WAR WORK OG Y.M.C.A.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 191, 13 August 1919, Page 9

WAR WORK OG V.M.C.A.

(To the Edltor.l Sir, —I read with interest '*Sapper's" medley of statements and questions in Friday's issue of this paper. While it would be impossible to enter into the pros and cons of the V.M.C.A. work in these columns, may I be permitted to make one or two remarks in reply to "Sapper's" letter. I have, been fortunate in having first hand knowledge of the work of the New Zealand V.M.C.A. in New Zealand, Egypt, England, France, Germany, and last, but in my estimation greatest of all, on the New Zealand transports to and from New Zealand. I saw the work as a private, and also as an officer of the N.Z.E.F., and I have no hesitation in saying that in not only my humble opinion, but in tiie opinion of thousands of New Zealand's khaki sons, no organisation in the wide world did more for its soldiers than did the New Zealand V.M.C.A. If any information is required as to expenditure of its moneys, its books arc at ali times open to the public, and I 'have found every courtesy extended to mc personally by the national officers at Wellington when I have asked for information. I have been handed the balance sheets for the last three years, and I cannot understand, any sane man asking at this late hour to know where the money has gone. The New Zealand V.M.C.A. went right up to the front line, and in countless ways made our lives there infinitely better than they would otherwise have _een. •'Sapper" seems to go out of his way to mention the work of the Salvation Army. it did a good work, but the pioneer work work of comfort and encouragement was done by the New Zealand V.M.C.A. The Y.M. huts were in scores of places where the Salvation Army never went. The Salvation Army did good work at the base, but the "V.M.C.A. footed the bill right up at the front where danger lay, and where help was first needed. When the -\".Z.E.F. was to enter Germany before a single company had crossed German soil the New Zealand Y.M. secretary was there on the spot getting ready for our men. I have never known of a single instance where any of our boys were '"turned down" unless they were after "booze." But the New Zealand V.M.C.A. did so much for us that in some (I am glad to say) isolated instances soldiers have not even shown the slightest gratitude, but have taken everything given to them, and have then grumbled because they didn't get twice as much.

"Sapper" mentions the padres, but may I say that while some of tho padres did a noble work among our mon, many of them absolutely failed with our men; and the padre for whom wo have time to-day is "the man who did his share rifrht up at the front, and was not away at the base or in England when there was any Sghting. It was easy work to organise recreation for the men in England, but the padre who organised up in the trenches and just behind the lines wa< the man who the "Digger"' would lay down his life for. lam proud to-day to pay my humble tribute to the work—so magnificently djne—of encouragement, comfort, an.l cheer carried out by tne nob'.e band oi secretaries roprenenting the New Zealand Y_YI.C.A. —I am, etc., JAISPLAii