"THANK YOU, DAD!"

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 59, 7 September 1917, Page 8

"THANK YOU, DAD!"

THE Y.M.O.A. IN FRANCE,

A SOLDIER'S APPRECIATION.

A soldier writing in a recent issue oi the Chronicles of the N.Z.E.F., edited by Clutha Mackenzie, waxes enthusiastic over the service the V.M.C.A. is rendering our troops, and particularly those who are right up in the danger zone. He writes: When we arrived at this sector, we found a hut labelled "Soup Depot" —left by the Tommies. In a few days our V.M.C.A. had commandeered it, and it was soon emitting smoke. Soup? No! no! You cannot imagine a Pig. Islander enjoying soup, 'can you? Tea and coffee, yes! It is situated at the bottom of a communication trench, in a region where one must wear steel helmets, so it touches the right men. Do you come along the road on fatigue? Do you leave the trenches after being relieved? Do you spend a long and hard day working "up there"? Whatever you do, you are'usualjy tired and thirsty and that is where the V.M.C.A. comes in. You walk inside and old "Dud" behind the counter looks at your face to see if you are i New Zealander (not at your badges—quite unnecessary after practice) and hands you a cup of tea or coffee and a cake. You put your hand in your pocket, but "Old Dad" says, "its backsheesh, boys." This does touch the spot, for though we axe more than willing to pay for it, the fact that it is "Backshee" spells ."New Zealand" to us. It means that our people in New Zealand are entertaining us, thinking of us, and although we know we are not forgotten it is fine to have it brought home to us in a concrete form. This is only one of the many similar places run by our good V.M.C.A. They are so excellent inasmuch as they serve the right men, the men who need things most—in other • words, the trench men. And how we appreciate it. On all sides the work of the New Zealand V.M.C.A. is lauded, and we are most grateful to Mr. Hay and his supporters for their kindness.

Further back are the bigger V.M.C. A. huts, splendidly run and all that, but this little hut is the type which touches the men above all.

Well, you get the nectar and retire to the background to enjoy it. The stream continues, and Dad and his assistant work like heroes—doing their bit! Yes, indeed, Old Dad has got an eye for a New Zealander, too.

So we watch and sip pur tea and rest. Finally, with a "Thank you Dad," we return the cup and full of gratitude to the V.M.C.A., and saying, "The V.M.C.A. will do me," we go out to the trenches or to our billets, greatly cheered and refreshed.

"Some time ago," stated Mr. J. A. Frostick (Canterbury representative on the National Efficiency Board) to a Christen urch Sim reporter, "the board recognised that enquiries should be made regarding the use of motor tractors for agricultural purposes. A report was obtained with regard to the use of these machines in America and the economy effected in that country by the use of them. The object of the enquiry was to endeavour to make, up tha shortage of agricultural labour, to ensure maximum production, and to make possible in this country things not only found possible but practicable m other countries. That report was made, but was put aside on the ground that these machines ought to be obtained in England. We contended that it was not possible to get them in England, and this has since been demonstrated by the action of Sir Arthur Lee, Director-General of Food Production in England, who, about two months ago, stated: 'We want 2000 American trac-tor-ploughs for the use of the civilian army of knight-ploughers. We hope to make the tractor-plough fill the gaps caused by the shortage of la-bour, and for this reason we are going to import as many as we can get from America.''

When 1 a "Cookery Book to Make the World Free for Democracy" fails to inoiude Diplomatic pudding among its wst-' lima racipes, mupioion naturally re*ts upon the Cenwr.