ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14574, 9 April 1918, Page 2

ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

WHAT THE V.M.C.A. IS DOING. ' IMPRESSIONS OP AN EX- . UISBORNITE. "My iniprcstiion of the V-.M-.U A. work i> probabiy best KUiniireii iVp by the statement tluifc o,ftct- A thwe *tudy of the actual work iv the bases-, filong tlio lilies of communication, aaid <iX the front itself, j I was uover moav, pleased or proudi' of my connection, with the V.M.C.A.," writes Mr vT. Henry Lang, national general sseetetary for the' X.M.&A.,/. an erstwhile Gisbornite who was associated witk St. Andrew's Presbyteriau Chui-cli af, assistant to the late llew J-. G. Patterson. Mr Lang's motlw^ and sister (\tiss Lang) are both 1-esident m Gisborne, and m a most interesting narra-. .tive describing his i"ecent visit, as national secretai'y for Australia, to the Western front, he vividly pom-trays the -Y.M'.CAi operations at the front. "The Association,'' he . wr,|t^s, "ihas Jiad to prove itself a-mbblioforce, characterised by great adaptability to meet tho varying* and changing conditions, and its leadership has been largely adequate for the task. OjAfe Wkjjnot help but be impressed.. with tlVe exteiisiyeness of its undei-takiiigi) ' for iix 'France ''aJohe there are h«\v' jk> less than 500 points or .centirca at which it is at work, employing no less a staff #han 1254 secretaries and workers, 450 of whom are women. These largo operations, however, do not sum up the final need, for? new denuuids arise daily^ and during' the last week I was m London there 1 were requests for no less than 45 new; huts ajid 15 marquees for the base; camps m France ' alone, end for 50 mar~ quees for 'up the line' work. The variety of the work as w«H as its extensiveness is also striking. Besides serving our own British troops, and the, men from all the oversea dwmittionfe, it'ls also .serving along special line the Belgian, French, Portuguese and Indian- armies,! the Chinese labor battalions, and the labor battalions from &outh, Africa and' Assam. The remarkable thing is that' tins new features and special Heeds of: troops, so various, as abwve indicated, are specially met ai»d catered for. The ingenuity of the workers is often tested to meet tlu&e various and increasing needs s and m one large base camp, for .'instance, the association has had to institute its own hut building department aud run operations so diverse as a laundry and a pig farm. Another line of development has been the establishment of .small officers' clulbs. Lord Northoliffe, ■writing hi his visit to France last year^ cited;' Lady Dudley's officers' chib at Boulogne, "Tlio idea should bo extended t6 other bases and centres,' ho stat^, > life;,.-pJttoei' ha» no . ■■V.M.C.A. of Ki^ owfii'"iCii'd is often loiuely m his comiti^ft-ftncl -goings m a strange land*' Tlfc seVvi'ce. to the men is always the first consideration of the association, but recently it'jlias; (lb'veloped at a number of :> ' points, .'-.t'lus iw^rk for the youoiiger officiers, ; .a"tfd ' it v ' ijif'/vei-y greatly appreciated by tfemW 'HWjetfng a, real want. But the association's ssrconcerns itself wilh more tlKari the iigliting force.' Its work for the relatives of the seriously wounded is; oiie of the most appealing pieces o.f sjerV^ice. Relatives coming over by; specif Permit for a final meeting and nvloi'cF of good-bye witli their, Ibyed- ones ' wounded and siok uijto deativ -u&ji i met at the ports and driven by motor caEr to the hospital where their loved ones lie, sometimes a alstancW of oVer 80 miles. H<»stels have \>eeni established' m various parts for their acTOTnmodation and m a strange land, a^oong a Estrange IHople, hujidreds <pf anx^us travellers are being cared for and given tl>p opportainity of a final n^eeting with those they love. One' lias only to see a little of this ->york to understand how greatly it is appreciated by' all who make this .sorrowful journey iud .iimunyerablo in-: stances could bo cited of What/tliis Vwrk really, meana, to thos^. Mixiovtj- hearts. Behind, the fighting line on the Westeni ..front there is a vast r nilltaiy organisatioii that is a. tj.'j^umph qf organising genius. Tho computation; that it tabes .-five, men behind to keep one man m the ■ tiring Jnie is .'not to be wondered, at when one sees thie vast 'aa-my-^jf iWot'kors' the modern fighting amy requires to» servo it. The V.M.C.A. ' i» committed 1 t<> the service of this vast army of skilled workers* and lt&6r '6a|taJioiis Ito whoso ]mtriotic keenness the, victories so far attained are iii lip small incasure , due. V.M.C.A.- huts \yjt>li the iisual social and injcreational features are every-- ! where along tho lines of comhiunication serving these various industries, and at • railway stations and sidings, m rest, camps, and convalescent areas, forming' links m the endless chain of service the association is privileged 'to render the army. It is m the t front areas, however, that the association's adaptability and mobility are chiefly 1 tested, and possibly here the most appreciated service is being rendered. The equipment used is necessarily meagre, but m the ruck and muck of the forward line, the slightest equiqment that meets the inimediate and pressing ;rieecl is y^<?o me a ?^» a o. b «°° n - >T>< ? y^ u k&f.' jhat the I.M.C.A. saved my life,' said one stalwart convalescent Australian, aSdwhen my, credulity (was evidently .apparent iii my* face, he continued, *Do you know what it is to be absolutely done iip and done for. I do. and. the cup^of; cocoa I got , at the dug out jmlled me through and helped me io get to tile dressing station.' It is no exaggeration to say that the Y.M.CVA. m tlie forward' ai-ea is at 'the heart of things, and that, most of its work is carried on day aiid night under , continuous fire. I visited every (Australian secretary m. France, and found most of theiia at work m •veiy hot TOgioiis using; yin addition to^ y.M.C.A. . huts, old wrecked buildings/ dug outs, cellars, tenijs and any kind of available stimcture that b^vneading \vith pand bags woi(ld render* iwnable. We reached tho scene of the Messines I'attle Avithin three days pf ,the. opening p f tho attacl? • ver y Ausjiralian ' secro- ) tary. attached to the 2iia 'Anzac area' was m this^stuntV We'Hntnessed- from a safe distance ' the, (haadxi 'counterbarrag© aiid 'counter-afitp.ct; an^ later, passed up thrcaigji Vboi'mazelle', Di\amfitrasse, andi other noted places on ito. M.esidneft' l'idg'e. •• Tbrdifglihiit. this • area Y.M.C.A. 's .were m Aperatfoh — the contlitjions ;imder which thg^Vero • at^yoi-k I jeiug iiKUcajted m, ,tl*ofie , located ; m ; t^ie appropriately . Maipeil' ' t Ttie Valley of Death,' .'Hell'e Blast,,' 'Suicide • Cor- !:«•;' — a^sbciatibn haying been steadily at work* m .a* cellar m •the la^t nieutioned for eight months. It was in--spiring to witfteas m t)iis 'ai'ea^tHe long : lines of iheii both going m- and coming bub of _-tHe- treilches, "filing iai and put of these "dug outs* ;or, yillagie nnd getting i"efres'hments and help 'by the way.' In this. battle the Y r *M.C.A.i \vas associated ' by the military authoriiies with the niedica|" set vice and'ehargcd; -with- the responsibility of caring for hud helping the walking /« blinded. Wherever <i dressing or. casualty station nvis established a V.M.C.A. stall was i'l-octed alongside it, . and ,as the long lino of walking wounded came" back, limy were rested, and . given hot cocoa and biscuits and cigarettes. In this splendid seryico the Australianj Comforla Fund and the. V.M.C.A. co-operated, and 1 shoxild liko to i>ut m a special plea to the public to conti 11110 generously supporting the Australian* Oonffor^Funq and its very fine work. Among iljo. severely wounded cases a-t one of the dug outs was a soldier who Avuitedi his turn a couple of hours, and when ; h*e. received his c.ocpa i.t was.djscqvcred-.that-j ho- was a colonel. He jhad waived; hi« juivilego as an officer— a .frequent ilhis-; (rntion to lx> met wjih ' in ..^ioj front line, '