Y.M.C.A. FIELD WORK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17093, 27 August 1917, Page 7

Y.M.C.A. FIELD WORK

ADDRESS BY MR H. M. SMEETON.

Thoro was a good attendance of men and lads in tho Y.M.O.A- Lecture Room yesterday afternoon to hear an address by Mr H. M. Smeeton, one of the Y.M.C.A. Commissioners, who recently visited the Home_ Land and Prance to examine the operations of tho association in connection with tho war.

Mr Smeeton said that the work tho Y'.M.C.A. was carrying on in England and Franco, and, in fact, in every one of the theatres of war, was far greater than most people had any conception of. "You don't know the extent of its ramifications or tho wide sphere it covers." Continuing, he said that before the war people had a very different conception of the Y.M.C.A. from what they had now. The War Office had' been tremendously surprised at the amount of work undertaken by the Y.M.C.A. during the first six months of the war, and then they were not permitted to go any' nearer the firing lino than the base camp. Things had -sinco changed, and the work i of tho association was now looked upon by those in. authority with the utmost favour. There were at the present time Y.M.C.A. centres in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Salonika, German East Africa, France, and, of course ' all through the British Isles. What tKat meant to tho men was rather difficult to comprehend by thpso who had not seen it. The position, was that the Army Department did not take vory much account of the social life of tho soldier. They fed, clothed, and equipped him and sent him out to fight > The Y.M.C.A. cared for the 6oldier'i9 social well-being, and it was doing work of greater value than anything similar which had 'been attempted. There was another organisation, tho work of which was inestimable. Ho referred to the Red Cross.—(Applause.) It took charge of the soldier when ho was wounded or ill and nursed him with special care. Sir Henry M ? Mahon, High Commissioner in Egypt, m praising the association said, "I am not going too far whon I say that the Y.M.C.A. is playing a most important part in this work": and Lord Derby said: "In times ol peace the aid of the Y.M.C.A. to troops is invaluable, but in times of war it is indispensable." The speaker said the officers undertook the most strenuous and arduous duties on behalf of the soldiers and never felt they were called upon to do too much. They had no specified hours, and he had seen them working all day and all night. The work in London, too, was on a, gigantic scale. Provision was made for the reception and housing of men on leave. They were supplied with sleeping accommodation and food on the basis of Is 6d for bed and breakfast. Then they had a system whereby men could be shown the sights of London, parties under a guide being arranged. The association also had a motor patrol, which went out at 9 p.m. and picked up men who had lost their way. These patrols between the hours of 9 p.m. and midnight had been known to pick up as many as 7000 men. and between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. between 3000 and 4000 men had been gathered in. The War Office had provided the Y.M.C.A. with a block of buildings, in which provision had been made for the housing of 10,000 ■• soldiers. The speaker paid a high tribute to tho groat work -which was boing done by the women at Homo At the ip.M.C.A. Shakespeare Hut alono there were 350 ladies who were voluntary workers and who had served no fewer than 2000 meals at this institution in one day. Mr Smeeton also spoke of the number of men who attended the religions services held in tho huts at the front, and said that he knew of one placo where in 15 huts at one tune tho attendance had'betn over 500 each. •

In the evening , Mr Smceton addressed a large congregation at the Hanover Street Baptist Church, on the lines of his address in the afternoon. He spoko a great doal of the Christian influence- of the association and the good work it was doing m this direction alone.