| Show J OF W WAR WARi AR t i APPEAL TO Y M. M C. C C A. A lore re Than Hungry and Hopeless Captives T fc Ask for or Food and Books to Keep Keen Mental Men Men- fj 1 tal tai and Physical Health I i t il ilA i IA A i A great Cr cry for help comes from f 4 I Ithe the more than million men f in barb barb- I held prisoners o of war wired sired Ired enclosures In Sn Europe Asia 4 id Til Africa i cooped f Jore fore men are probably ja tp In war prisons now than have havo 4 fought In an any previous war In the t of oC the world America through the Young Youn t Jl teas Men's II Christian stJan association Is h playing a great creat part In making f life endurable for these men bitter cry crr of or anguish and continuously continuous t despair goes gotS up i At This story tells of or some of ot tho them f f things s being done to help forget t tHAY 1 IP- IP HAY A E pity on us and make It pos pos- I gH sible Bible for us to forget the hea heavy floors rs of ot our Imprisonment this appeal to tho the Young Youn tens Wic Christian association a n. group roup of professors school teachers public officials and law lawyers lawyer en held prisoners of tear u at Central Asia voice olce fr e the e cry that goes up continuously continuous from fr the more than nO million men hid held prisoners of oC war by the various warring countries Practically er e every prison on camp campIn campis In is Europe and Asia appeals have been made Bide to the American Young Mens Men's Christian association for Cor aid by these a wren n In their hour of or dire need ac- ac r Cording to reports and official com com- brought back to this country coun coun- try rr 7 b by E E. G G. G Wilson associate secreta secretary secre secre- tary ta ary In charge of ot the Young fens Men's Christian association prisoner of oC war work ork in northern Europe And has ell n siren given as far as ns the various gov- gov will HI allow In fact many man of oC tb tt the nations have ha tho the association association Uon with Kith special funds to help carry oa this work B Among BS the prisoners of oC war In Ger- Ger tay there arc aro about three hundred ildren About two hundred of ot these re Interned In tho the prison camp amp at and about fifty In fn tho the camp t Havelberg Practically all of or these we love spent the last three Christmas rs Is In n prison camps Some of oC them to fe been ken born there and know lenow noth- noth r C rot of the life Ufo of oC the barbwire f fence jNo 1 explanation of oC this situation accompanied the report Sick In TrUon Of or the five million m men n cooped up in the prison camps about one hundred hundred hundred hun hun- dred and fifty thousand are in ho hospi hospi- pl- pl Perhaps hundred an and fifty thousand more are invalids who arc are wounded or otherwise incapacitated These men unable because of or physical disability to engage nga c in work are perhaps perhaps per per- haps Imps the most pitiful and most needy need group roup To meet conditions the Young Mens Men's Christian association has s established established established schools an and work York shops o of various various vari van ous oils kinds hinds has or organized orchestras and choruses has stimulated athletics s and provided pro libraries The crown princess of or Sweden gave nearly eleven cleven thousand English books booles for tor the use of or British prisoners Food Is the greatest need of these men A chance for or mental r relaxation Is I tho the second great need Some persons persons persons per per- sons it first Confinement has brought about d depression In their physical m mental and spiritual natures The loss of or liberty the loss 1088 of privacy unnatural social conditions and tho the uncertainty of the future as well as Ignorance of or the conditions ons of or loved ones at home have ha caused a severe sovere strain on the minds of or man many Mental depression has set Let In Hopefulness has been succeeded b by discouragement Discouragement has hns b been en succeeded by 11 despondency Now NO in in inmany many cases de despondency despondency despondency de- de has been followed by despair de despair de- de War Var nr Ammern Prayer Numerous appeals are being made to the Y M. M r C. C A A. A poor Russian peasant saw that letters of oC appeal were being answered Not ot knowing to whom else elso to appeal for aid he wrote a letter to God In which he lie humbly asked God to send pend him a hundred hundred hundred hun hun- dred marks The letter attracted at attentIon attention attention at- at at tho the censors censor's office and was referred to the war ministry The offices offices of ot- ices there thero collected twenty five marks and sent them to the Russian prisoner thinking the they had thereby lone done a good turn Tho prisoner however was not well wen satisfied s as was apparent by 11 his reply In which it Is 15 true he hc thanked God for the gift Sift but hut cautioned him to send future mone money direct rather than b by way of or tho the war ministry sa saying sayIng say say- ing that the tho rascally officials there had kept se seventy five seventy marks nt-lve nt marks and antI had sent him only twenty five Food books games amo athletic c equipment equip equip- equipment ment and educational supplies upp lt's have hate been sent to these men whenever al allowed allowed allowed al- al lowed by tho the authorities Religious work worle with f Protestant Roman Roman Roman Ro Ro- man Catholic and Greek Greel services service has 1118 been een established Most o t of oC the te men at nt atone atone nto one o e camp had attended no service for fortio or two ti year ear car and when hen the robed white priest began be the opening chant of ot the thc theMas Mas Mass a l great reat many cried A young officer 23 years old had written every err tot rote of or Shubert's Mass from memory memon and n trained a chorus for the occasion lon Knot I nil Stare Mar tAr Clas Classes es are In J progress ro ress at man many camps At one there Is a school with twenty seven courses 2500 students and 60 teachers Another mother has a dall dally daily attendance of ot In summer and 1000 In winter ork Workshops hops and gardens have been started not started not only to offer otter useful production but for training training- as aswell well At one point a soap factory was started It developed so well that a a. tannery tannel was put into operation It In turn was followed b by chemistry At other points tho m men n work at bookbinding bookbinding book book- binding tailoring woodcarving ing and In laundries In one camp alono alone the tailoring department department department de de- de- de made madu new overcoats from old ones the shoe department nt made now pairs of ot shoes and 75 new pairs of or boots boot and repaired 1300 pairs of shoes Athletics aro encouraged wherever possible Tho The men get et along with the best equipment obtainable Golf Gol enthusiasts en enthusiasts enthusiasts en- en held hel an nn exciting tournament recently using using- tennis balls for golf gol balls and ordinary canes as sticks Hugh Moran secretary in the tho Russian war prisoner camps in one of oC his reports writes I a attended a n. football game Iamo between two picked teams Among the members members members mem mem- bers were three international players two of whom competed on opposite sides In the Olympic games cames at Stockholm Stock Stock- holm lien Ilene 11 Lay rz Egg c for tor Prisoner Prisoners Special efforts have been made mAdo to provide nourishing foods for the men in tho the hospitals Fresh eggs Cg'S aro are sent from Denmark to sick men In the tho German German German Ger Ger- man prison camps In one case case case-a a number number number num num- ber of hens were I sent ent to a prison In the Interior in order that fresh e eggs es s ml might ht be available for those tho needing them In a addition It they provided etl amusement an and occupation for men assigned to take care of oC them More than books have been distributed among German prisoners and more moro than among Russian prisoners In Germany As Russian books were scarce scarle Bunyan's Pilgrims Pilgrim's Progress was wa translated translate Into Russian Special editions of ot the nu Russian prayer prayer- book and an ABC A II B C book for Russian Illiterates were Issued A total of oC HO French Trench books booles and pamphlets were also distributed in Germany German Musical l Instruments ranging from mouth organs supplied in Individual cases to to full equipment for bands and orchestras orchestra were supplied Wheat flour Clour for tor making bread for Cor the celebration oChol of oC hol holy communion has also been provided provided provided pro pro- vided In man many places AVI Wife Ire re Ind lIu In Picture I One Ono of the biggest pieces of qC work worl done cIone b by the Young Mens Men's Christian association association association as as- as- as In this connection for Cor the thes folks s back home Is tho the locating In prison camps o of boys Joys and men reported ns as as' as ml missing More than have ha been located for Cor the home folks After Arter searching for Cor months for her husband who wa was reported l missing ayoung a ayoung young oung wife call called d on Dr Archibald CHarte C C. Harte International secretary for work worl among prisoners of She traveled several hundred miles to do so During her visit some pictures which he had brought from Russia were shown her In looking over these thes she s suddenly discovered discovered discovered dis dis- covered her husband In one of them An exultant cry r There he Is burst huist from her lips as she excitedly ran rm to the window to make sure it was he Then she fainted After Arter she regained consciousness ness she clapped her hands exclaiming And Antl he has tins even een got ot a pipe Max prince of ot Baden who Is s head of ot the Young Mens Men's ens en's Christian Christ association war prisoner work In G Germany In his farewell message to the American workers when this country entered te the nn tar Id l- l u. u lh 1 l L in sa aiu umi at t int u brotherly rl love iove luve snO shows show's 1 in this work would be he the one solid pillar p around which the warring nations nations na na- could gather g In part ho ud I can assure you OU that the cooperation cooperation opera co tion with you OU and anti your oUr leaders belongs to the most delightful experiences that I halo ha ha 0 had In this war at a time when all the foundations upon whIch up to tono no now the life of ot nations and their relations relations relations rela rela- to ono another rested have hay begun to totter and threaten to crumble completely com com- Tho The work among mon the prisoners In my 01 estimation sl signifies ono one solid pillar around which all these thoughts and anti feelings can enn be collected which breathe out the spirit of ot world world-wido brotherly love JOe That brother brotherly love lovo which declines to see in the wounded and captive enemy enemy anything other than th thana a suffering stiffening mortal The conversations that I have had along alan these lines with your oUr lend leading In men men amon among whom I would name name- In first place Dr John R R. Molt Mott and Dr A. A C C. Harte I J shall never ne forget for they have hac enriched my life and have strengthened my mv firm convictions that alon alongside the relentless strife which Is s destroy destro Ingo Ing mankind the mighty mIght power of goodness remains unconquerable and out of ot the depths of suffering is isable isable able to accomplish worl works s o of salvation with renewed en enc c power Watch the Wants and when there Is a vacancy in the tho kind of a boarding house youve you've always alwa's hoped to find thud an unmistakable clew to Its whereabouts will be found In ht one of the want a ads s Use Tho The Republican Herald want ad phone Main I |
