AMONG THE TROOPS

Otago Witness, Issue 3218, 17 November 1915, Page 3

AMONG THE TROOPS

Y.M.C.A. WORK IN EGYPT. INTERESTING LETTER FROM FIELD SECRETARY. Mr Jamos Hay, field /secretary representing the New Zealand National Committee at Zeitoun, Egypt, writing under date August 15, states that work is being conducted there under such high pressure from early morning until late at night that it is impossible to make reports to the home bass as often as desired. Ho says: “The regular camp work has been reduced somewhat to a routine, but with the everchanging units I am continually coming in contact with new men. I find that our canteen is a great draw. Hero the men can get what I have described on my notice board; ‘ a good square feed at a reasonable rate.’ You want to live in Egypt for a while to know what this moans. I ran a welcome concert for the sth Reinforcements, and it went off well. Then you have no idea what work is involved just before the men leave for the front. PRIVATE FINANCE. “ Some have /brought money with them, and as it is folly to take any large amount to the front, they are in a quandary just what to do with it. I fdresaw the difficulty, and arranged to have an account opened at the bank in my name, and the men have availed themselves very fully of this privilege. I have already handled some £3OO, mostly in small sums, ranging from £2 to £lO. I think that this is one of the most eloquent testimonies of the confidence the men have in the Y.M.C.A. All sorts of men, most of them not what you would call ‘ religious,’ cotae to mo with their money and ask me to look after it for them. I take the name and address of a relative, and in the event of death the money is remitted to that relative. SAD WORK. “I also communicate with relatives of those who are gone, and of sick and wounded men This, of course, entails a vast amount of correspondence. The men also leave valuables with me, and only this last mail I had the asd. but what might be termed the pleasant, duty of sending a set of glasses to the mother of a young fellow who was killed in action. Had the chap taken the glasses with him the mother would probably never have seen them again. PARCEL POST. ■■ “I have also been able to help the boys in another sphere. They have been sending a great many parcels, mementoes, etc., home, and there has been non-delivery of them. The post office comes in for a good deal of abuse, unwarranted in many cases, concerning the loss of parcels; but my experience in a mail-order business tells me that the inadequate tying up of parcels is a frequent cause of their going astray. If you could see the attempts some of our boys make at tying up a parcel you would not wonder why they were lost in transit. Hence I have tied up scores and scores of parcels for tne men, which have gone through the mails in safety. Then there are the hundred and one details which keep me going at full speed—the sending '-f cables, the making out of wills, despatching money, etc. There is some splendid talent among the men. Our touts are packed, and we have to let down the sides with as many more men outside. RIGHT TO 1 THE TRENCHES. “While the work in the tent requires a large .amount of my time, there is a big work developing between here and the men in the trenches, and among the wounded in the various hospitals. We have now two men on the Peninsula, and we are sending writing material right up to the trenches. This permission has only recently been granted. Then, when the reinforcements go forward, wo give them packages of paper to take with them. You have no doubt heard about the fiy post at the front. The returned men describe it as their worst enemy, and having managed to get hold of a little money, I got a lot of mosquito squares made, and a friend who left for the front this morning has taken them with him, and will see that they arc distributed properly. HOSPITALS. “ Then you will know by now that every hospital around here is simply crowded with wounded men, and there is a vast work to be done among them. I give every spare minute I can to the hospitals, and the poor follows need every bit of cheering up they can get. In our camp a convalescent hospital has been established, and in a day or two there will be a thousand men tiiere. We have already got to work among them. One of the inmates of a hospital walked about a mile yesterday to dig me up, although I had only met him casually. He will probably get a D.C.M. for his gallantry at the front, although he is very modest about the matter. You see we have access to all of the hospitals, and there are 23 secretaries now working at 13 centres—a continuous line of Y.M.C.A. effort from Cairo to Gallipoli, WORK APPRECIATED. “ To show you how the boys appreciate our efforts, they have put over £35 in a little box on my desk for the work. If 1 only had from £SO to £IOO 1 could purchase many little comforts for the New Zealand boys in the hospitals. Urgent requests arc being received daily to commence work in some hospitals or camps, and we cannot do it because of lade or funds. I notice that the Y.M.C.A. and Red Cross Funds as they appear in the Now Zealand papers are very disproportionate. In Egypt the Red Cross and Y.M.C.A. are working hand-in-hand, and the _ very strongest appeal can bo made to assist in

our work. The fact that the British Red Cross gave us £250 and the Australian Red Cross £SOO towards our work in Alexandria is testimony enough of the worth of the Y.M.C.A. here. If I had only £SO right now to send some thing badly needed to the trenches it would be most welcome.”