THE RED TRIANGLE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 191, 8 May 1919, Page 7

THE RED TRIANGLE

01.C.A. WORK WITH THE N.Z.E.F. WHY THE TRADING POLICY WAS ADOPTED (From Our Own Correspondent.) London, March 14. Eight at the beginning of this letter I will mention one thing that tjie New Zealand Y.M.C.A. wants to-day—old magazines (though the less old the better) and light literature generally.' Mr. ITiiv tells me that supplies of these sent to Colon to be picked up by, New Zea-land-bound transports would be very- welcome. A .quantity of literature is placed on board the boats when they leave here, but is pretty well exhausted by the time Panama is reached, and replenishment would, be mueh appreciated.

As may be imagined, the activities of the Y.M.C.A. in connection with the troopships are considerable, and the centre of gravity in its war work is rapidly shifting to your end. The divisional concert parties, to take one instance, have come .to (he end of their usefulness with the disappearance of the division from the field, and their, equipment is now being distributed among the transports for concerts on the way out. Every ship, beginning with the Willochra which left on Saturday last, is now being supplied also with a moving picture-show. Ten completely different programmes are put on board here, and at Colon these are exchanged for ten more programmes.. This means that of the fifty or so nights at sea, twenty can be spent in the ship's picture show with-out-seeing the same programme twice. The inner man is not neglected in the Y.M.C.A. transport work. Supplies of tinned fruits, cakes, jellies, etc., are being put on board the transports, and on the educational side there is close cooperation with our Education Department in the provision of educational literature, lantern lectures, etc. On the Continent the Y.M.C.A. has been busy up to the last. Ours was the only Y.M.C.A. to keep'pace with its division in the advance to the Rhine, and at Cologne we' had as many as twenty-five Y.M.C.A. establishments running simultaneously, including six picture shows. At the.new camp at Sutton, Coldfield, near Birmingham, the Y.M.C.A. has taken over a large building know as the "Crystal Palace" for a kinema show, and has also developed a sttong organisation on the athletics side in ; addition to its usual activities.

*' Mr. Hay, the association's supervising secretary on this side, states that in the advance last year from Hebuterne to Le Quesnoy the New .Zealand Y.M.C.A. was the only organisation that kept, pace with the advance of the troops. The Army- canteen people were well left behind, and but for tho policy of the Y.M.C.A, in running canteens our men ■would have been badiy off. As there appears to have'been some criticism of the Y.M.C.A.'s trading policy, an outline of what has been done may be of interest. The establishment of Y.M.C.A. canteens was not begun with the idea of making a profit, as ample funds were always forthcoming from New Zealand. In the latter part of 1917 it was found that adequate supplies were not forthcoming for the Army .canteens, and to enable the men to obtain -the refreshments and other requirements usually, stocked ■.. by tho canteens, the Y.M.C.A. decided to make nso of its unique facilities for securing regular deliveries of stores, and opened canteens of its own. Mr. Hay states in his recent report on this subject that in the three years he has been in France neither tho Y.M.C.A. ■ nor. the Army canteens combined havo been able to meet tho demands from the men for canteen stores.

As soon as a canteen policy was decided on the profit element entered at once. All cauteen prices in Franco i-re .controlled by an Army Order, which prohibits any organisation selling under a certain fixed figure. Notices were consequently displayed in the huts, staling that all profits would revert'to tho men in the form of comforts supplied free. • An aggregate- balance-sheet has been ■issued by the association for tho'.period from May 1, 191G, to November 30, 1918, thus covering its operations in France and England during the entire period of aolivo service. The receiuts during this lime were:— ' ; From New Zealand .....: 163,800 Sundry receipts in, London 5,779 Total ,£169,579 The canteen profits in the period amounted to ,£lf>,2U, and are not included in tho above figures as they wero carried direct to tho Comforts Fund, to bo used in supplying additional freo comforts for the men in tho forward areas. In addition a sum of .£31,280 of money received from New Zealand was expended on free comforts, making a total outlay under this heading of cC<16,505. The expenditure has 'been grouped under two main headings, and is as under: ,C Headquarters administration. ... ; 3,'42G Field expenditure 118,297 Total £121,723 Mr. W. H. George, Commissioner in the United Kingdom for the New Zealand Y.M.C.A., in'his report on the bal-ance-sheet, states: "When tho many ramifications of the work are taken into account, , and the amount of supervision and accounting involved thereby (including, tho construction, equipment, and maintenance of the numerous huts, tents, dug-outs, and otherce'ntres in the forward areas' in France occupied successively by the New Zealand Division, and in the various camps in England, tugether with three hostels in London and two in Paris, and in addition tho running of canteens in most of tho huts aud dug-outs with a turn-over last year of over cSM.OOOj, it will, 1 think, be recognised that the administration has been carried out with commendable economy, '

Of the £US,m expended in field work, over one-half has gone in providing huts, tents, ami dug-outs, and equipment and maintenance of the same. Over onequarter, as stated above, has gone to supplcmenrtlie free comforts fund, and the balance of less than one-quarter has maintained a staff of over 40 secretaries and 130 other workers, and covered other expenses incidental to tho programme of entertainments, religious and educational work, free distribution of stationerv, literature, etc. A'liberal contribution lias also, been made to the work of the International Hospitality League, car-ried-on jointly with the other Y.M.C.A.'s. Immediately on the signing of ; tho armistice \an assets realisation hoard was sot up to take control and realise on all available assets, and an expert vainer i« now working under its direction with a view to realising tho highest price for all assets.

' The coupon system 'has been a great sutcess, and up to the- time of the bal-ance-sheet .£22,088 worth nf .coupons had passed through the association's hands These coupons, forwarded by friends in New Zealand to individual soldiers, arc redeemable fn goods at any New Zealand, British, or Australian Y.M.C.A., and have been widely appreciated. The adoption of this system, with the approval of the Now Zealand Government, made an extension 6? Hip canteen trading inevitable jF'flie men wore to he given an opportunity of purchasing as wido a range of good's as' possible.

In his report, Mr. Hay explains how the large increase of trading Inst yea'' arose. In March the division was hurriedly ordered to tho Sommo to stem tho enemy's advance. This advance liad been so rapid that a serious disorganisation in all supplies resulted. Largo stocks of Army and Y.M.C.A. canteen supplies originally behind this sector of the front had been destroyed or left to the enemy, and the possibility of a still further advance had made everyone very cnutioui with regard to any further accumulation of stocks near the danger point. Tho result was that when Hie division reached the Sommo there was no canteen for twenty-five miles around. The men were absolutely without cigarettes and other necessities, and, as Mr. Hay remarks, only those who know what cigarettes mean at. the front during a period of great strain can realise what it means to be without them. Irrespective of the policy of caution adopted by other organisations, tho New Zealand Y.M.C.A determined to take the risk of assembling stores in the threatened area, and from the (Fay of arrival of the division

supplies both for free distribution _ and for sale wore available. Tho division checked the enemy's advance, and iho only loss was of a certain quantity ot 6tores destroyed by shell fire. ■ A period of disorganisation extending over some months followed, and the facilities of tne Y.M.CA. for securing on almost daily doliveiy of stoi» were developed to'the fullest extent. In tne great advance from August to November the division was in a continual state of movement, and. tho work ot « 19 Y.M.C.i. was mainly confined to supplying comforts and stores. In the brief periods in which the division was held in reserve tlie association was able to resume its usual activities. General Russell's observations on ,ur. Hav's report will T>e read with interest in New Zealand. The General says:— "The supply or stores became a matter of urgent necessity directly we reached tho Amiens sector. I was compelled to send lorries many miles into back areas in the endeavour to provide the necessary stocks for the divisional canteens; and couuj tnen not get nearly as much as was demanded by the troops. When tho system of rationiug canteen stores was introduced in the Third Army, and lonics wer'e'not allowed to go back into back areas in search of supplies, the shortage was increased, I gladly welcomed the assistance the Y.M.CA. were able to give'in supplying the men with necessities—and this in spite of tho fact that I had been personally against the, Y.M.CA. mnning canteens except for the purpose of refreshments. "The help was badly wanted and willingly given, by the YVM.C.A. .right through tiio'auvance. It was invaluable. The same conditions applied on the Rhine on our arrival. I may mention that in a. report on The ounditions of life experienced 15y the British in tho occupied territory, .1 came across a passage in which it was said complaints had been made among British divisions that they, were not,\as well served, in the matter of canteen 1 stores as were the New Zealauders, who had canteens and Y.M.CA. huts or buildings where everyone was well supplied. _ The question of profits is justly dealt with in your memorandum." Mr. Hay states that no other Y.M.CA. has received tlie same support from the military authorities that ours has, and never once in the operations was 'it left hopelessly behind, but was always on tho spot Wherever the division went. > Having 'had opportunity daily and hourly during the past six months, both at tho_ front in Prance and in England, ot seeing J:he manifold operations controlled from the London (Y.M.CA.) headquarters, I consider," says Mr. 11. George, tho association's commissioner, the people of New Zealand owe a deep debt of gratitude to the Y.M.CA. persoiinel.

I hear that a proposal is on foot to establish a fund for a New Zealand soldiers memorial to the Y.M.C.A., and already a sum of ,£IOOO has been subscribed in the Expeditionary Force for this purpose, it is suggested that the amount so raised should bo devoted to a 1.iU.0.A. memorial building in New Zealand, tor use in connection with that extension of its activities wnich the association looks forward 16 as one of the results of the war.