Y.M.C.A.. AT THE DARDANELLES.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1915, Page 6

Y.M.C.A.. AT THE DARDANELLES.

IN THE FIRING LINE. INTERESTING LETTER FROM CAIRO SECRETARY. Mr. Varney, genera! secretary of the Y.M.C.A., has received the following most interesting letter from Mr. Jessop, general secretary, Y.M.C.A., Cairo:— I have just returned from the Dardanelles, and find many matters awaiting me, as you can imagine. However, I will take time to tell you briefly of my trip. I left Alexandria on the 7th, and arrived at Mudros two days later. Jt was three days before I could get permission to move forward, but on Thursday, the 12th, I got all my goods transferred to a trawler, and after about six hours' sailing arrived at Kephalos. I was fortunate in finding the camp commandant, Colonel Hawker, at the landing pier, and he made me very welcome, ordered my goods to he taken to the camp, and introduced me to the officers' mess. I saw him again next morning, and on his advice paid a visit to the capital of the island—Panaghia—to see about procuring supplies, etc. This was rather a rough journey of two hours on horseback. I found prices abnormally high and very limited in both quantity ami variety, and altogether beyond our reach for canteen purposes. That evening I dined with Colonel Hawker, and we talked over the situation, he agreeing to provide me at once with a small marquee and give me a, site in a very central part of the camp. We together ! worded a telegram whioh we sent off to Cairo, with instructions for Owens, one of the Australian secretaries, to get marquee, piano, timber for benches, and supplies as quickly as possible and leave by the first boat. He also telegraphed the military authorities to facilitate Owens' movements, and render him every assistance possible in getting his supplies forward.

'■READY FOR BUSINESS." The next morning, Saturday, saw our small marque crated, and with several tables and benches hastily knocked together by some Australian friends we opened up for business that afternoon. It was almost pathetic to see the eagerness with which the men viewed our preparations and the way they came about the tent. I had brought with me several cases of tobacco, cigarettes and chocolate for distribution among the wounded and sick, and as most of the men belonged to that class 1 had a busy time distributing these: comforts. All day Sunday I was busy giving out stationery, pocket Testaments, magazines, etc., and in the evening we had a service outside the tent, which was well attended and apparently appreciated. On Monday i got hold of a Greekbaker, who agreed to erect an oven and run a canteen under our direction. 1 arranged to see him again on the Wednesday, when a definite arrangement would be entered into, and sent him off to see about supplies. On Tuesday I left early in the morning for Cape Helles, where I arrived about 9 o'clock. With the principal chaplain 1 called upon the camp commandant, and he agreed to our establishing a centre within his sphere of influence, providing that a space could be found for u.s free from shrapnel fire of the enemy. While we were discussing the possible situation the fire from Aclii Baba began, shells were falling i about the beach and in the harbor, and I was compelled to admit that no plice, so far as I could see, would be out of range of the Turkish guns. However, [I told him that we were quite prepared

to go where the men had to go, and would run the fisk if we were allowed to establish ourselves at any point where the men would be permitted to visit us. Only a very small hut can be erected, of course, but it will let the men see that the Y.M.C.A. is standing with them and doing its best to serve them in these unusual conditions.

VISIT TO THE TRENCHES. 1 visited the trenches where the lOtli Manchesters, the sth East Laucashires, and the Lancashire Fusiliers, the Scottish Borderers, and several other regiments are. Many of the East Lancashire Division recognised me and called out, asking if I had brought tke Y.M.C.A. with me. I left a large supply of stationery, magazines, cigarettes and tobacco for them with several of the chaplains, and some of it I distributed myself, and the men were very grateful, I can assure you. I looked up two batteries of Australian Artillery that I had been told about, and took with me several pounds of Havelock tobacco and some pipes. To the first of these men I came across I held up a tin of tobacco, and asked if it was a friend of his (Havelock is an Australian tobacco and very popular with the colonials). His eyes glistened, and then he said, "It is all I have," holding up a sovereign, "but if you give me a pipe with it I will be glad to exchange, for I have not had a smoke for three weeks." When I told him that the tobacco and pipe were his for nothing, he was greatly touched. I went around to about sixty of these men and made similar gifts. I had many very interesting experiences, dodging the shells and the like, which are incidental to life on the peninsula, and in the late evening took trawler back to Kephalos.

Next day I saw my Greek friend, and with the approval of the camp authorities arranged that he should at once proceed to erect a kitchen, build a bakery, and 1 sent him to buy dishes and cooking utensils. I also secured a, member of the military police as orderly for the tent, and he moved his things to it, and proved c very valuable assistant.

it SUVLA BAY. ~ The next morning I started on the early morning trawler for Suvla Bay, where the new landing recently took place, and from there went to Anzac, at the invitation of General Godley, the G.O.C. of the Australian and New Zealand Division. To describe conditions at this place is beyond my time and pen. Suffice to say that only dug-outs on the hillside are free from snipers' bullets and shell fire. I had several cases of supplies for this camp, and distributed them among the men, and through the chaplains, and instead of the twelve cases which I had brought with me, I could have distributed twelve thousand. On Saturday, the 21st, and Sunday, the 22nd, I witnessed the attack on Hill W., and the capture of the Susak wells. K was a sight I shall never forget. The havoc caused by the enemy's shrapnel was terrible, and the lines of wounded that soon began to come in was a most pitiful spectacle I got consent from General Godley and General Carruthers to establish a'small centre in one of the gullies at Anzac just as soon as we can get the material nd the man to put in charge. I returned to Kephalos on Sunday evening, and on Wednesday returned to Mudros where I met Owens with his supplies on his way to Kephalos. He had been held up several days by the authorities, but we were able 'to arrange matters so that he would go forward that afternoon. On the 26th I sailed for Alexandria, where I arrived on the afternoon of the 30th. I at once came on to Cairo, and have been quite busy since. To-morrow I go to Port Said, and on Saturday must be in Alexandria again.

MANY THINGS NEEDED. I forgot to tell you that the military authorities at Mudros are most anxious that we should open up 'there immediately. They offer us every assistance, and the best site in the military camp, and help in getting our hut or tent, whatever we have erected, ready for us. They are making preparations there for a hospital of 12,009 beds, and large recreation and concentration calnps. The weather is very severe during the winter, and I am told that it will be necessary for us to erect wooden sheds if we are in any way to eope with the weather conditions. With timber very difficult to get arid very expensive, it is going to be a very serious consideration, and one that we must meet in some way. We have permission to 3tart a canteen at 'this place, and I have already got the promise of an Aldershot oven for our use. We need at once, for the Dardanelles work, two cinemas and a large supply of films, several phonographs, two magic lanterns, with a good selection of slides accompanied by written lectures, and it will be almost necessary that we have a motor boat, although it is just possible that we may make some arrangements with the Red Cross for the use of their steam launches, but at present there is no means of getting about the bay from shore to shore, or from ship to ship, only as one can with great difficulty make arrangements with the naval or military authorities. As soon as the marquee arrives Thompson is prepared to start with it at once for Mudros, where I feel sure he will render an excellent account of himself.

You can easily see from this brief ae-i count that work in the Dardanelles is going to be yery costly, and that we shall need a great deal of money to finance it. The £250 sent by Sydney, and the £IOO by New Zealand 'came at a most opportune time, for Mr. Owens took a large quantity oi supplies of every kind, not only for tent but for canteen, and everything is very costly in Cairo now.

The need of Y.M.C.A. work at Kcphalos, Lemnos, Helles, and Anzac, is very great. The men who arc fighting for the Empire have nothing there in the way of comforts and no means of getting them except by paying very high prices. They are giving their lives and their health in such a way as no one can possibly realise who has not seen them mowed down by fire like grain before a sickle. I am sure that the generous-hearted Australians and New Zealanders will give liberally that their boys may have a Y.M.C.A. home as near the firing line as it is possible to get.