populations
suddenly swollen by the influx OF
youngsters in olive drab and blue.
A. statement accompanying the fian-
cial report says:
1.-THE figures in this financial re-
bort cannot tell the story OF War
Camp Community Service-they can
not relate in human terms the his
tory of loneliness and inconsistencies
averted: of hospitality and goodwill
developed toward the men in uni
form; of friendships formed; or or
the team play and community enort
inspired. They can merely indicate
in the large how the money entrust-
ed to War Camp Community Service
BY the people of the United States
was spent for the soldiers, sailors and
marines in the communities near the
home camps and in the great ports.
Great Cooperative Undertaking
"War Camp Community Service
created to meet a stupendous emer-
gency, demonstrated itself as vast
cooperative undertaking in which the
people of the United States, working
through the agency appointed by the
Government gave expression to the
spirit Of goodwill which played so
important a part in making the Unit
ed States army and navy the clean,
efficient fighting forces they proved
to be. Thousands Of individuals gave
freely of their time, money and en-
ergy that the desired result might be
accomplished. Hundreds Of local
agencies pooled their resources that
Americas part in the war might be a
worthy one. That countless groups
which constitute community life
Joined hands in making possible this
work and in bringing about service
Of which American communities may
be justly proud
Worked in 600 Communities
War Camp Community Service OPP
Grated in 600 communities. 1t en-
ployed more than 5000 paid workers
and enlisted an army Of volunteers
numbering $4,000 persons. Fully
100000 people, men in uniforms,
their relatives and friends, were serv-
ed by the clubs, Information booths,
entertainments, social and educa-
tional activities of the organization.
Indicating the scope of the work the
report states that 528 clubs were
opened in the ten months period from
January /, 1919 to October 81, 1919,
at which approximately 1915, 10
visitors were registered; sleeping
quarters were furnished to 1882
21O; and canteen service rendered to
5,513,570.
=! War Camp Community Service be-
gan it's work in 1917 when the War
Department Commissions on Training
Camp Activities called upon the Play
ground and Recreation association
of America to care for the leisure
time OF the men in training. Under
the leadership of Joseph Lee, presi-
dent Of the association, and Howard
S Braucher, Executive Secretary,
War Camp Community Service came
into being and grew by leaps and
bounds, until the man in uniform
came. to recognize the familiar Red
Circle az the symbol Of local hospi-
tally to him.