Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 94, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 April 1920 — $508,899 PROFIT IN “Y” HUTS [ARTICLE]

$508,899 PROFIT IN “Y” HUTS

Adjustments Show This Gain and Wipe Out “Book Loss” of — $1,478,084, PUBLIC GIVES $161,722,649 Report Reveals Approximate Balance of $17,000,000 —Largest Sums Expended on American Fighters While Abroad. New York. —A financial statement of operations by the national war work council of the Y. M. C. A. from the beginning of our participation In the war to January 1 last reveals that the canteens operated for soldiers and sailors returned a net profit of $508,899.79. A previous report in March, 1918, reported a loss on canteen service of $1,478,074.14. The United States carried Y. M. C. A. supplies free of charge on transports, and furnished rail transportation and motor supplies in France. The report also shows that $161,722,649.42 had been contributed by the public to Y. MCA. war work up to January 1. The report of William Sloane, chairman of the war work council, reveals an approximate balance of $17,000,000, the principal expenditures to the ends for which the money was given having been as follows: Itemized Expenditures. Spent on soldiers, sailors and marines in the United States, $38,809.50; abroad, $52,382,736.03; other expenses not itemized, $7,000,000. The fund of more than $161,000,000 was made up as follows: First Y, M. C. A. campaign. $5,113,666.98; second Y. M. C. A. campaign, $53,334,546.81; United War Work campaign up to January L, $100,759,731.17; other sources, $2,SJI 4 ZU-. - ' The balance of $17,000,000 revealed

in the report is surplus, writing off more than $21,000,000 of "commftments already made for continuance of the work not only on behalf of the American army and navy at home and overseas, but also among the allied armies in the troubled areas of Europe and Asia.” Recommendations for continuance of work adopted at the last joint meeting of the executive and finance committees of the national war work council include the following: Recommendations Made. Continued support of such welfare work as the Young Men’s Christian association is now carrying on for enlisted men in the American army and navy in the United States and its possessions and overseas wherever American troops are still held. This recommendation Includes the maintenance of the permanent Young Men’s Christian association buildings for Ameri-

can soldiers and sailors, also neeued additions thereto and new buildings for such purposes. Continuance of the support of the work now being carried on for the soldiers and sailors of our allies be- * yond the year 1920, should the seriously unsettled conditions occasioned by the war continue. Setting apart of a substantial portion of the surplus to be regarded as a reserve fund which might be used at any time for rendering Y. M. C. A. service in any grave national emergency. This reserve fund should certainly be held for these purposes for at least two years. Continuance of the educational program for ex-service men. We recommend also a study of the needs of the wounded ex-service men who are now having vocational training. Recommendation that the total amount that seems now to have accrued in the operattob of the canteen, approximately $500,000 (brought about by the government’s cancellation of the 'charges aggregating $2,500,000 and for which we had a reserve fund), to be used for the benefit of ex-service men, either through an appropriation direct to the American Legion or to the relief of incapacitated ex-service men, or to such other purposes for the benefit of exservice men as might be agreed upon between the officers of the national war work council and the officers of the American Legion.