Y.M.C.A. WAR FUND.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 221, 17 September 1919, Page 8

V.M.C.A. WAR FUND.

SENIOR FIELD SECRETARY'S REPLY. TO R.S.A. EXECUTIVE. CRITICISM OP GAIXTPOLI MEN. UNACQUAINTED WITH FRENCH _______ WAR WORK. (Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON; this day. Probably no one is more entitled to speak authoritatively on V.M.C.A. war expenditure than Mr. James L. Hay, 0.8. E., late Supervising Secretary of the Now Zealand V.M.C.A. in France, who has been the senior secretary in charge of the field work since the days of the Gallipoli campaign. .Mr. Hay, at 'the invitation of the "Auckland. Star," made a full and exhaustive statement in reply to the criticisms of the R.S.A. executive. "It i.s evident that the R.S.A. executive has made misleading deductions from balance-sheets," said Mr. Hay. "It will be noticed that the E.S.A. has very carefully avoided making reference to the very extensive work the V.M.C.A. carried out during the war, when making its charges of ' extravagant administrative expenses,' scornfully rejecting any such reference ac sentiment. But the one cannot be disassociated from the other, and it is undoubtedly due to the R.S.A. executives ignorance of the policy, administration and extent of ihe V.M.C.A. work, that such sweeping charges have been made.

THE QUESTION FOR THE PUBLIC. "The public has a right to know that this executive which alleges to speak on behalf of the returned soldiers, consists largely of Oallipoli men, who have seen practically nothing of the overseas work of the V.M.C.A., and know less of the Association's administration and policy. That they should constitute themselves a competent body to pass judgment on. an organisation which has done more for the troops than any other welfare organisation, almost bordere on the ridiculous. 'What the subscribers to the war fund of the V.M.C.A. want to know (and after all they arc the people concerned) is, did the V.11.C.A render the maximum amount of eervice to the men, and was that (service carried out with reasonable economy?

After reviewing the growth of the war work from the very limited operations (hiring the Gallipoli campaign to the late days in Flanders and "France, when as many as seventeen centres were conducted simultaneously in large marquees and commodious huts, Mr. Hay alluded to the R.S.A.'s charges of "extravagant administrative expenses." "Any reasonable person will admit that the administrative expenses are those confined to the actual maintenence of the headquarters staff and office, and in no way could salaries of those V.11.C.A. secretaries actually serving the men be regarded as administrative expenses," remarked Mr. Hay. "The R.S.A. executive has totalled the whole of our expenses, and explaims 'What extravagant administrative expenses!' It is just as reasonable to argue that the whole of the salaries of the officers and men of the Expeditionary Force are administrative expenses; such, reasoning is absurd, and yet the R.S.A. executive has deliberately endeavoured to mislead the public by quoting an exactly parallel case."

16 HOURS A DAY "WORKERS. "In the winter of 1916-1917 a tiny hut in the village of Sailly served aa the headquarters of the ' V.M.C.A. One Y.M.CJL secretary- at a salary of £150 per annum, with a soldier typist, constituted the administrative staff. From thi3 office the whole of the work in the divisional area was directed; it can be left to the imagination of the public to form some idea of the magnitude of the work that fell on the shoulders of this staff. There were no half-holidays or Sundays in France, and on S-hour days— 14 to 1C hours a day, from Monday morning till Sunday night was the usual thing. Seventeen V.M.C.A. centres had to be built and kept running, and the thousand and one details in connection with the work had to be attended to, all under extremely difficult and trying conditions. This was done, simply to keep down administrative expenses, and to allow as many V.M.C.A. representatives :ts possible to be out doing the actual work of the V.M.C.A. in the huts and dugouts. It is true, that as the work developed, the V.M.C.A. headquarters staff was added to, but on no occasion in France' were more than three V.M.C.A. secretaries employed on administrative wefrk. I challenge anyone to prove that the work could have been done efficiently with a smaller headquarters staff. In fact, had not the military authorities generously given us the assistance of competent men to assist in the office, extra V.M.C.A. secretaries would have had to be brought in to cope with the work."

THE FIELD ACTIVITIES. "From the headquartens office, the administration in connection with the buying and distribution of comforts, trading, finance, and banking, entertainments, coupons, equipment, erection, and dismantling of buildings, marquees, etc., establishment of work in new areas, divisional moves, transport, in addition to correspondence, and the dozens of special stunts that had to be arranged, were controlled. A most important savings bank work was also carried out at headquarters. Through the medium of this bank any soldier could deposit his money with the V.M.C.A., and could draw it at any time he needed it, either in London or in France. This scheme involved a tremendous amount of work, but it was conducted efficiently and was greatly appreciated by the men. «>The office itself was a continually changing affair, and consisted of anything from a room in a leaky old barn to the up-to-date offices we had in Germany—at Hun expense.' . It is impossible to describe in detail the work of the V.M.C.A. in tlie many sectors occupied by the Division, since the winter of 1916-17. The public will be able to form some idea of the extent of the work wlicn it is known that in France alone some 325 centres were established by the V.M.C.A., directly for the benefit

of the Xew Zealand soldiers. To caTry on such an extensive work of course in-

volved a considerable expenditure of money, but the important point is that the V.M.C.A. actually reached the fighting men, and any unbiassed person will admit that in doing so its administrative expenses have been extremely low." CANTEEN PROFITS GIVEN AWAY. "Just a word about cur comforts work, concerning which the R.S.A. Executive has so much to find fault. In England and France the sum of f00.01.j. incliiUin<; all canteen profits, was given away to the men in the form or comforts—cigarettes bL-tuits, refreshments, fruit, sweets, etc!

This sum represents the actual cost price of the articles given away. We were able to purchase goods from the manufacturers at the actual cost price, admitted to France duty free. Taking cigarettes for example, this is how it worked out! A packet of cigarettes retailed in NewZealand at 6d or 8d could be landed in France for about IJd. The saving thus effected was enormous, and the men of course got the benefit. Only a brief reference can be made to the important comforts work we carried on during attacks for the walking wounded. At every dressing station, from the regimental aid post ■back to the main dressing stations, the V.M.C.A. had its representatives supply. - ing all sorts of comforts to the wounded men. All this comforts work was in addition to the hundreds of huts, cinemas, dug-outs, buffets, etc., that were provided for the well-being and comfort of the men. The R..S.A. Executive is very much, annoyed at the V.M.C.A. having speat money in this manner, as they contend the funds were raised solely for comforts work. The subscribers to the funds of the Y.MfC.A. are the right people to decide whether or not the policy adopted by the V.M.C.A. was sound and whether the money was spent in accordance with their wishes."

TRADE AND THE PROFITS. "And about the vexed question, of trading-. The official reply of the V.M.C.A. has sufficiently answered this question to satisfy any reaejjnable person, tut I would like to add the following observations. Under the V.M.C.A, trading scheme, all profits reverted to the men, in the form of comforts. It is not generally known that the Army authorities conducted a. much bigger trading concern that the V.M.C.A. Huge profits were made, only a very email proportion of which has bene'fitted the New Zealand soldier. The bulk of the profits were absorbed by the British Expeditionary (Force canteens. Under the V.M.C.A. scheme, the m«n received all the profits, and if the R.S.A. Executive wants some further scope for its energies, I would suggest that it get on the track of the thousands of pounds profit made up by the purchases of 'New Zealand soldiers through the BJEJF. canteens in France. In connection with the trading policy of the V.M.C.A. it i< interesting to note that on no occasion during the whole time I was in France, has ever the V.M.C.A. or the Army canteens been able to cope with the incessant demand for canteen supplies. On all occasions the contrary has been the case, necessitating a strict rationing ech«me right through. It was only on rare occasions that sufficient tupplios were available to enal>!e a man to get the full quantity he asked for."

a:sd rsr entgla^d. "In this brief eketoh no reference hua been made of the very extensive work carried out by the Kew Zealand V.M.C.A. for Xew Zealand troops in. England. A small headquarters staff in London controlled a very extensive work consisting of large clubs and institutions at the following places:—Sling, Boscombe, Walton, London (three hostek), Lark Hill, Brockenhursfc, Hornchuroh, Codford, Ewehott, Torquay, Broeton, Grantham, Sutton. Gold. Fields, international hospitality work, street patrol work, guide work, etc'

"Of course," said ilr. Hay in conclusion, "in the carrying out of euch. au extensive work mistakes have occurred, but where i≤ the organisation that has not made mistakes during the war? One thing is certain, that the Y.0.1.C-A. did its utmost to exepnd the monies entrusted to its care for the direct benefit of the men for whom it wae raised, and despite the rather ungracious attempt of tlie 8..5.A. Executive to discredit its work, I feel certain that in the end. it# work will be absolutely vindicated."