Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 289, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 December 1918 — American War Service Organizations Help Soldiers of France and Italy [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

American War Service Organizations Help Soldiers of France and Italy

By MRS. RHETA CHILDE DORR.

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A big contribution which the United States has made to our fighting allies «is the war service work among the troops of the nations affiliated with America. None of the war service organizations was known in France or Italy until we came into the war. Before the war ends they will be as familiar there as they are here. # . When the Y. M. C. A., K. of C., Jewish Welfare and Salvation Army huts were established in France the native population was mildly interested but little curious. They thought the huts were canteens for

American soldiers, a sort of an offshoot of the Red Cross, with which they were already acquainted. But soon the American soldiers began to fraternize with the French poilu and the latter, after visiting the huts, spread the tale of the many and varied conveniences and necessaries provided forthe Americans. Moving pictures and. entertainments, books, writing materials, banking facilities, athletics and garnet, education—a long list The K- of C. and the Jewish Welfare board care for all allied soldiers in the same huts maintained for American fighters; The Y. M. C. A. has established a special service for the Poilus with the approval of the French government, which has military supervision over them. “Foyers des soldats” they call them—literally, homes for soldiers; They need homes, these brave, tired, unconquerable French poilus. After four long years of terrible fighting they are dog-tired and need diversion. Between bouts with the invading Huns they love to drop into their foyers for a cup of hot chocolate, a smoke and a comradely talk. Their slender pay, a franc (20 cents) a day, does not permit them the extravagance which marks the American soldier. But chocolate, coffee, bouillon, cakes, pencils, postcards and the like they can buy. Ten centimes (two cents) is the maximum charged for these articles. The most celebrated of the foyers, the Foyer du President Wilson, is an underground cavern at Fort Douaumont, northwest of immortal Verdun. Other foyers in the area over which.the fighting has been most fierce have been lost to the Germans, but of these, 47 have already been replaced and the others will be, for the French government sees in them great possibilities for education of the soldiers. This brings us to the other newly established American institution, the public library. The library war service of the American Library association has established in “Y” huts, Knights of Columbus huts, Red Cross houses, Y. W. C. A. hostess houses and other stations overseas, circulating branch libraries with a-constant supply of books and magazines. These are not entirely fiction libraries, although of course good fiction is included. The American fighting man reads to improve his status as a fighter, to help him in his special line of work, and to get him a better job after the war. The library war service provides him with technical textbooks and with every kind of trade and professional work, from law to agriculture. - The French government has viewed this service-with admiration. A commission recently was formed, with President Poincare as chairman, to study the American public library system and to establish it throughout France. Already the system has been established in the foyers des soldats. The library war service sends libraries of fifty to one hundred books to each foyer, and the department will soon be enlarged, as the French government has requested that agricultural and other works be added. The war department has asked for moving pictures illustrating scientific farming, forestry, manual training, machinery, playgrounds and recreation centers. * American institutions, American secretaries like these are spreading from France southward into Italy. The K. of C. has ordered 100 secretaries to Italy, where ten huts are being constructed. At almost four hundred points the Y. M. C. A. has established its work. Soon Italy will have its homes for soldiers. Wherever the American flag goes to help in the war W liberty there also will go the war service agencies, the helping hand. ' , Seven of these agencies have been authorized to work abroad and, at home for the soldier, sailor and marine. These are the Y. M. C. A., the Y. W. C. A,, the National Catholic War council and Knights of Columbus, the War Camp Community service, the Jewish Welfare board, the American association and the Salvation Army. To maintain their efficiency a great deal of money is necessary, and the week of November 11-18 has been set apart to collect the sum of $170,500,000 to be divided among the seven. - Who contributes to the sum helps our men in every camp, cantonment, aviation camp, naval station, warship and transport in this country and in Europe. He helps the French and the Italian soldier. He helps to maintain the fighting morale of the allied armies. He helps to beat the unspeakable Hindenburg, the bloody-handed Von Tirpitz, the mad maniac of Potsdam. Every dollar given to that fund helps to win the war quickly and to bring back the men for whom millions of hearts yearn.