The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1943-07-17
THIS N THAT
BY Your Rowing Reporter /.

we have heard much talk about
what one of the good pastors of the
city had to say about the various
Centers of entertainment provided
for soldiers here in Jackson and
how a lot of the best young girls
and women were being unduly ex-
posed to the harsh facts of life
thru the activities of these agen-
cies' we do not know, but we
take these agencies" to mean the
Soldiers Center and the USO Club
=. if we are wrong, we ask the
good pastor to correct us, just as
we are going to attempt to set him
rigth about a few things :.
Since we were not present when
the good pastor delivered his ser
mon" on the devastating effects"
of the two places mentioned above,
we are not prepared to say that all
we have heard is authentic-espec-
tally in light of the fact that this
good Reverend, when approached
by persons at one of the agencies,
denied that he had said half the
things that he was reported to have
said and passed the buck on to
other quarters however, if he
said any of them we still think our
little discourse is in order -.
First we would like to ask this
good preacher if he has ever Wis
tied either the Soldiers Center or
the USO? If he hasn't, and we
are inclined to believe that he
hasn't, we feel that perhaps he
doesn't know what he's talking
about and in that case, we
would advise him to do what the
folk on the ole Avenue do, IF you
don't know, ask somebody"
Although we do not hold our
selves up as shining examples of
goodness and purity, we do lay
claim to excellent eye-sight and
our hearing is rather good :. /. we
have been almost daily visitors to
both the agencies" and we have
not seen or heard of any activities
promoted by them that would ''un-
duly expose any girl to the harsh
facts of life" In both places, sol
diers meet young ladies, young Ia
dies who for the most part come
from some of the best homes in the
city, and we mean best, even ac-
cording to the standards of the
good pastor. These young people,
while at either the Center or the
USO, dance, play cards and other
games-all under the proper super
vision of not only the workers who
have been selected because of their
character and ability, but often too,
under the supervision of volunteer
workers who for the most part are
mothers of these girls, or outstand-
ing women high in the social and
educational circles of the city
So, you see, Mr. Preacher, you re-
ally don't have to take my word
for the good order and fine prog
rams that are really sponsored by
these agencies"
1t is true that these young peo-
pie dance and play cards, but we
hardly think a modern man like
this preacher would call these two
forms of entertainment harsh
facts of life +. But what we re-
ally would like for this preacher
and hundreds of other persons tc
do, is to visit one or both of these
agencies, not just once, but often
-mingle with these boys who are
hundreds of miles from everything
they hold dear, waiting for, in
many instances, a fate worse than
death see how eager they are
for the companionship that these
girls and young women can give
them just for few hours a week
:. see how they cherish the
brotherly, motherly and sisterly
consel given them by the workers
at both agencies-hoW they rely on
the advise and ability of these
workers to Fix" things for them
from sewing on a button, to ar
ranging their weddings-how many
young soldiers on being invited
out, seek the advise of these work
ers before going, always completely
satisfied in the knowledge that these
workers are profoundly interested
in their welfare and that they can
rely on their judgment and advice
We would like for this preacher
and hundreds of others to realize
that the responsibility of these sol
diers do not in any way rest solely
on these two agencies, but on every