"TOUT DE SUITE" CORNER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3187, 11 September 1917, Page 8

"TOUT DE SUITE" CORNER

NEAR THE HINDENBURG LINE

(By a Y.M.C.A.' Worker.)

nave you learnt to say "Tout de suite" yet? If not, you must do so. It is ono of our most popular adaptations from the French. "Toot sweet," we call it, and use ts constantly. An officer lilies to be obeyed "Toot sweet." Wo all want the war over "Toot sweet." If your chum's waiting and getting impatient, you tell him you're coming "Toot sweet." At a T.M.C.A. counter we try to serve our customers "Toot sweet." Cbmpree tho idea? Yes, that's it, anything to be done imni'xliately, without delay, is to bo done "Tout de suite." So you see our address, "Tout de suite" Corner is p somewhat boastful— at least, it would bo if wo had invented it ourselves. As a matter of fact, the men christened us, and we- proudly accepted the title.

I think Providence must have selected the spot for us, and Providence certainly protected us while we occupied it. It was at the junction of five toads, the niost advanced sector of any sort on the most advanced and most important sector of the British front at that time. From trie moment we opened, a month ago, our doors hare never been shut, and our boilers have never been out. Night and day'men have been served with tea, cocoa, coffee, biscuits, and cigarettes, and not one penny has ever been taken. That's wby we were "Tout de suite' Corner." Customers can be dealt with "Toot sweet" when there's no money io la Ice and no clmngo to find. No statistics of the actual number of men served have been kept, but it must have rnu into lens of thousands. Fortylive urns of tea were made ono night between eight in the evening and fivo in the morning. Generals, majors, captains, indeed, all ranks up to full privates, ' have been among our "licnlele. "Wo bad a monopoly' of the trade of tho wliolo district.

A cup of hot drink, a packet of biscuits, and a few cigarettes does' not sound much, but it means a great deal to men out here, if they can get it at the right place and moment. Men come to us straight from the trenches, shelled and suffering losses almost to tnt> vory doors. They camo dazed, weary, worn to tho last extreme of human endurance, and a cup of cocoa, biscuits, and a smoke made the difference, almost between life and death.

"By that's good—that's the first warm drink l'vo had for live days."

"Thank God for that—that's saved mr life."

Thesolato (ho expressions you could hoar a score of times in any n,uarlor of an hour at tho counter at night.

Ouo man. staggered up, panting! "I'm done. Can I le-avo my rillo and pack here? I ain't carry it another yard!" "All right, chuim; let's have it." - We took away rifle and pack, gavo him his cup of coffee, biscuits, and cigarettes, and in about five minutes' timo ho came again. "I Bay, chum, lot's have my i'ifio and pack. I'm all right now." Walking wounded'by tho hundred have been served, scores of wounded Uermaas have partaken of our hospitality, men gassed, men buried and dug out, men suffering from shell-shock, men uitterly broken by tho strain of war, have- rested and been cared for, and sent on for further treatment.

It must Jiot be forgotten that the horrors of war at the front' ace at least equally great for officers and for the rank and file, and officers of all grades have blessed "Tout de Suite Corner." They have lost brother officers and men in the trenches, coniinf; out of the trenches, on the way down, and have literally fallen into our chairs with, ''My God, this is awful; this isn't war, its murder." And tho Y.M.C.A. welcome, tno cocoa, biscuits, and cigarettes havo worked their miracle with them. Notes for ton, twenty francs havo been offered us again and again, but we have always refused, jealous of our reputation oi never having taken a penny. And the Y.M.C.A. will not be the loser. "Well, I. shall do something decent for the I.M. after tho war," said one 1 in my hearing to a brother .officer; "send them a cheque for or si;." "Yes, I reckon the Y.M. will never want for money after this," said the other. | ; One would lfko those who are familiar with our palatial huts at tho bases in France and at Home to see. 'he buildings, or rath«r bits of buildine. that servo as huts ,near tho front. "Tout do Suite Corner" was a fair sample. Tt wai a part of what was originally stablo buildings. All had been completely wrecked by shell-fire except one room — the .only structure of any kind left standing anywhj.ro on the, crossroads. One side of this syas shot away and served conveniently ai? a window counter. Iho floor was some two feet deep in horse litter, that wo were never ablo properly to clear. There v>a3 just sufficient ceiling left to concentrate the rain into the room, and then 'the floor became a morass. .You wouldn't have paid a big rent for "Tout do Suite Comer. Ono has to confess that hfo wider such conditions is'pretty rough, and not without its dangerii. Our billet was another, bit of stable on a par with the hut. Bosche ga<i was an ever-present danger, and to be out ol reach of ones helmet was practically suicide.; Our position on a cross-rDads was sufficient to ensure «s a good share of Fritzs attention. Our customers sometimes disappeared below the level of the counter when a shell whined and burst ominously near Bits of debris have hit tho wall, and new shell-holes constantly appear on this side and that. But a kindly Providence watches over "Tout de Suite Corner" and the froqutent phophecy of tho men, "It's bound to go up some day, has not yet beeu fulfilled.