A DAY OF OPPORTUNITY.

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13975, 11 September 1917, Page 1

A DAY OF OPPORTUNITY.

TIIE ORGANISATION .THAT' SER'VES ALL COMBATANTS, V;

"The Young Men's Christian Association- is the only' organisation serving, virtually all of the nations at war,' 1 writes Dr John E. Mott, the great American * statesman and' Christian leader. "In the last three years it has becomo practically a world war agency, Not only has it been admitted to hundreds of prisoners-of-war camps, where sfc million men battlo to preserve their sanity and their manhood, but the dom stands open for service to tens of millions of men now under arms. Twothirds of these belong to the Allied forces, making all the greater America's responsibility to them. After praying for two years that Russia would recognise our work, the Young Men's Christian Association has now been asked to breathe the spirit of brotherhood among 1G,000,000 troops of that vast' country.

"Having financed the Young Men's Christian Association work in tlia

prison camps and training depots throughout all the countries of Europe except Turkey,.-America now turns to the door of opportunity opened by ou? entrance into the war. By' September our country will have at lehst one million men mobilised in camps on this side of the ocean or in the trenches of Europe, and by January first this army will probably have grown to two million men. In addition, there will be the factory patriots making munitions of war, the soldiers of the soil, and the lirst |ini! ilcl'cni'o sailing tlio high seas or guarding our coasts. To the Y.11.C.A. is given the opportunity of promoting the physical, the mental, and the spiritual welfare of these millions. This will be its greatest work; it will be its most"' thorough work; it will bo a pronouncedly Christian Avorlt, "The problem of protecting the moral life of our young soldiers is a vital oi'; Willi lii,' lii.'i'eli: v. our experience in Kasuni countries, at the llexiinn border ami in Stale mobilisation camps, Hie Y.M.I'. A.'s of America are in a position to do more good for humanity than any other single agency except the Church. If 1 were asked to sum up association work in a single paragraph, I would say, 'To conserve the young manhood and boyhood—the flower of the American nation.'

"When the National War Work Council of over one hundred men decided on the plan to raise 3,000,000 dollars for Y.M.C.A. work in the military training camps in the United States, they knew every penny of that amount was needed. They have estimated that it will cost an average of three dollars per soldier for eight mouths and ,10,000 dollars to care for each brigade of GOO!! men, including expenses of secretaries, building and equipment. But what is the cost compared with the good accomplished? The range of the influence and the leadership of the United States after the war in the world will be in exact proportion to our .self-sacrifice and helpfulness in the war.

We can safeguard tlie ideals and home principles of our sous and the morale of onr manhood soon to he gathered under our colours. The greatest dangor zone in this war is not in the trenches, nor from high explosive shells, hut is ba.dc in the training camps. • Whether or rot any of our troops ever go to Prance they are going to the concentration camps, and the burning question is, shall they come back to us from there stronger than when they went, or shall they return blasted for life with ttnnamalile diseases to become 'the centre of contamination in every community to which they go? That is the greatest question before the United States to-day,