Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1919-03-10 | Page 3 | 'Y. M. C. A. in France Has Don as Well as Our Army,' Says Wm. Allen White

YM Y M. M C. C CA A. A in France Has Done as Well I As Our Army Says Wm nr Allen White I I Doughboys Doughboy's Have e Much il to Sa Say Against Y but Or Orga Organization a alion zillion zil- lion tion Has Done Big Bib g Work and Doric Done It II Well Jf In In- Investigator Investigator Lesti tor Finds 11 VICTOR P Paris Feb Q Special Y Co Corre Cor rev 1 Tho Tho Inquiring stranger who arrives In Franco Fr at nt C G n. n a nt m m. m Is fully aware b by noon that tine tho tho Institution institution tion most moat unpopular with tho rho American American Amer Amer- ican lean army arm Is th tho rho Y 1 M AI M. C. C A. A An Any doughboy bO will toll tell him so will take lake obvious ob pleasure In tho tolling I There is no news In this to be sure as everybody c knows s that ono one of or tho rho greatest of or all sports during tho past few weeks has been beon exposing the thc they y Y No Xo doubt tho the people back homo have e heard hear and lea read many man able ablo ll de defenses defenses de- de of or tho lie organization and and statements statements state state- tc- tc ments of or tho great amount of ot work worle done Ione for tor the thc soldiers My purpose Is Islo Isto isto to lo set down Iown what I have ha heard from privates l officers and an Y workers on oil this side and what I have o actually seen 5 n with the thc Intent to state the plain and exact tru truth tho Why hr Soldiers Soldier Project t Wily Why h do the Boldi soldiers rs decry cry this Y T. M. M C C. A 7 Wo We ma may take tho the followIng following follow follow- ing as th the thc chief reasons n advanced for tor their discontent I 1 The Y yo failed to too bring being comforts Into tho the fighting fighting- z no during the tho bl big drives though It has been er Very active an and efficient in ro rest resl l areas ens len Y 1 men have o had a a. safe sate and anti easy I lime time of ot It when the they ought to have havo been carrying rifles In the tho Infantry 2 3 There are too loo many excursionists an and sight seers In the tho Y Y who aro are ren ready to go o icons home n as soon as us s the they have hn toured the battlefields and tasted taste of or the excitements of or lifo Ufo In Paris I 1 I. I Too foo man many preachers ers els in ht the Y and too much preaching I C. C The doughboys i resent resent the tho I th the 1 V 1 this saved Vt them I w I from various forms lorms of or per perdition Thc They allow with some somo heat that a few Y I workers needed a bit of or shepherding h that the they didn't got get C. C Too n m many wOI workers are conde cono- condescending and supercilious s too man many small men with inflated opinions of ot themselves c 7 The Thc usual complaints about over about uyer- uyer I I charging ehL for 01 canteen supplies with I man many protests that the tho Y V. M. M C C. C A A. A should hive give I e away Its Hg wares Tho The reader leador will please remember that the seven Se counts In this thiM In Indictment indictment Indict indict- ment were drawn up for me b by Hol soldiers llers met in various parts of or France and that they are ale set down dOn here not as aa conclusions but for tor further refer refer- once an and examination Before BeCore we take up url the thc case for fOl final Judgment we ve will have hao a look about and see how the organization Is actually oper oper- Y V. 31 1 C. C A. A ni nt Verdun One Sunday Sunda morning a party part of or newspaper men drove e Into Verdun In Ina ina a n. military automobile en route from the tho St St. region to tho the Argonne forest We nce needed ed a n. few fot things thinS's to cat at ml midday da as we wo were re about to enter a region swept bare of or all aU ll ci ian life so 10 o Wo drove o to the Y T. M M. C. C A. A hea headquarters Wo We found lound the theY theY theY Y In a large bare an and partly partI ruined building opening Into a desolate court strewn with stones bits of or brol broken en the and other debris The canteen occupied a large room on tho the ground round floor It was crow crowded led with men and officers standing In a n. lino that wound back and forth waiting their turns at the tho counter A man and a n woman were working as hard har as the they could I Judged they the had been there for hours all and that they the would remain for Cor man many hours more Now Non ow the reason why h T I like lIko th the Salvation Army better than the Y V. M M. M C. C A. A came A.-came came a voice at my sl side c. c I listened One doughboy was telling another that tho the Y acts as thou though h itis It Itis itis while whilo the tho Salvation Salvation Sal Sal- is doing you ou a favor or allon Array Army rm folks make you ou feel that you ou are doing them a favor ol Incoming in incoming coming to them I did lid not per personally personally person person- onah on- on ally ah envy en the thc Y 1 workers s their long Jon hard hours In this mud muddy Iy desolate place acc where no one seemed Inclined I to give o them an any thanks for their effort cHort rolling Foiling thc bc The Y T. M. M C. C A A. occupies a lar largo o building In a convenient central location location loca loca- oca- oca tion In Bor Bordeaux an and It seems to be crowded all the thc time Ume The Thc canteen workers get Sel little time to lo reflect about the aspersions of critics because tho he critics keep eop them too busy Tho The library maintained at this place vaco Is liberally patronized b by the soldiers and sailors and tho rho lounge Is a popular loom room especially in the tho evening c One Sunday night Rube nube Goldberg Goldber an and I dropped in to buy some soap an and other home homo comforts comfort I and wo we found the place crowded A sailor Mallor was playing on tine the piano and antI andin andin in a moment ho le was acting as accompanist acI accompanist ac ac- I for a a. woman violinist t who I performed to the evident enjoyment no ment mentor of or tho boys Outside the thc wild young oun women of ot Bordeaux literally combing thc the streets for victims but tile the they were deprived of or the opportunity opportunity of parading their charms be- be toro foro ono large building full tull of ot Americans Ameri Ameri- cans I To end en this discursive e view lew and get ct down Iown to the charges let us Ul tal take tako the thc testimony testimony- of or Stephen Stephon T 1 Earl of ot the tho n Infantry now associated as as- with thc the Stars StarR and Stripes in Paris In civilian life Lieutenant Earl Early was with tho rho Washington staff stace of the tho Al Associated Press Pross so we mt may regard him as ns careful and reliable In his statements and conclusions A Y In Battle Zone one I My MS fJ regiment was in the Argonne fighting hUng he tId me Ono day I a my I platoon was In support 1111 line Just lino-Just justa just In a little back of or the main engagement and rl right hl alongside sillo us there was a aY aY I I Y man with a stock of ot chocolate and nn l s. s which he le u s was giving I b away ll 1 ed edge j he worked steadily for tor twenty twenty- four Cour hours without a atop lie He did all that anybody could possibly have havo done one I talked t with a fine capable and sensible Y 1 M C. C A Aj Ai f secretary who has spent eighteen months In Franco and who mows knows the thc situation thor thor- Ott It Is true h ho he told lold me met that somo some of or the lie Y workers should never ne have ha como come to France at all Out of ot a a personnel personnel personnel per per- of ot G OO men headquarters rs has haH been obliged to give dishonorable dishonorable dishonor dishonor- able abe discharges e to lo 00 and amI send them horn home These men were of or tho the t type lype pe who ha had never ne experienced temptation temptation temptation tion and who couldn't measure up Ul to the thc situation Somo Some of ot them wont vont wrong morally You have ha heard how ho three workers have hn been locked up for embezzling mon money mondy entrusted to toh them h m b by doughboys about to go over oer tho ho top We e have o ha had too man ninny many ministers without executive ability Some ministers have gone Jono down Iown be before before belore be- be fore lore tho the lure uro of tho the girls on the Paris boulevards boule Then we have o had hall some some men who used the tho Y as a means menn of ot getting to Franco to see eo 00 tho the war and whose Interest flagged as toon soon as the they had been around a little Wo We 0 I have o had hall small men with bl big heads who vho lacked tact and who couldn't got get along with the boys bon But nUL take talo all these misfits together and the they have ha made only a n small percentage of o the whole I i The Tho great body bod of or the thc workers are sincere whole-hearted whole men who havo o made real sacrifices an and whose families o have un undergone lerone sacrifices In order ordel that the they might come Xu No F Tricon Char Charges es of or extortionate prices are arc not fair At t the outset when tho the army directed tho the Y M. M r. r c G. Ato A A. to operate the tho post exchanges we charged prices that would cover eo cost costor of or goods and transport transportation and a n margin margin for 01 waste and spoilage This caused protest Foi For some somo time lime the theT theY Y T has bas charged commissary prices and amI stood a loss for the thc restOn restOn restOn rest rest- On one occasion I obtained sup sup- a a supply supply sup sup- I ply l of oC smoking tobacco which I sold soldat soldat soldat at 3 cents a sack acl The Tho rumor started that 1 charged a franc franca a sack an and 1 l' l couldn't head hoad it ot off Wo We have o given awa away free to the thc soldiers more supplies than thull all the rest of or tho the relief organizations put Jut to ther with tho the exception of the Red Cross The 1 Y M. M C. C A A. A stands well with the tha high officers of or the army Our Oin most merciless critics are the lieu lieu- tenants As for Cor the tho s 's they ther do 10 not have ha an cas easy time of oC it Il over o hero here Jn to n tho rho mu mud with lh th ir h pay y often far tar In arrears an and with wilh the rite malls from home slow and irregular Tho men have ha their personal troubles troubles troubles trou trou- bles many man a man has come to me mo for comfort when his girl back home ha has had married someone else The Thc doughboys doughboy's are aro pc perfectly free treo to take takeout takeout out their theft grouch on the Y Y M M. C C. C A. A and thc they do It Tho The Y T offers them a valve It s ms discouraging at times to work worIc your our head ort oft and get nothing but growls rows and sneers and antI looks of aversion but I am confident con con- fent that ju judgments will be more mellow In Jn time lime What hat hati i W. W A Sn Says ajI aj- aj I asked William tilliam Allen White what wh he lie thought of the work of or the y Y M M. C. C A. A It ii has done as well as the arm army was his comment My own opinion is that the thc Y T. M. M C C. A A. A has bl boon been cn of or inestimable service ser to our men abroad l In spite of or all mistakes The cheerful rea reading and lounging lounging- rooms all over o France lO the tho 3 spent for athletic equipment equipment equipment equip equip- ment the equal amount invested In books bools the sheets of ot letter paper an and envelopes given a away free tree weekly v. tho constantly crowded canteens all nil have given the maximum maximum maximum maxi maxi- mum of or good Tho The boys bos ma runs may speak darkly of or the Y 1 but it Is their thell club I juat lie same and thc they make awake a I world of or use of It it H. Some day a the they I will ill speak better belter of it H.