THE Y.M.C.A.

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3107, 11 June 1917, Page 3

THE Y.M.C.A.

ITS WORK FOR THE SOLDIERS

INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION

Somo account of tlio valuable work of the Y.M.C.A. amongst our soldiers abroad on active Borvico was given by Professor H. D. Bedford, of Otugo _ University, in an address delivered by him at tho Sunday afternoon meeting ;for men in tho Y.AI.CiA. buildings yesterday. Dr. Bedford had special opportunity for observing tho work of the organisation because he went .to the front for a short while a3 a Y.M.C.A. field secretary.

Dr. A. k. Newman, M.P., presided at tho mooting. Before he introduced Dr. Bedford ho said a little about his own experience of what this great organisation docs for our soldiers, ministering to their bodily and mental welfare in the camps in England and in Fiance. Dr. Bedford prefaced hjs remarks with some observations about the importance of man-power, including within tho significance of the term not only numerical strength, but individual efficiency. He claimed that the work of the Y.M.C.A. was a strong influence promoting efficiency, and that without doubt it was having the effect of making the soldiers fitter to fight the Germans. So much was made of the trench comforts and canteen" - ; do of the Y.M.C.A. effort that the - tance of the other ministration ,_ 6r ie intellectual and moral side of tuu soldiers, was apt to bo forgotten. And yet this part of the work was by far the most important, and probably more generally appreciated by;, the men themselves. There were among aa soldiers of New Zealand men of the highest culture, and it was necessary that something should bo done to provide for their intellectual appetites. On the troopship in which he left New Zealand he was asked quite early on the voyage to talk to the men on the subject of war taxation, and after that he was kept fully occupied talking to meetings on numbers of economic and historical subjects. Never had he taught in any school where the etudents had such a hunger for knowledge. When ho got to London, he found that the Y.M.C.A. had realised the possibilities of these addresses long ago, and lectures were regularly given to soldiers by some of the foremost experts iri tho Kingdom. "If I had charge of the Education Department of this country," ho Baid, "I would say that the finest school that has bver been created for instruction along popular lines is the school that exists in your camps, and the places whore soldiers are congregated. They have got timo on. their hands, they have healthy .bodies through their regular drill, and they are wanting all kinds of mental entertainment, not mere amusement, but amusement mixed with a certain amount of instruction. Now the Y.M.C.A. is supplying that need, and I think it is a greater need than that of supplying comforts for tho tody. I believe that it js more important to provide mental stimulus than to provide physical comfort." Dr. Bedford spoke of tho times when this mental stimulus is so very much needed at tho front. The excitement of tho attack, and on the shock of battle was a raro experience, and there were long periods of inactivity and boredom in which tho tendency was for the men tf> get depressed. This monotony and depression was very likely to break down the power of the, body, and it was a fact that in supplying a mental stimulus tho. Y.M-.C.A. was giving to the men not only a mental but a bodily tonic. Although all this work was not primarily religious, it was still a fact, said Dr. Bedford, that there was a real religious and moral atmosphere in tlio association huts wherever they were. His last remarks were in condemnation of the drink trade, which ho declared wns tho biggest obstacle in the path of Britain to victory. At tho conclusion of the meeting the men in the audience were invited to sign a petition in favour of six o'clock closing of hotels. It appeared that the bulk of them did so.