A COSMOPOLITAN CROWD.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 March 1916, Page 7

A COSMOPOLITAN CROWD.

ON AN AUSTRALIAN TROOPSHIP. WORK OF THE Y.M.C.A. Life oh a troopship cannot be adequately described. It must be experienced, and it is an experience rich in the study of all phases of that subject of absorbing interest, "humanity." The rigid censorship forbids the name of the ship, locality, destination and many other details being mentioned. This is a 12,000-ton ship, with about 120 or 130 tons of human beings on board, mostly reinforcements going on active service. I happen to be a civilian commissioner, granted a courtesy passage—consequently an outsider, an observer. There is a Y.M.C.A. secretary on board, and it is of his place, work and opportunities that these notes are written. Before we start word is whispered round—"We have the Y.M.C.A. on board." As the secretary moves about with the triangle insignia and letters on his shoulders faces light up and friendly recognition is apparent, not for the man, but for the institution and type of work he represents. The most: superficial observation demonstrates that no troopship should travel without a Y.M.C.A, secretary. Ho is the one man of unique opportunities and usefulness. He has the unrestricted approach for conference with the commanding officer, and the full run of the ship. AH others have great limitations. The CO. desires the welfare of his. troops, and the Y.M.C.A. is the right arm for giving effect to these desires. The men desire individual and community advantages: Die Y.M.C.A. secretary is the medium for securing these. There are twelve sections or troop decks. It takes nearly two hours to make a full inspection. The Y.M.C.A. secretary arranges them all, supplies writing paper, pens, ink, pencils, games, reading matter, and odd things. There are three hospital with about 30 subjects in all, two isolation cases, ten V.D.'s and the others miscellaneous—fractures, sprains, influenza and minor ailments. There is the ship's company, each section is visited and has its special needs not necessarily military—to be supplied. Then there is community service —general deck activities, between drill and military duties. He is secretary of the concerts and sports committee, "two or three men desire the opportunity for Christian fellowship, and ask' the Y.M.C.A. The CO. grants the saloon from 7 to 7.30. each evening. The meeting starts with 20, and in less than a week increases to 50, crowded out, and part of the boat deck is reserved for the purpose. The men—a marvellous democratic army. An order requires all men to have their hair cut off close to the head; they mostly wear dungarees, and look at their worst. But go among them and you find a wonderful variety —great husky wharf laborers and stevedores, magnificent specimens of manhood, with a master of the Geelong College, professional men with artisans and mechanics, employers and employees ranged together, on Anglican clergyman is a private in the A.M.C., a Rhodes' scholar is an obscure corporal. It's wonderful. Of course, among such a number there are a few undesirables, very few, the great mass arc cream of our manhood. It'is the Y.M.C.A. man's job to-discover the talents, link them up, organise them and make them effective for community service. He is the one man who can do this. We have only one chaplain on board (R»»an Catholic), a fine fellow, who conducts mass at 6.30 a.m. on> Sundays. Among the small number of commissioned officers are several professional men, together with farmers and mechanics, men keenly interested in their work, and the welfare of their men, sober, serious, cheerful. On New Year's Day I was moving about the decks greeting the fellows with good wishes. To one I said, "Happy New Year to you!" "Same to you, sir. It's the last a good many of us will see in this world.'' "Oh, don't say that." "Oh, yas', it is. We will make a big fight, you bet, but a- man would be a fool who did not look the possibilities in the face." That is the spirit these great, strong, brave volunteer soldiers are going in. They have their drill, sports', boxing matches, concerts, lectures, mental and physical recreations, and their worships. Orderly clinch parados in the morning, and happy Y.M.C.A. sing-songs at night. There Is no liquor sold on board, hence no drunkenness, or the consequent troubles. The discipline is splendid. If there was an expressed need for any particular comfort an unlimited supply would be forthcoming from the folks at home.

If the friends at home could just leok .in on this ship and see the versatile Y.M.C.A. secretary doing his great rsund of little and big duties, they would realise the value of such an officer and the great opportunities of such a man, and they would determine that every troopship should have such a man, while the V.ir.C'.A. authorities would see that only the very best, most capable, strong, large-hearted, self-sacrificing men were selected for the position.