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+Project Gutenberg's The Romance of the Red Triangle, by Arthur Keysall Yapp
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Romance of the Red Triangle
+       The story of the coming of the red triangle and the service
+       rendered by the Y.M.C.A. to the sailors and soldiers of
+       the British Empire
+
+Author: Arthur Keysall Yapp
+
+Illustrator: W. P. Starmer
+             Edgar Wright
+
+Release Date: June 27, 2010 [EBook #32998]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROMANCE OF THE RED TRIANGLE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Emmy and the Online Distributed Proofreading
+Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from
+images generously made available by The Internet
+Archive/American Libraries.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+THE ROMANCE OF THE RED TRIANGLE
+
+
+[Illustration: Y.M.C.A. AND GERMAN OBSERVATION STATION IN THE TREES AT
+ACHIET-LE-PETIT]
+
+
+
+
+THE ROMANCE OF THE RED TRIANGLE
+
+          THE STORY OF THE COMING OF THE
+          RED TRIANGLE AND THE SERVICE
+          RENDERED BY THE Y.M.C.A. TO THE
+          SAILORS AND SOLDIERS OF THE
+          BRITISH EMPIRE
+
+BY
+
+SIR ARTHUR K. YAPP, K.B.E.
+
+          Illustrations by
+          W. P. STARMER, EDGAR WRIGHT
+          AND OTHER ARTISTS
+
+
+          HODDER AND STOUGHTON
+          LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO
+
+
+
+
+_DEDICATION_
+
+
+          _THIS book is affectionately dedicated to Y.M.C.A.
+          leaders and workers at home and abroad in grateful
+          appreciation of their faithful and loyal service.
+          Much of this work has been done out of sight, and
+          endless difficulties have had to be surmounted.
+          Names have not been mentioned in the book, but
+          the writer would like to express his personal
+          gratitude and appreciation to every one._
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+      CHAPTER I                                     PAGE
+      THE COMING OF THE RED TRIANGLE                   1
+
+      CHAPTER II
+      BLAZING THE TRAIL WITH THE RED TRIANGLE         19
+
+      CHAPTER III
+      FLOTSAM AND JETSAM                              33
+
+      CHAPTER IV
+      THE ROMANCE OF FINANCE                          39
+
+      CHAPTER V
+      THE LADIES OF THE RED TRIANGLE                  63
+
+      CHAPTER VI
+      'GUNGA DIN' OF THE RED TRIANGLE                 71
+
+      CHAPTER VII
+      IN THE TRAIL OF THE HUN                         80
+
+      CHAPTER VIII
+      THE BARRAGE AND AFTER                          108
+
+      CHAPTER IX
+      'LES PARENTS DES BLESSÉES'                      118
+
+      CHAPTER X
+      CELLARS AND DUG-OUTS ON THE WESTERN FRONT      126
+
+      CHAPTER XI
+      CAMEOS FROM FRANCE                             133
+
+      CHAPTER XII
+      STORIES OF 'LE TRIANGLE ROUGE'                 146
+
+      CHAPTER XIII
+      THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE EAST                   162
+
+      CHAPTER XIV
+      SIDE LINES OF THE RED TRIANGLE                 175
+
+      CHAPTER XV
+      THE RED TRIANGLE AND THE WHITE ENSIGN          191
+
+      CHAPTER XVI
+      THE RELIGION OF THE RED TRIANGLE               195
+
+      CHAPTER XVII
+      STORIES OF THE INVERTED TRIANGLE               211
+
+      CHAPTER XVIII
+      THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE RECONSTRUCTION         236
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+  Y.M.C.A. and German observation station in the
+      trees at Achiet-le-Petit                       _Frontispiece_
+
+                                                           PAGE
+
+  Hut in the grounds of the ruins of the
+      Hôtel-de-Ville at Arras                               16
+
+  One of many Y.M.C.A. huts built under shell-fire          17
+
+  The first Y.M.C.A. over the German trenches on
+      the Somme battlefield                                 32
+
+  The Y.M.C.A. in the orchard at Albert                     33
+
+  A refuge for the refugees                                 48
+
+  Y.M.C.A. marquee in the shell-swept Somme area            49
+
+  Y.M.C.A. in a ruined parish hall in Flanders, June,
+      1916                                                  64
+
+  Bapaume-Cambrai road, with trees all cut down by
+      the Germans                                           65
+
+  The Red Triangle in the support trenches                  80
+
+  'George Williams House' in the front trenches             81
+
+  A half-way house to the trenches                          81
+
+  The Y.M.C.A. in a ruined warehouse. Shell-hole in
+      floor of canteen                                      96
+
+  A Y.M.C.A. cellar at Ypres                                97
+
+  Hut in wilderness of destruction. Cutting the
+      ice in shell-holes for water for tea--winter,
+      1916-17                                              112
+
+  Ruined house used by Y.M.C.A., propped up by timber      113
+
+  Canadian Y.M.C.A. dug-out in a mine crater on Vimy
+      Ridge, 1917                                          128
+
+  A Canadian Y.M.C.A. dug-out near Vimy Ridge              129
+
+  A great boon to British Tommy--a Y.M.C.A. well under
+      shell-fire                                           144
+
+  The Cambridge dug-out                                    144
+
+  A refuge for the walking wounded                         145
+
+  Y.M.C.A. motor kitchen behind the lines                  160
+
+  Indian troops at the sign of the Red Triangle            161
+
+  A shakedown in a London hut                              176
+
+  Relatives of the dangerously wounded are looked
+      after by the Y.M.C.A. in France                      176
+
+  Y.M.C.A. night motor transport                           177
+
+  Y.M.C.A. in the front-line dug-outs on the
+      Palestine Front                                      192
+
+  Y.M.C.A. dug-out and canteen on Palestine Front          193
+
+  The Y.M.C.A. at Basra, Mesopotamia                       208
+
+  The Central Y.M.C.A., Baghdad                            209
+
+  The Red Triangle in Jerusalem                            224
+
+  The Hexham Abbey hut, Scheveningen, Holland              224
+
+  Salonica: winter on the Doiran Front, showing
+      Y.M.C.A. tent                                        225
+
+  A welcome Y.M.C.A. in the trenches                       225
+
+  Y.M.C.A. for interned prisoners of war, Leysin,
+      Switzerland                                         232
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+THE COMING OF THE RED TRIANGLE
+
+          His Majesty congratulates the Association on the
+          successful results of its war work, which has done
+          everything conducive to the comfort and well-being
+          of the armies, supplying the special and peculiar
+          needs of men drawn from countries so different and
+          distant. It has worked in a practical, economical
+          and unostentatious manner, with consummate
+          knowledge of those with whom it has to deal. At
+          the same time the Association, by its spirit of
+          discipline, has earned the respect and approbation
+          of the military authorities.--HIS MAJESTY THE
+          KING.
+
+
+IT was in the summer of 1901, in the old volunteer days, that the
+Y.M.C.A. for the first time had its recreation tents at Conway in North
+Wales. The Lancashire Fusiliers were in camp, and the men had thronged
+the marquee all day, turning up in great force for the service that
+Sunday evening. It seemed as if they would never tire of singing the old
+familiar hymns, and when the time came for the address the attention of
+every man was riveted from start to finish. At length the tent cleared,
+and the men retired for the night. Now and then the chorus of a hymn
+could be heard coming from a bell tent, but soon the 'Last Post'
+sounded, and a few minutes later the plaintive notes of the bugle gave
+the signal for 'Lights Out.' Thereupon two of the Y.M.C.A. leaders,
+leaving the camp behind, walked up and down the sands of Morfa. It was a
+perfect night; not a sound was to be heard except the gentle ripple of
+the waves, three or four hundred yards away. The moon was near the full;
+everything seemed almost as light as day, and the bold outline of the
+Conway Mountain stood in clear relief against the sky. 'I wonder what
+all this means,' said one of the two, referring to the impressive
+service of the evening and to the crowds that had thronged the tents all
+day. 'I have been wondering,' said he, 'if there is a great European
+war looming in the distance, and if God is preparing the Y.M.C.A. for
+some great work it is destined to perform then.' How often have those
+words come back since the beginning of the war! God was indeed preparing
+the Association for a work infinitely bigger than any of its leaders
+knew or even dared to hope. In those days H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught
+became Patron of our Military Camp Department, and he has ever since
+been a warm friend.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+How far distant now seem those early days of August 1914. For weeks
+there had been rumours of war, but all arrangements had been completed
+for the work of the Y.M.C.A. in the Territorial camps to proceed as
+usual during the August holidays. Then came the order for mobilisation,
+and on August the 4th a council of war was held at Headquarters,
+attended by Association leaders from all parts of the country. Many of
+the districts were in financial difficulties, owing to the sudden break
+up of the summer camps, and the only possible policy was the one agreed
+upon at the meeting--a common programme and a common purse. No one knew
+where the men, or the money, were to come from, but it was decided to go
+right ahead, and from that resolve there could be no turning back. It is
+still true that 'He that saveth his life shall lose it, and he that
+loseth his life shall find it.' In that great crisis, had the leaders of
+the Y.M.C.A. stopped to consider first the immediate or future interests
+of the Association, then the Association would have gone under, and
+deservedly so. Britain was in danger, and her interests had to be
+considered first.
+
+What stirring days those were! We think of one tiny village to the
+south-west of Salisbury Plain, with a normal population of two or three
+hundred. Within a few days of the opening of hostilities, thirty-four
+thousand men were dumped down in the immediate vicinity. They had no
+tents, no uniforms, no rifles, nowhere to go, and nothing to do, for the
+simple reason that England did not desire war and had not prepared for
+it. The General in command had known the Y.M.C.A. in India, and came to
+London to ask our help, which was gladly given. Huge recreation tents
+were opened there, and all over the country. North, South, East, and
+West, Britain was suddenly transformed into one armed camp, and the
+Y.M.C.A. was never more needed than it was in those early days. Some of
+the centres were very small, others very large. At the Y.M.C.A. in the
+White City, for instance, it was no uncommon thing to see four or five
+thousand men gathered together in the great hall. At the Crystal Palace,
+too, and in many of the camps, the work was carried out on a very large
+scale, whilst in other centres a farm building, a private house, or a
+tiny tent met the need.
+
+Thanks to the loyal co-operation and energy of Association leaders and
+workers, two hundred and fifty of these centres were established within
+ten days. They were dotted down all over the country, and every week
+that passed by showed an increase in strength and in the number of
+centres, until the sign of the Red Triangle was to be found in more than
+two thousand centres in all parts of the United Kingdom, in every part
+of the Empire, on every battle-front, and in some places where the
+Allied flags do not yet fly. The hands of the Military in those days
+were so full up with other things that they had little time to devote to
+the recreation of the troops, and our help was warmly welcomed. We have
+acted throughout in close co-operation with the Military, and we should
+like to add our tribute of praise to the efficiency of the Military
+machine, as we have come in touch with it. Much has been said during the
+war as to the marvels of German organisation, and possibly not too much.
+At the same time there is quite as much to be said in praise of British
+organisation. Germany wanted a war whilst we did not. Germany prepared
+for war, tirelessly, ceaselessly; with her eye on the goal--world-wide
+dominion--she brought all her organising ability to bear on the
+preparation for the war she was determined to force on humanity.
+Britain, on the other hand, has had to improvise her war organisation
+since war has been actually forced on her. A run round the great base
+camps in France will show how wonderfully complete is that
+organisation--transport, supply, commissariat. Of course there have been
+mistakes, but singularly few under the circumstances. Many people are
+very critical of the War Office, but those who know most of the
+difficulties that have been overcome and the successes achieved, will be
+the least inclined to join hands with the critics.
+
+It is like a nightmare to think of that first winter of the war, with
+its gales, rain and mud, and it was when the weather was at its worst
+that the men of the first Canadian Contingent were encamped on Salisbury
+Plain. It is difficult to conceive what they would have done, but for
+the timely help of the Red Triangle. The roads were almost impassable,
+and the mud in the vicinity of the camps appalling, but the Canadians
+stuck it, and so did our leaders and workers. The tents were crowded to
+their utmost capacity, but it was soon found that no tent could weather
+the gales of Salisbury Plain in winter. That discovery led to the
+evolution of the Y.M.C.A. hut. Wooden frames covered with canvas were
+tried first of all, but they, too, were incapable of withstanding the
+fury of the gales, and something much stronger had to be provided.
+
+It meant a great deal to the country during that first winter of the war
+that the men were happy and contented, because they had their leisure
+hours pleasantly occupied, and because the most popular place in camp
+was almost without exception the one that bore the sign of the Red
+Triangle. And what did they find at the sign of the Red Triangle? They
+found there an open house, a warm welcome, a place of recreation and
+enjoyment, where they could meet their friends on terms thoroughly
+cordial and unofficial. Coffee and buns were always a great attraction,
+and as for music--the piano was hardly ever silent. Tommy Atkins loves a
+good tune and loves a crowd; the quiet place does not so much appeal to
+him. At the Y.M.C.A. he found diversion for his hours of leisure;
+opportunity for study if he cared for it; libraries, classes, and
+lectures. There, too, he found an expression of religious life that
+appealed to him, the inspiration that comes from religion without the
+controversy and sectarian bitterness which, alas! too often accompany
+it, a religion to work by and a religion that can do things. Before the
+war nobody had heard of our mystic sign, but within a few weeks letters
+bearing it had found their way into hundreds of thousands of homes,
+bringing joy and consolation wherever they went. That, in brief, is the
+story of the coming of the Red Triangle. And what is its significance?
+As the emblem of the war work of the Y.M.C.A. it has not been chosen by
+chance, but because it exactly typifies the movement it represents. The
+threefold needs of men are its concern, and its programme is adapted to
+meet the needs of body, mind, and spirit, whilst its colour symbolises
+sacrifice. In an old book of signs and wonders called _Mysterium
+Magnum_ the inverted triangle appears as a symbol of the divine spirit,
+and in the third year of the war a famous Belgian painter asked
+'Qu'est-ce-que c'est--cet Y.M.C.A.?' and without waiting for an answer
+went on to say that the Red Triangle meant emblematically--'Spirit
+informing and penetrating matter,' which was, he supposed, the function
+of the Y.M.C.A. 'The Y.M.C.A. is attempting the impossible,' said one of
+its critics; 'it is building on the apex of the triangle.' Thank God it
+is. Yes! and thank God it has achieved the impossible. If any one had
+dared to foretell four years ago, a tithe of what has already been
+accomplished, no one would have believed it. The secret of the inverted
+triangle is that it is upheld by invisible hands, and it is the full
+programme of the Red Triangle that appeals so irresistibly to the men.
+If we were merely out to run a canteen, others could perhaps have done
+the canteen work as well, or nearly as well, as the Y.M.C.A. Others
+could run lectures for the troops, and others cater for their spiritual
+needs, but it has been left to the Y.M.C.A. to formulate the appeal to
+the whole man--Body, Mind, and Spirit--and the appeal to every man,
+irrespective of creed or party. Every man is equally welcome in the
+Y.M.C.A.--Protestant, Romanist, Anglican, Free-churchman, Jew,
+Mohammedan, Buddhist, Hindoo, or Brahmin--the men of every religion and
+no religion, and yet the religious note is ever dominant, though no
+man's religion will ever be attacked from a Y.M.C.A. platform.
+
+The story of the Red Triangle is, indeed, one of the great romances of
+the war. Its work has never been regarded as an end in itself, but
+rather as auxiliary to that of other organisations. It is auxiliary to
+the Church, and its doors have been thrown wide open to the Padres of
+all denominations. Protestants, Catholics, Jews--even Mohammedans--have
+worshipped God in their own way within the hospitable walls of the
+Association. It has been auxiliary to the official medical services of
+the Army, the R.A.M.C., and the Red Cross--in hospitals and convalescent
+camps, and with the walking wounded at the clearing stations at the
+Front. It has arranged concerts and entertainments by the thousand for
+patients and nurses; has looked after the friends of dangerously wounded
+men, and has often handed over its huts to be used as emergency
+hospitals; while in hosts of other ways which can never be recorded, it
+has been able to render vitally important service. It has been auxiliary
+to the Military machine at every turn of the war. In the midst of the
+camp though not of it, its secretaries and workers conform to military
+rules and are subject to discipline, although they are themselves
+civilians. In this way the Association has provided the human touch, and
+officers and men alike have appreciated the fact that there is one place
+in camp where discipline through being temporarily relaxed, has been
+permanently strengthened.
+
+The Romance of the Red Triangle, like the story of the first crusade,
+has been the romance of the pioneer. The Y.M.C.A. was first in the
+field, though now there are many other organised societies and private
+individuals doing similar work on the lines which it thought out and
+proved to be practicable. Indeed, the whole story of the Y.M.C.A. has
+been full of adventurous episodes of romance, not merely during the war,
+but long before it, commencing seventy years ago, when George Williams
+came as a boy from Somerset to London, and as one of a band of twelve
+intrepid young men, founded the first branch of a movement destined to
+spread to all corners of the world. It is only during these years of war
+that the Society has fully come into its own, and received universal
+recognition, but we do not forget that to those pioneers of the early
+Victorian days and to the Y.M.C.A. leaders, who during the years before
+the war hammered out a policy for work amongst soldiers in the Volunteer
+and Territorial camps, the widespread movement of to-day is largely due.
+
+To know what the Army thinks of the Y.M.C.A., one need only note, on the
+one hand, the facilities given to the Association by officers in high
+command; and on the other, how the N.C.O.'s and men--officers and
+officer-cadets too--make use of the huts.
+
+[Illustration: HUT IN THE GROUNDS OF THE RUINS OF THE HÔTEL-DE-VILLE AT
+ARRAS]
+
+Prior to one of our great advances in 1917, the district to be attacked
+was reconstructed behind the line in a large map carefully worked out
+on the ground, every road and path being clearly marked. Every trench,
+redoubt, and dug-out; every hedge and ditch was recorded, and every gun
+emplacement shown. 'Reserved for the Y.M.C.A.' was written over a vacant
+plot near the centre of the map.
+
+In France 'Le Triangle Rouge' is often called 'Les Ygrecs' (The Y's),
+and the Red Triangle will pass the Association worker almost anywhere.
+It sounds odd in the reserve trenches, amidst the roar of guns and the
+scream of shells, to hear the sentry's challenge as we have heard it,
+'Halt! who goes there?' 'Y.M.C.A.' 'Pass, Y.M., all's well!'
+
+[Illustration: ONE OF MANY Y.M.C.A. HUTS BUILT UNDER SHELL-FIRE]
+
+One of our workers in the valley of the Somme in 1917 was left behind,
+as the troops advanced to follow up the line of the great German
+retreat. For weeks he shared his Y.M.C.A. shanty with the rats, and
+late one evening went for a two miles walk. A sentry challenged him, and
+evidently regarded him with suspicion. After he had convinced the guard
+of his identity, it was explained to him that three German prisoners
+were at large, and one of them was known to be wearing a Y.M.C.A.
+uniform. When he awoke that night in his rat-infested shanty it seemed
+to him that if the three Huns chanced to know of his whereabouts, it
+would not be a difficult thing for them to possess themselves of yet
+another Y.M.C.A. uniform!
+
+In the early days of the war it was agreed that no request for the help
+of the Association, which on investigation proved a definite need to
+exist, should be refused, and God honoured the faith of those who dared
+to make the resolve. The way the movement has grown and is growing still
+is nothing short of a romance, and the following pages tell the story of
+service rendered under the sign of the Red Triangle to the men of His
+Majesty's Forces, irrespective of class, creed, or party, in England and
+north of the Border, in Wales and Ireland, on every battle-front and in
+every base; amongst men of every colour and creed who are serving under
+our great Flag--the Flag that stands for Freedom.
+
+Possibly the greatest romance of all will be that dealing with the work
+of the Red Triangle after the war. Who knows?
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+BLAZING THE TRAIL WITH THE RED TRIANGLE
+
+          Few organisations have done so much in caring for
+          the comfort and well-being of our soldiers as your
+          Associations. They have given invaluable help to
+          the Army, and have immeasurably lightened the
+          hardships which have to be endured by our troops.
+          In recognising the excellent work that has already
+          been done, I should like to wish you success in
+          that which you still propose to undertake. I
+          consider that your plans for after the war are not
+          the least important of your activities.--THE RIGHT
+          HON. DAVID LLOYD GEORGE, M.P.
+
+
+THE Red Triangle is often to be found in unexpected places. 'A
+wonderful, friendly old octopus, this Y.M.C.A.' was the way an
+Australian put it, and it was not at all a bad description of the
+ubiquitous Red Triangle. Tommy recognises it to-day as his club, his
+meeting house, his home from home. It is his, and he knows it! It
+touches him at every point and in almost every place. The recruit finds
+it at his depôt, near his billet, and in the training camp where he
+learns to be a soldier; indeed, it is part of the training, and an
+important part, too. Passing through London or a great provincial city,
+he can stay the night in one of the Y.M.C.A. hostels; he meets it again
+at the English ports before he embarks for one of the fighting fronts;
+it is there to greet him on the other side, not only at the ports of
+entry and in the base camps, but on the lines of communication in
+France, Italy, Egypt, Palestine, Mesopotamia, and right up the line, in
+cellar or dug-out as well as in rest-camp and at railhead. If he should
+have the misfortune to be wounded he may expect to find the Association
+at the casualty clearing station or in the hospital, and later on in the
+convalescent camp, or, if invalided out of the army, it will still stick
+to him and befriend him at a time when he is likely to need a friend.
+If he is numbered amongst the missing and finds himself in a prisoner of
+war camp in Germany, even then he may not be beyond the outreach of the
+Association. There is at least one redeeming feature to the prisoner of
+war camp in Ruhleben in Germany, for right in the heart of it there is a
+little brown hut with the Red Triangle and the letters 'Y.M.C.A.' on the
+roof--one of several in Germany erected with American Y.M.C.A. money, at
+a time when America was a neutral state, and run entirely by British
+prisoners of war for the benefit of their fellow-Britishers, who also
+have the misfortune to be prisoners of war.
+
+It is little we can do for these brave lads who are wearing their hearts
+out longing to hear the voices of those they love in the Homeland, but
+the Y.M.C.A. does what it can.
+
+This girdle of loving-kindness is completed in the Internment Camps of
+Switzerland--at Mürren, Leysin, Interlaken, Meiringen, and Seeburg, and
+in those of Holland at Scheveningen, Rotterdam, The Hague, and
+Groningen. None need our help more than the officers and men of those
+internment camps. It was one of the latter who said he would rather be
+in Germany than in the internment camp in Switzerland, for in Germany,
+said he, one has, at any rate, the excitement of trying to escape; but
+now, working hand-in-hand with the British Red Cross, the Red Triangle
+provides recreation and employment for the long hours of leisure, and
+there can be no doubt as to the appreciation of those it seeks to serve.
+
+A worker at Cambridge went to a neighbouring village to arrange a flag
+day on behalf of our war fund. He was advised to get in touch with the
+post-mistress, who was keenly interested in the movement. 'Of course, I
+am interested,' she said when he saw her, 'and if you will come into my
+sitting-room I will show you why.' There on the wall in a little room at
+the back of the post-office was what she called her Roll of Honour--the
+photographs of twelve lads from her Bible class, all serving with His
+Majesty's Forces. 'Eleven out of the twelve,' said she, 'write me almost
+every week, and tell me what a boon the Y.M.C.A. is to them. That is why
+I am ready to do all I can to help you with your Flag Day.' The sequel
+was interesting. Half an hour later No. 12 called to see her. 'How
+strange,' she cried; 'I was just talking about you, and saying you were
+the only one of the boys who never wrote expressing appreciation of the
+Y.M.C.A.' 'That is easily explained,' was the reply. 'I have been at sea
+since the early days of the war, and have had no opportunity of getting
+ashore and using the Y.M.C.A. until three months ago, when I was sent to
+Egypt and stationed at the Mena camp. There I used the Association hut
+within sight of the great pyramid, and I appreciate the work as much as
+anyone to-day.'
+
+A young soldier who was formerly a Y.M.C.A. worker wrote from
+France:--'We came upon the Prussian Guard about ten days ago, and for
+five days and nights we fought hand to hand like demons, but in the end
+we gained our objective. You talk of the work of the Y.M.C.A. at home as
+splendid. I know it is, but here the Y.M.C.A.'s are more. In this place,
+famous for its wonderful bell tower, the Y.M.C.A. is in full swing,
+although only yesterday it was shelled heavily and shrapnel was falling
+pretty thick along the road. Cheero!' Another young soldier wrote from
+Malta, and gave his experience of the Y.M.C.A. 'The Association is the
+finest thing that was ever instituted without doubt. The Army has
+blessed the fact many a time. I have served in France and a few other
+countries, and am in a position to know.'
+
+In the early days of the war Y.M.C.A. secretaries learned to adapt all
+kinds of premises, no matter how primitive, to meet the needs of the
+troops. A cow-house amid the trenches of the East Coast; a pigsty in the
+south-west of England, neither of them much to look at, but doing good
+service and helping to blaze the trail; a dug-out at Anzac and three
+tiny marquees at Cape Helles; a cellar at Meroc, just behind the British
+lines in the neighbourhood of Loos; a château formerly the residence of
+the lord of the manor at Mazingarbe, and a palatial but ruined Technical
+Institute at Armentières. It was fixed up in a convent at Aire--the
+first Y.M.C.A. to be opened in a forward position in France, and inside
+a ruined hospice at Ypres; in a Trappist monastery on the Mont des Cats;
+in the most southern city in the world at Invercargill; above the clouds
+with the British troops in Italy; inside some of the German prisoner of
+war camps in Germany; in the old German Consulate at Jaffa, in the heart
+of the Holy City, and on the Palestine lines of communication at Gaza
+and Beersheba. 'The Jolly Farmer' near Aldershot, and the more notorious
+'Bolger's' public house in Sackville Street, Dublin, made their
+appearance early in the war under the sign of the Red Triangle, whilst
+Ciro's, the once famous night club in the heart of London, and the
+mansions of Viscount Wimborne and Lord Brassey have also been thrown
+open for the service of the Association.
+
+The trail of the Red Triangle was first blazed in the United Kingdom,
+and since then it has become familiar on every fighting front, and in
+all sorts of queer and unexpected places: in the jungle of India; on the
+banks of the Tigris, the Euphrates, and the Nile; amid the swamps of
+East Africa; along the valley of the Jordan; in the Egyptian desert; in
+the great training camps of North America; in Australasia and South
+Africa, as well as in the plains of Flanders and Picardy; in the valleys
+of the Somme, the Marne, the Meuse, and the Aisne. It is to be found on
+the Varda and the Struma, and we have seen for ourselves how that trail
+has been welcomed by men of many nationalities--Britons from the
+Homeland and from the outposts of Empire, from Canada, Newfoundland,
+Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa; Indians, Chinese, Cape Boys
+and Kaffirs, Frenchmen, Portuguese, and Belgians, and wherever the
+trail of the Red Triangle goes it stands for reconstruction even amid
+the horrors and desolation of war.
+
+An officer cadet who had spent two years in France, said he had noticed
+a great change in the attitude of the men. 'In the early days of the
+war,' said he, 'men on arriving in new billets at the Front would say,
+"Is there no Y.M.C.A. in the village?" Later on they took it for granted
+that the Red Triangle was there and asked, "Where is the Y.M.C.A.?" Now
+they always say, "Where is it?" and every one knows to what they refer.'
+It brings comfort, hope, good cheer, and inspiration with it. An English
+boy writing home from Egypt to his people in the Midlands, said that the
+Y.M.C.A. was to him as 'a bit of Heaven in a world that was otherwise
+all hell.' A visitor to the Association at Kantara expressed his
+surprise at finding such a splendid Y.M.C.A. building in that Egyptian
+centre, fitted up even with hot and cold baths!
+
+A sum of £400 was taken in a single day over the refreshment counter in
+one of the Y.M.C.A. marquees in the heart of the Sinai Peninsula, and it
+will give an idea of the immense amount of work involved to the staff of
+the Association, when it is remembered that all stores had to be
+conveyed from the railhead to the Y.M.C.A. on the backs of camels.
+
+A British soldier writing from the 'Adam and Eve' hut in Mesopotamia
+said, 'I should like to comment upon the wonderful work the Y.M.C.A. is
+doing here among the troops. In almost every large camp there is a
+Y.M.C.A. hut, a veritable haven in the desert, not only for canteen, but
+religious work also. I attended a service in the hut, and it made a good
+impression on me. We sang the good old hymns, and I am sure we all felt
+refreshed.'
+
+As might be expected, the Dominions have done their full share of
+pioneering, and have blazed the trail in many different directions. The
+Canadians have done a great work at Shorncliffe, Sandling, Bramshott,
+and Witley; in the Forestry camps at home and right up the line in
+France. The Australians on Salisbury Plain, at Weymouth, and in many
+other home centres have served their troops splendidly; whilst in
+France, Egypt, the Dardanelles, and Palestine their pioneering work has
+been great. The New Zealanders at Sling Plantation, Hornchurch, and
+other centres at home, have done equally well, and their pioneering work
+overseas has been most efficient. The South Africans have done valuable
+work in the Military Expedition to Swakopmund and in East Africa. India
+has made a great contribution to the Empire work of the Red Triangle,
+first of all by catering for the needs of British troops quartered in
+India itself, and also in Mesopotamia and East Africa, where the work
+has been directed from India, as has that for the Indian troops in
+France. Passing reference should also be made here to the great
+programme of work undertaken and planned by the Y.M.C.A.'s of the United
+States. In the United Kingdom, in France, Russia and Italy, as well as
+in North America, they have projected work on an enormous scale, in
+fact, all the Allied countries are closely co-operating in the work of
+the Red Triangle. It has been the privilege of the British Associations
+to provide huts for the exclusive use of Belgian, Serbian, and
+Portuguese troops, and to cater for the needs of American and Colonial
+soldiers in hundreds of centres. In London, for instance, special
+facilities have been given to New Zealanders at the Shakespeare hut; we
+were able to procure for the Canadian Y.M.C.A. the magnificent Tivoli
+site on which their fine hostel now stands, and to hand over the group
+of huts to the Americans which formed the nucleus of the Eagle Hut. The
+Australians rented and furnished the Aldwych Theatre on their own
+account. The New Zealand Y.M.C.A.'s made a handsome contribution towards
+the cost of the Shakespeare Hut, and the whole of the cost of the Eagle
+and Beaver Huts has been borne by the American and Canadian Y.M.C.A.'s,
+respectively. The American and Colonial Associations have taken over a
+number of British huts in camps, and in some cases have enlarged them.
+
+[Illustration: THE FIRST Y.M.C.A. OVER THE GERMAN TRENCHES ON THE SOMME
+BATTLEFIELD]
+
+[Illustration: THE Y.M.C.A. IN THE ORCHARD AT ALBERT]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+FLOTSAM AND JETSAM
+
+          In my opinion nothing can exceed the value of the
+          work which has been and is being done for H.M.
+          Forces by the Y.M.C.A. I offer my best wishes for
+          continued success.--THE RIGHT HON. H. H. ASQUITH,
+          K.C., M.P.
+
+
+THE Romance of the Red Triangle is a twenty-four hours a day romance,
+for many of its centres never close their doors. When we are comfortably
+sleeping at night and in the early hours of the morning, Y.M.C.A.
+workers are hard at work on motor patrol conveying leave men from
+station to station or hut to hut, and others are on foot meeting the men
+and guiding them to their destination. Alighting from the Edinburgh
+train at Leeds very early one morning, it was raining and a young
+Scottish trooper stepped down to the platform from the adjoining
+compartment. We knew we were all right, a room having been retained for
+us at the Station Hotel; but what of him? Had he anywhere to go? He
+evidently had no plans, but at that moment a gentleman in civilian
+attire stepped up to him, and without patronising, and in the most
+natural way possible said to him, 'Have you long to wait? Have you
+anywhere to go?' The lad replied that he had several hours to wait for
+his connection and had nowhere to go. 'Well, come along with me, and I
+will see you all right at the Y.M.C.A.' People who do this work or
+devote themselves, night after night, to that of the motor patrols don't
+often get their photos into the papers, but they are rendering national
+service of a high order without fee or reward, and in almost every case,
+at the end of a hard day's work.
+
+The International Hospitality League of the Y.M.C.A. is doing similar
+work on a very large scale, and in its kiosks and inquiry rooms, not
+only in London, but in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and many of our large
+provincial centres hundreds of thousands of inquiries are being received
+and answered day by day, whilst the street patrol workers have been able
+to help very many who have welcomed their assistance.
+
+We know of no more moving sight than one of the great Triage huts in
+France when leave is on. We think of our last visit to one such. Three
+hundred men were sleeping there that night, and 'Uncle Joe,' the
+Y.M.C.A. leader, went round the bunks last thing to see them safely
+tucked in. As we stood in the main hall we thought we understood what
+was said of our Lord that 'when He saw the multitude He was filled with
+compassion.' Scores of men were gathered around the piano, singing
+rowdy choruses of the kind loved by our Tommies. The coffee queue
+extended the whole length of the room, and the men had to buy their
+tickets from Uncle Joe, who had a few words with each in homely
+Lancashire dialect, whilst further along the counter a titled lady was
+serving coffee as fast as she could pour it out. There were crowds round
+the tables, reading or feeding. We noticed at one table a group of men,
+one of whom was cutting up a long French loaf, another had just opened a
+tin of sardines which he was sharing round, whilst a third was helping
+his comrades from a tin of pears. All were on their way home on leave,
+or returning to the Front, and all were merry and happy as British
+Tommies almost invariably are.
+
+Sometimes in a London hut, or it may be in the Y.M.C.A. in Paris, you
+will come across one of these Tommies who is down and out. He has been
+on leave and has spent or lost all his money, and is down on his luck.
+It is to the Y.M.C.A. he turns. A little act of kindness, under such
+circumstances, has often changed a man's whole outlook on life. Nearly
+the whole of the service in the Y.M.C.A. hostels is rendered
+voluntarily, and many workers who have home or business ties welcome
+this opportunity of doing war service that really counts. There is a
+tendency in some quarters to speak disparagingly of the voluntary
+worker, but those who know, realise the enormous value of such service.
+No paid workers could have been more zealous or more efficient than
+those who have served voluntarily under the Red Triangle. The old
+brewery in Earl Street was the first building in London to be adapted
+for sleeping purposes, but the 'Euston' was the first Y.M.C.A. hostel
+to be built. One of the largest is the Shakespeare Hut which was built
+on the site of the proposed National Shakespeare Memorial Theatre,
+kindly loaned for the purpose. The huge building by London Bridge was
+lent by the city of London. Many of the huts occupy central and
+important sites, as for instance, the station huts at King's Cross,
+Victoria, and Waterloo,--and the station hut often means the last touch
+of home before men go overseas, and that makes the work and the
+personality of the workers all the more important.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+THE ROMANCE OF FINANCE
+
+          This work has been admirably done both at home and
+          at the Front. Its spiritual and material value to
+          the men lies beyond all reckoning, and the
+          services of its personnel are deeply appreciated
+          by the men themselves.--THE RIGHT HON. A. J.
+          BALFOUR, O.M., M.P.
+
+
+ON August 4, 1914, our plan for war work was ready, but the 'sinews of
+war' were lacking. Little could be done without money. In our extremity
+we laid the whole position before one of our most generous leaders and
+supporters, and told him of the opportunity we saw facing the Y.M.C.A.
+'If we are to seize the opportunity,' we said, 'it is absolutely
+necessary we should secure immediately twenty-five thousand pounds!' He
+looked up and smiled indulgently--'Twenty-five thousand pounds!' he
+cried; 'you couldn't possibly raise three thousand pounds at a time like
+this; the thing's impossible!' 'Impossible or not,' was the reply, 'it
+must be done. We mustn't even stop to think of the future of the
+Y.M.C.A. Everything is at stake, and even if we have to sell every
+building and every stick of furniture we possess we must go forward
+now!' That very day a large number of telegrams and letters were sent
+out from Headquarters to friends all over the country--the first war
+emergency appeal of the Red Triangle--and within a few days the whole of
+the twenty-five thousand pounds had been raised, and we were appealing
+for another fifty thousand pounds, until at the time of writing, in
+August 1918, the war fund has reached the total of nearly two and a half
+millions sterling. That is a small sum compared with the amounts raised
+for Y.M.C.A. war work in the United States. Their first appeal brought
+in five million pounds, the second more than twelve millions, and their
+appeal a year later, in October 1918, is for twenty millions sterling.
+Our American friends gave us a hundred thousand pounds from the amount
+raised by their second war work appeal, a generous and much appreciated
+gift. People who know little of the facts are sometimes inclined to
+criticise what they regard as the huge war expenditure of the British
+Y.M.C.A.'s, but a moment's reflection will make it clear that it has
+been little short of a miracle of finance to carry out such an enormous
+programme of work at a total cost of only about one-third of the cost to
+Britain alone of a single day of war. We have always been short of
+money, have always had a big overdraft at the bank, and that largely
+because we have had to finance a huge business concern without capital.
+Our war fund has been secured partly as a result of skilful
+advertising, partly through personal solicitation and in response to
+postal appeals. Flag Days and Hut Weeks also proved valuable agencies
+for raising money. The full-page Y.M.C.A. advertisements in _The Times_
+and other papers were something quite new in religious and social work
+advertising, though the method has since been widely adopted by other
+organisations.
+
+Many touching stories are told concerning gifts to the war fund, gifts,
+many of which have not been secured as a result of cleverly drawn
+advertisements, but because the contributors have been touched directly
+or indirectly by the work itself. A boy wrote home from Flanders, 'Tell
+Dad if he has any money to spare to give it to the Y.M.C.A. as a
+thankoffering for what they are doing for us chaps out here.' One of our
+centres had been nearly destroyed by a Zeppelin bomb. It was rebuilt
+and the day came for the reopening. A lady was present and expressed
+herself thus: 'I wanted to be here to-day, if only to thank you for what
+your Association has done for my boy. When the war broke out,' said she,
+'he went to the Crystal Palace for his training, and found the Y.M.C.A.
+there an inestimable boon. He was sent to Blandford to complete his
+training, and the Y.M.C.A. was there. He was drafted out to Gallipoli,
+and to his amazement he found the Y.M.C.A. on the Peninsula. He was
+wounded and sent to Suez, where once more the Y.M.C.A. was a great help
+to him, and yesterday,' she continued, 'I received a letter from him
+from Alexandria saying he was convalescent, and spending the whole of
+his spare time in the central building of the Association.' It is that
+personal touch that has made the appeal of the Red Triangle one of the
+most popular appeals of the war.
+
+A lady called one day with a novel suggestion. She had been reading a
+statement attributed to the Kaiser, in which the All Highest is alleged
+to have said that if the worst came to the worst every dog and cat in
+Germany would be armed in defence of the Fatherland. 'If the dogs and
+cats of Germany are going to do that for their country,' she said, 'why
+shouldn't the dogs and cats of England pay for one of your huts?' Quite
+frankly there did not appear to be much money in the scheme, but it
+could do no harm, so we encouraged it! Imagine our surprise when a few
+days later the same lady walked in with a cheque for four hundred and
+fifty pounds. There was one gift of five pounds, all the rest had been
+given in smaller amounts, and altogether upwards of two thousand dogs
+and cats--or their masters and mistresses--had contributed. A few weeks
+later the fund was closed, at just over one thousand pounds, and there
+has been no more useful centre of Y.M.C.A. war work than the 'Dogs and
+Cats Hut' at Rouen, paid for entirely by this fund.
+
+The Boys and Girls fund has reached upwards of twenty thousand pounds.
+We had been speaking to the boys at Harrow School, and the suggestion
+had been thrown out that it would be a good plan to have a 'Harrow' Hut
+at the Front. At the close of the meeting the headmaster, supporting the
+suggestion, said he would give the collection in chapel the following
+Sunday to the fund. The head boy approached him afterwards and said, 'I
+think, Sir, it would be a mistake to make a collection for the Y.M.C.A.
+on Sunday. If you do the boys will think they have done their bit, and
+won't bother any further. Won't you let us make a whip up round the
+houses and see what we can do?' Thus it was agreed, and the five hundred
+pounds, which in those days was the cost of a hut, was raised in less
+than a week. We have seen that hut in France, and know how much it was
+appreciated. During the German advance in Picardy it had to be
+temporarily abandoned, but fortunately was speedily occupied again.
+
+In the early days of the Euston hut, the vicar of a neighbouring parish
+was keenly interested, and told the children in his day school what he
+had seen in the hut. At the close of his address a deputation of the
+older children waited on him and told him they were interested in what
+he told them, and would much like to help the Y.M.C.A. in its work for
+the soldiers. 'You help?' queried the vicar; 'how can you help?' He knew
+how poor they were. To his surprise they had their scheme ready, and
+their plans cut and dried. 'This time every year,' said the spokesman,
+'we put by our pennies and our ha'pennies for our annual treat. We don't
+feel like having a treat this year when all this terrible fighting is
+taking place. We would rather give the money to the Y.M.C.A. to spend on
+the soldiers and sailors.' A few days later, the leader of the Euston
+hut was sitting at a table in the central hall when his attention was
+attracted by a group of ragged children, standing round the entrance.
+Curiously they would peer inside and then step back, until two or three
+bolder than the others walked right in as if the whole place belonged to
+them. That was too much for the leader. He went up to them and cried,
+'You must run away; this place isn't for boys and girls, it's for
+soldiers and sailors.' Looking up into his face a little ragged
+youngster retorted, 'Please, sir, we've given our money towards this
+show, and we want to see how it's run!' On inquiry, it was ascertained
+that the children belonged to one of the poorest of the schools in the
+north of London, and out of their poverty they had given no less than
+thirty shillings, nearly the whole of it in pennies and farthings. Many
+memorial gifts have been received, and a hut that will be an inspiration
+and help to tens of thousands, is surely one of the most suitable of
+memorials.
+
+[Illustration: A REFUGE FOR THE REFUGEES]
+
+Business firms and merchant princes have given their thousands; others,
+with equal generosity, have contributed shillings. In the Channel
+Islands, there was a fish-hawker, named Richards, who eked out a slender
+livelihood by selling fish on the streets of Jersey. The coming of the
+war hit him so hard that he was compelled to leave for France to seek
+other employment. He got a job under the contractors who were building
+the hutments in the Harfleur Valley. He did well, and eventually
+returned home to Jersey. The Sunday after his return, his minister was
+taking up special collections for the hut fund. Richards had found the
+Red Triangle huts at Havre a great boon, and on entering the church at
+the evening service, handed his minister a little paper packet
+containing coins. The padre fingered the parcel and said to himself, 'He
+has given six pennies, a generous gift, too, under the circumstances!'
+Imagine his surprise on opening the packet to find there six
+half-crowns. He said, 'You ought not to give so much; you can't possibly
+afford it.' 'When I remember all the Y.M.C.A. did for me when a stranger
+in France and homeless,' was his reply, 'I can't possibly do less, and
+wish I could give more.'
+
+[Illustration: Y.M.C.A. MARQUEE IN THE SHELL-SWEPT SOMME AREA]
+
+A flower-seller at a popular seaside holiday resort for many months has
+given to the local Y.M.C.A. hut a shillingsworth of flowers each week,
+as a thankoffering for what the Association has done for her husband and
+son.
+
+At Taunton a farm labourer called at the back door of the house of the
+president of the local Y.M.C.A., and said he wanted to help the war
+fund. It was the only thing he could do to help the men at the Front. He
+had tried to enlist several times, but they would not have him. He laid
+on the table fifty one-pound notes, and went back to his work on the
+farm. Inquiries elicited the fact that he had given practically the
+whole of his savings, and had done it in spite of his employer's urgent
+advice to the contrary.
+
+At the close of a meeting held by one of our workers, an elderly lady
+came to him and said if he would go to her house she would give him a
+sovereign. He went, and she gave him the coin, and then closing the
+door of her private room, said, 'And now I am going to give you the most
+precious possession I have in the world.' Her voice choked with emotion
+as she proceeded, 'Years, many years ago, I was to have been married.
+The arrangements were made, the day fixed, and the ring bought,
+and--_then he died_!' And she sobbed as she spoke. Going to a bureau she
+took out a little box and, handing it to him, said, 'The wedding ring is
+in there. I have kept it all these years, but I promised the Lord I
+would only keep it until He showed me what He would have me do with it,
+and He told me while you were speaking. I give it to you for the
+Y.M.C.A. and for the boys,' and she turned away utterly broken up.
+Thousands of incidents could be related of equal interest to the
+foregoing, did space permit, and all these incidents combine to give a
+personal interest to the fund. We can only add that the greatest
+possible care has been taken to administer the fund wisely and so avoid
+waste, or anything that savours of extravagance. Of course, Y.M.C.A.
+finance has come in for criticism. Certain people who have visited the
+huts, and have seen the enormous business there transacted have come to
+the conclusion that either very large profits are being made, or that
+the business methods of the Association leave much to be desired. The
+question has frequently been asked, 'What is done with the profits?' and
+the fiction has got abroad that the Y.M.C.A. publishes no accounts and
+is amassing huge sums of money. The real position is easily stated:--
+
+          The Y.M.C.A. does not do trading for trading's
+          sake, but because through its trading department
+          it is the better enabled to meet the needs of the
+          troops, and also because profits on trading mean
+          further extension. So rapid has been the
+          development of the war work of the Y.M.C.A., that
+          not only has every penny of profit been spent on
+          the maintenance and development of this work for
+          soldiers and sailors, but it has been necessary to
+          raise large sums of money in subscriptions to meet
+          the ever-increasing demand for extension. Every
+          new centre means, or may mean, an additional
+          burden on the central fund or on the divisional
+          funds for which the National Council is ultimately
+          responsible. First, there is the cost of the hut,
+          which may mean £750 or may run into thousands--it
+          all depends upon size and site. The initial cost
+          may be defrayed by an individual gift to the
+          central war fund, but usually to make the hut
+          large enough for its purpose, additional money has
+          to be spent, whilst the furnishing will probably
+          cost from one to three hundred pounds, or more.
+          Also, it must carry stock to the value of a
+          hundred pounds or possibly much more if it is a
+          big camp. A very big turnover in a Triangle hut
+          may represent a very small profit, _e.g._ there
+          are enormous sales of stamps and postal orders,
+          and all these are sold for actual cost, and, what
+          is more, the Association has to bear the loss of
+          shortages. Then there are the things the Y.M.C.A.
+          does free of any charges whatever, _e.g._ there
+          are no club fees and no charges for admission to
+          concerts, lectures, or entertainments in the
+          ordinary hut. Free writing paper and envelopes are
+          at the present time costing more than £90,000 a
+          year. Thousands of pounds are spent on cricket and
+          football outfits, games generally, books,
+          pictures, and literature for free distribution.
+          Hot drinks and refreshments are given free to the
+          walking wounded on a very large scale, and
+          practically every one of the two thousand war
+          Y.M.C.A.'s keeps 'open house' at Christmas. The
+          work of the Y.M.C.A. for the relatives of wounded
+          is very costly, especially in France, many hostels
+          being maintained for that purpose. Motor transport
+          is an expensive item for which there is no return,
+          and very large sums of money are spent on lectures
+          and educational work. It is estimated that the
+          Y.M.C.A. educational programme in France alone may
+          ultimately cost the Association fifty thousand
+          pounds a year. When the request has come to open a
+          new centre, the determining factor has been, 'Is
+          it needed?' not 'Will it pay?' Indeed many huts in
+          isolated centres cannot possibly be made to pay,
+          and yet they mean everything to the men who use
+          them. The spending department of the Association
+          has been built up with the greatest care. A body
+          of well-known business men meets for hours every
+          week and watches expenditure as a cat watches a
+          mouse. The Acting Treasurer of the War Emergency
+          Fund is a partner in a big firm of Indian
+          Merchants, and devotes himself with untiring
+          energy and conspicuous ability to the supervision
+          of accounts and to the expenditure. The accounts
+          are audited by a leading firm of chartered
+          accountants, and the audited statement of receipts
+          and expenditure together with a balance sheet, is
+          published in _The Times_ and other papers every
+          six months. In the canteens it is a matter of
+          principle to give full value for money spent, but
+          towards the war services the profits made have
+          been equal to a sum of ten shillings for every
+          pound contributed by the public. Owing chiefly to
+          the enormous stores that have to be maintained in
+          France and Overseas generally, the Bank overdraft
+          of the war fund has often reached four and five
+          hundred thousand pounds. It is thus not difficult
+          to see what is done with the profits. The Y.M.C.A.
+          might, had it so chosen, have feathered its nest
+          during the war, but with a sublime, though by no
+          means a reckless disregard of the future it
+          stepped right into the breach, and went straight
+          forward to meet the national need.
+
+As a Y.M.C.A. we pride ourselves on the business management of our work.
+We insist on business methods being adopted, and we do not mix our
+business with philanthropy--the Association hut is not a charity as far
+as its business side is concerned. The average hut in a large camp is
+expected to pay its way, so that subscriptions from the general public
+can be applied to the extension of the work and to the maintenance of
+centres that cannot be self-supporting.
+
+The War Office, in the early stages of the war, asked us to pay a rebate
+of 10 per cent. on the gross takings of the refreshment department.
+After full consideration, we came to the conclusion that we could only
+do this by extracting the money from the pockets of the men, who for the
+most part are miserably paid, by paying it out of subscriptions given by
+the public, or by limiting the extension of the work. Neither
+alternative seemed desirable or in the interests of the men, and after
+many conferences with the Quartermaster-General's department at the War
+Office, it was agreed, by mutual consent and at the suggestion of the
+War Office, to refer the matter for decision to the Secretary of State
+for War. It was at the time Lord Kitchener was in Gallipoli, and Mr.
+Asquith was personally in charge. At a conference at Downing Street the
+representatives of the Board of Control Regimental Institutes stated
+their case, and we had the opportunity of replying. Mr. Asquith took
+several weeks to consider the question in all its bearings, and
+ultimately gave the decision entirely in our favour, and decided for the
+duration of the war we should not be asked to pay the rebate. Later on,
+the matter was reopened by Lord Derby, and eventually it was found
+necessary for the Y.M.C.A. to pay 6 per cent. on their gross takings in
+huts on Military ground, to regimental funds, and this is a great tax on
+its resources. Most of the huts are loaned free to the Military for
+church parades and military lectures.
+
+The figures of the Red Triangle are colossal, and yet figures by
+themselves fail to give an adequate idea of the magnitude of the work,
+and for obvious reasons it is impossible to make those statistics
+complete. On a given date it was ascertained that upwards of forty-five
+thousand workers were giving regular service to the war work of the
+Y.M.C.A. By August 31, 1918, 929,590,430 pieces of stationery had been
+sent out from Y.M.C.A. Headquarters in London for distribution amongst
+the men of His Majesty's Forces. The stationery bill by the summer of
+1918 had risen to the rate of upwards of £90,000 per annum.
+
+In two months one hundred and five tents were sent out to replace the
+huts and tents lost in Picardy and Flanders.
+
+In eighteen months, Triangle House, London, the Headquarters of our
+Trading Department, sent out to the Y.M.C.A. overseas:--
+
+             875 Gramophones and 8386 Records.
+             322 Pianos and Organs.
+             572 Billiard and Bagatelle Tables.
+           1,341 Sets of Boxing Gloves.
+             108 Optical Lanterns.
+          10,188 Sets of Draughts.
+           1,335 Sets of Chess.
+           3,140 Sets of Dominoes.
+           4,263 Footballs.
+           1,080 Sets of Quoits.
+             657 Sets of Cricket.
+           4,992 Extra Balls.
+           1,540 Extra Bats.
+           1,798 Hockey Sticks.
+             520 Balls.
+             426 Golf Balls.
+             100 Tennis Sets.
+             330 Tennis Racquets.
+           2,364 Tennis Balls.
+              61 Sets Bowls.
+             358 Badminton Sets.
+              50 Baseball Sets.
+
+It will be noted that the items in this list are not trading goods to be
+sold at a profit, but excepting in the case of some of the billiard
+tables, are non-remunerative, and provided absolutely free for the use
+of the men serving overseas.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+THE LADIES OF THE RED TRIANGLE
+
+          I have received Her Majesty's commands to convey
+          to you an expression of the Queen's sincere thanks
+          for the interesting information you have given
+          regarding the work which is being done by the
+          Young Men's Christian Association among the men of
+          the Army and Navy.
+
+          Her Majesty is much pleased with the specimens of
+          writing-papers and envelopes, and publications,
+          which you have sent for her acceptance.
+
+          Her Majesty feels sure that the useful work which
+          is being carried on by the Young Men's Christian
+          Association in so many different centres is highly
+          appreciated not only by the soldiers, but also by
+          the community.--HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN.
+
+
+[Illustration: Y.M.C.A. IN A RUINED PARISH HALL IN FLANDERS, JUNE, 1916]
+
+BEFORE the war it was one of our stock sayings that the Y.M.C.A. was a
+work 'for young men by young men,' and one must recognise the fact that
+the man who is a _man_--virile, strong, athletic--is the one to whose
+leadership men will most readily respond. But in the early days of the
+war most of our young male workers joined up; whether we liked it or not
+we had to get the help of ladies, and our more enterprising leaders felt
+that after all there were some things in Y.M.C.A. hut work ladies could
+do almost as well as men. Things have moved since then, and now we know
+that much of the work can be done infinitely better by women. In many
+cases women have been entrusted with the actual leadership of huts, and
+have carried through the duties magnificently. The Red Triangle has
+given the woman her niche in the Y.M.C.A., and for the great programme
+that awaits us after the war her help will be indispensable. It has,
+moreover, given the woman who had home claims an opportunity of doing
+war work that really counts, in her spare time. The Queen and Queen
+Alexandra have been graciously interested in the work of the ladies of
+the Red Triangle, and many of the ladies of the Royal House have
+rendered conspicuous personal service, amongst whom might be mentioned
+H.R.H. Princess Christian, H.R.H. Princess Louise, H.R.H. Princess
+Patricia of Connaught, and H.H. Princess Marie Louise, whilst H.H.
+Princess Helena Victoria as Lady President has given time and strength
+to the work without reserve, and we owe very much to her. In the camps,
+ladies have given the home touch that means so much to the men--games,
+music, decorations, and flowers have come within their domain; they have
+managed the libraries, and have in most cases taken full responsibility
+for the refreshment department. Their personal influence has been
+invaluable. We remember visiting a camp somewhere in France. It seemed
+to us the roughest camp we had ever seen. The leader told us of an
+encounter he had with one of the worst of the men on the occasion of
+his first visit to the place. He had just got his tent erected, and the
+man chancing to see it asked what it was. When told that it was the
+Y.M.C.A., he replied, 'You b---- men are just what we d---- men b----
+well want,' and that was the language of the camp. Eighteen months later
+we were there again and the camp was like another place, so great was
+the change for the better. The C.O. told us he attributed that change
+almost entirely to the ladies of the Red Triangle. It so happened that
+one of the ladies committed an unpardonable military offence. She
+returned to England two or three days before her permit expired. Later
+on, application was made in the usual way for the renewal of her permit.
+The General concerned, who is no longer in France, returned the
+application with the words written across it over his initials--'Keep
+this woman out.' The Base Commandant sent it in again having written on
+it--'Talk about keeping this woman out, she is of more value to me than
+truckloads of parsons and chaplains!' That was his way of putting it,
+not ours. We have the greatest possible admiration for the work of the
+chaplains at the Front. There is no finer body of men on active service
+to-day, and it is a privilege we greatly esteem to be permitted to
+co-operate with them and to be of some service to them in their great
+work.
+
+[Illustration: BAPAUME-CAMBRAI ROAD, WITH TREES ALL CUT DOWN BY THE
+GERMANS]
+
+The ladies have always been ready to share the risks with the men, and
+there are quite a number who have made the supreme sacrifice, including
+Miss Smallpage, killed by shrapnel in one of our munition huts in
+England; Miss Betty Stevenson, killed in an air attack in France; Miss
+Edith Howe, who died of cerebro-spinal meningitis; and Miss Lee, who
+lost her life in a fire in one of the huts on Salisbury Plain.
+
+In one of the great bases in France there is a small camp in which at
+one time there were boys only. They were too young to fight, their job
+day by day was the prosaic one of filling up petrol cans. One of these
+little chaps had badly hurt his hand, and it seemed to him the natural
+thing to go for sympathy and help to the lady of the Red Triangle. A
+brief examination convinced her that the damage was serious, and she
+bade him go to the doctor, whose tent was just across the way. Very
+grudgingly he trudged across to the doctor, but a few minutes later
+returned with the request that she would look at the damaged hand and
+see if the doctor had attended to it properly. She replied that it would
+never do to interfere with the doctor's work and, moreover, the doctor
+had no doubt done it far better than she could have done. Five times the
+lad came back with the request, 'O Missis! do look at my hand and see
+if he's done it right.' The fifth time he brought with him as an ally
+the Y.M.C.A. secretary in charge, who said, 'If I were you, Miss, I
+would look at his hand. The little chap will never be happy until you
+do.' Then she undid the bandages, looked at the dressing, and bandaging
+it up again said, 'There, it's just as I told you; the doctor has done
+it far better than I could; run away and be quite happy about it!' He
+went away, but returned again a few minutes later, and that time his
+eyes were full of tears as he cried, 'O Missis! I did think you'd have
+kissed me when you saw how bad it was,' and, like the good woman she
+was, she kissed him as his mother would have done. Let no one think
+that's what the ladies of the Red Triangle usually do, for it's not, and
+yet in that simple story you have the whole secret of the success of the
+war work of the Y.M.C.A. Time, and time again, one has been through
+every base camp in France, and has traversed the whole British line in
+France and Flanders, and wherever one has gone one has found the men
+yearning for sympathy and longing for home. Not that they want to return
+home until this fight ends in victory, for out there they have learned
+what war means; they see it robbed of its romance, and they are
+determined to see it through; they fight that this war may end war.
+
+With unfailing loyalty to the high aims of the Red Triangle and with
+conspicuous ability ladies have served the Y.M.C.A., and through the
+Association the men of His Majesty's Forces and the munition workers, in
+all parts of the United Kingdom, in France, and in every part of the
+Empire, and have won for themselves a permanent place in the movement,
+whatever its future may be.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+'GUNGA DIN' OF THE RED TRIANGLE
+
+          'You and your Association seem to me to be truly
+          hitting the nail on the head, and working for the
+          good of our soldier-lads, one and all. I have
+          watched the Y.M.C.A. procedure at many camps, and
+          have found it exactly adapted to the wants of
+          large numbers of young men taken temporarily away
+          from their homes and normal
+          associations.'--GENERAL SIR IAN HAMILTON.
+
+
+ONE of the most striking of Kipling's characters was Gunga Din, the
+Indian water-carrier. He was not a fighting man, but when fighting was
+taking place he was in the thick of it, risking his life that he might
+carry water to slake the thirst of the fighting man. 'Gunga Din' was the
+appropriate name given to one of our leaders in France by a British
+Tommy. Those who do not know are sometimes inclined to sneer at the
+Y.M.C.A. man for having a 'cushy' job, but it is hard work from start
+to finish. His job is never done and very often is attended with
+considerable risk. His work may carry him right into the front line
+trenches and though it does not take him 'over the top,' yet, unlike the
+soldier, he has not the privilege of hitting back. His day's work will
+vary according to the camp. In all probability he will have to be up
+early in the morning, to get the coffee ready. The hut must be cleaned,
+and there will be a lot of canteen work to be done. The buying will
+occupy some time, and then there will be the evening programme to
+arrange and carry through. He must maintain personal touch with the men
+using the hut, so that the ideal leader must be half a dozen men rolled
+into one.
+
+Our greatest difficulty during the war has been that of getting a
+sufficiency of workers of the right type. Every male worker is
+registered with the Director of Recruiting, and we are unable to recruit
+new men classified A between the ages of 18 and 52, or 18 and 45 for
+service overseas.
+
+Twelve members of the Y.M.C.A. have won the Victoria Cross, 3 the
+D.S.O., 33 the M.C., 25 the D.C.M., and 53 the M.M., whilst registered
+at Headquarters are the names of 1223 who have made the supreme
+sacrifice. We think of many whose war work for the Y.M.C.A. has earned
+the title of 'Gunga Din,' as, for example, the young leader of the New
+Zealand work in France. He looks a boy, but is a genius for organising,
+and the pioneer of the work of the Red Triangle in advanced positions.
+Another man who has the instincts of the pioneer is the leader of the
+Australian workers in Egypt and Palestine, and yet another, a well-known
+Y.M.C.A. worker who, after doing good service in England in the early
+days of the war, went to represent Headquarters in Egypt. Torpedoed _en
+route_ he took up his new work with characteristic enthusiasm and made
+good. Hundreds have rendered equally valuable service, so that it would
+be invidious to mention names.
+
+In the great retreat, it was the D.A.Q.M.G. of the ---- Corps who asked
+us to open up a Stragglers' Post at Westoutre. 'You are the people who
+can cheer up the men,' said he; 'I want you to get hold of the
+stragglers before they become deserters.' It was 'Gunga Din' he needed,
+but this time with cocoa-urn instead of water-bottle, and it was only an
+old bank to which our workers fixed their Red Triangle, but it was just
+what was needed. A bursting shell forced them to quit, but half an hour
+later they had opened up again in the village shop, opposite the church,
+and the mayor thanked them later on for their successful efforts.
+
+Our officers' hut at Romerin was set on fire by a shell; shells were
+falling fast, and the larger hut soon became untenable, but the Y.M.C.A.
+man was running his show in the open under a tree, and was as busy as
+ever. The ubiquitous 'Ford' did its bit, and its load would sometimes
+consist of the Divisional Secretary himself, one or two other workers or
+Belgian refugees, a big caterer's boiler, a tea-urn, together with cases
+of biscuits and cigarettes. Thus equipped, it would proceed to some
+advanced dressing-station. Sometimes there would only be a sergeant and
+orderlies in charge, heroically doing their best to help the wounded,
+and the mere presence of a man like one of our secretaries gave them
+confidence, whilst the steaming hot drinks he soon had ready gave new
+courage to the wounded men who thronged the C.C.S. A great work of the
+'Gunga Din' type was done on the Nieppe-Bailleul road during the
+retreat. What an amazing scene it must have been; an endless stream of
+refugees and wounded; units lost; batteries firing; men who had been for
+days without food, moving about like ghosts and digging themselves in at
+the side of the road. The Huns were only about eight hundred yards
+further along the road, and our soldiers fired as they walked. For three
+nights none of our workers even thought of going to bed; they stood by
+with cars ready to help where and how they were most needed, and gave
+help to soldiers and refugees alike. At dressing and casualty clearing
+stations they gave emergency help. At Remy, for instance, one of our men
+was told off to undress the wounded and rig them out in new pyjamas,
+whilst another made himself useful in cleaning the floors. Hot drinks
+were given out freely in all these centres just behind the line.
+
+Following the British victory at Messines on June 7, 1917, a Leeds
+minister serving on the staff of the Y.M.C.A. wrote home describing the
+work for the walking wounded as he had seen it:--
+
+          'It was about three o'clock in the morning when
+          the signal to advance was given, and the boys went
+          over the parapet. About two hours later the
+          wounded began to arrive at our hospital in
+          ambulance vans. It had been previously arranged
+          that only as far as possible walking cases--men
+          slightly wounded--should be dealt with at our
+          station, and the expeditious and efficient way in
+          which their wounds were attended to reflected
+          great credit on the medical staff. As soon as they
+          left the dressing-room they were passed on to our
+          Y.M.C.A., where we supplied them with various
+          kinds of refreshments free. It was my great
+          privilege to serve the first patient, who had a
+          broken arm, with a freshly-made cup of tea and a
+          sandwich, and never shall I forget his look and
+          words of appreciation. Some were too ill to eat
+          anything for a time, especially those who had been
+          gassed or were suffering from shell-shock, but
+          they were very glad of a seat on the grass in the
+          shade of our tent. Some were so badly wounded that
+          they were unable to speak, while others were half
+          deaf and dumb as the result of shock. It was
+          pathetic to see such men scribbling their request
+          for a drink on a piece of paper. All were loud in
+          their praise of the Y.M.C.A. and many were quite
+          overcome when they realised that the tea,
+          lemonade, cigarettes, and various kinds of
+          eatables were provided free. One Scottish New
+          Zealander, whose father is a well-known seed
+          merchant in Edinburgh, declared that the Y.M.C.A.
+          was the greatest thing in the war. In addition to
+          attending to the needs of the "inner man"--and
+          some of them we had to feed like babies, as both
+          hands were wounded--we wrote letters and field
+          cards for them, and tried in every possible way to
+          add to their comfort. The spirit manifested by the
+          majority of them was simply splendid, and scarcely
+          ever did they refer to their own suffering and
+          hardships.'
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+IN THE TRAIL OF THE HUN
+
+          It has given me great pleasure to learn of the
+          development of the Y.M.C.A. work in France and
+          England during the last six months. In particular
+          I am very glad to hear of the successful growth of
+          the experiment begun at Aire.
+
+          No one can be long in this country without
+          realising the immense value of your organisation,
+          and the constant extension of your activities
+          itself testifies to the high regard in which it is
+          held by our soldiers.--FIELD-MARSHAL SIR DOUGLAS
+          HAIG.
+
+
+[Illustration: THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE SUPPORT TRENCHES]
+
+THE history of the British Empire has been written over again, and
+written in blood, in the valleys of the Somme, the Ancre, and the
+Scarpe. Tens of thousands of our noblest and best lie buried in these
+valleys or on the tableland of Peronne, situated between the
+insignificant rivers that have within the past few months earned a
+world-wide notoriety. No one can visit a modern battlefield without
+realising something of the appalling waste of war. Towns and villages
+have been blotted out of existence, or are marked to-day by a few
+unrecognisable ruins. Thanks to the efficiency of British organisation,
+excellent roads were quickly established right through the stricken
+district, and it was impossible to traverse any of them without
+marvelling at the obstacles overcome and the successes gained. The road,
+for instance, from Albert to Bapaume, through Pozieres, Le Sars, and
+Warlincourt, passing close by Contalmaison and Martincourt, was
+contested almost yard by yard, and the same thing may be said of the
+road that leads along the bank of the Ancre from Albert past the Leipzig
+Redoubt, near Thiepval and Beaumont Hamel, through Achiet-le-Grand to
+Bapaume, or the one from Peronne through Le Transloy.
+
+[Illustration: 'GEORGE WILLIAMS HOUSE' IN THE FRONT TRENCHES]
+
+[Illustration: A HALF-WAY HOUSE TO THE TRENCHES]
+
+It was in December 1916 that I paid my first visit to the valley of the
+Somme. The scene was dreary beyond description. Many villages known to
+us by name as the scenes of desperate fighting were a name only. Hardly
+a vestige of a house or cottage remained where many had been before the
+war. Here and there one could see the entrance to a cellar; the charred
+stump of a strafed tree; the remains of a garden; or a bit of a
+cemetery. Everything else was churned up into the most appalling mud.
+
+One day I had tea with an Army commander who has done great things since
+then, and he showed me a series of photographs--the most interesting I
+have ever seen, which were taken the day before my visit, by our airmen,
+over the German lines. For seventeen and a half miles back, the enemy,
+with infinite care and patience, had constructed trenches, 'and,' said
+the Commander, 'every time we destroy his front line trench he
+constructs another one in the rear.' 'But,' I cried, 'if this kind of
+thing goes on, and unless the unexpected happens, the war must surely
+continue indefinitely.' His only reply was, 'Is it not always the
+unexpected that happens in war?' I was back again in Picardy in the
+summer of 1917, and the unexpected had happened. The whole of the
+seventeen and a half miles of trenches were in the hands of the British!
+The enemy had retired to the much advertised 'Hindenburg Line,' and
+leaving nothing to chance, was tirelessly, ceaselessly massing and
+training his men, getting together huge reserves of munitions,
+husbanding his resources in every possible way, and preparing, always
+preparing day and night for his next great move. Meanwhile, Italy's
+defences had to be strengthened by troops we could ill-afford to spare
+from our Western front, and Russia, in loyalty to whom we first entered
+the war, failed us altogether, German intrigue being the underlying
+cause in each case. In his great advance in March and April 1918 he did
+not achieve all he set out to do by any means, but his gains were
+enormous. It makes one sad to think of the territory we had temporarily
+to relinquish to the Hun in Picardy, even though the country itself was
+not of any intrinsic value. The land is desolate, and the enemy ruined
+every village and hamlet, every farm and cottage, before his retreat.
+Ninety-three Red Triangle centres--huts, marquees, cellars, dug-outs,
+and 'strafed' houses had to be abandoned in Picardy alone--most of them
+destroyed before they fell into the hands of the Germans.
+
+During the first visit to the battlefields of the Somme in the winter of
+1916, the outstanding feature of the landscape was the mud and the
+general desolation. In the summer of 1917 the scenes of desolation were
+as great as ever, but there was a difference--the roads were in
+excellent condition and bridges had been replaced. There were
+shell-holes everywhere and the countryside was strewn with dud shells;
+barbed wire entanglements; with here and there a stranded tank that had
+had to be abandoned in the mud; the remains of trenches and dug-outs or
+the cages in which the Huns had collected their British prisoners. There
+were no domestic animals to be seen, and no civilians. The whole
+district from Albert to Peronne, to Bapaume or to Arras, was one huge
+cemetery, and one saw side by side the elaborate cross that marked the
+burying place of German dead, the smaller cross with the tricolour on
+it, that marked the last resting-place of the soldier of France, and
+everywhere for miles and miles could be seen the little plain brown
+crosses of wood, that marked the spot where lay our own loved dead. We
+climbed to the top of the famous Butte of Warlincourt that so often
+changed hands in the course of desperate fighting, and there on the top
+were those little brown crosses. We stood at the edge of the vast crater
+of La Boiselle that inaugurated the first battle of the Somme and saw in
+its depths several of those little symbols of our Christian faith, but
+looking away across the desolation of the battlefield one marvelled at
+the efforts of nature to hide up the ravages of war. There were the most
+glorious masses of colour everywhere--the colour given by the wild
+flowers of the battlefields. One felt one had never seen more vivid blue
+than that of the acres of cornflowers which rivalled the hues of the
+gentian of the Alps. It may have been imagination, but looking out from
+the Butte of Warlincourt over miles of poppies, one felt one had never
+seen such vivid red, and instinctively those words came into one's mind:
+
+          'O Cross that liftest up my head,
+            I dare not seek to fly from thee;
+          I lay in dust life's glory dead,
+          And from the ground there blossoms red,
+            Life that shall endless be.'
+
+The wild flowers of Picardy have bloomed over British graves again in
+the summer of 1918, though German, not British, eyes saw them during the
+early months, but those flowers speak of eternal hope, and tell us that
+if we but do our part, the sacrifice of our bravest and best will not
+have been made in vain.
+
+Amid the ruins of Picardy the Y.M.C.A. did some of its best work. Lord
+Derby spoke of the Association as 'essential in peace time,
+indispensable in war time,' and never was the Association more
+indispensable than during those terrible days of the German advance in
+1918. Amid the ever-changing scenes of war it has been one of the
+forces working for reconstruction. We mourn the loss of huts and Red
+Triangle centres that have cost money, and on which labour has been
+lavished. Not much to look at many of these places, and yet to those who
+knew them they possessed an indescribable charm and fascination. It was
+only a little marquee, for instance, that formed the Headquarters of the
+Red Triangle at Henin in 1917, only a couple of padres, one Church of
+England and one a Free Churchman there to represent the Y.M.C.A., but
+the whole story is a romance. Whilst we were sharing their lunch of
+bully beef and potatoes, bread, biscuits, and coffee, a 'strafe' began.
+The British artillery, half a mile away, were pouring lead into the Hun
+lines. Fritz soon replied, and things became lively. A shell burst near
+us, but our padres took no notice of it, and seemed to regard a little
+incident of that kind as a matter of course. Another shell burst on the
+cross-roads we had just traversed. It was here we had our first glimpse
+of the Hindenburg Line with Crucifix Corner in the foreground. Whilst we
+were still at lunch the Germans began to throw over some of their heavy
+stuff in the direction of Monchy, which was not far away. The British
+camp at Henin had been heavily bombarded a few days before our visit,
+and the troops quite properly had to run like rabbits to their burrows.
+The last to take refuge in the dug-outs were our two padres, who with a
+keen and commendable sense of duty had waited to gather up the cash
+before taking refuge from the shells. One of the leaders gives the
+following graphic story of his experiences in the Retreat:--
+
+'On the first day of the offensive we were wakened by terrific drum fire
+to the north, but on our own immediate stretch of front, the firing was
+not so severe. There was therefore no immediate need for evacuation.
+During that day the hut work went on as usual, but few men appeared, as
+everybody was "standing to." Liquid nourishment of the Y.M.C.A. type was
+rather at a discount. We finished serving at a somewhat late hour, and
+deemed it advisable to sleep in the dug-out, as a few shells had begun
+to sing overhead. Early the next morning we were awakened by the sound
+of many men on the move. More and still more French troops were
+arriving, and that day we had to speak more French than English. Towards
+evening uncomfortable reports began to arrive that the Germans had
+several places behind us, some in the immediate rear. "Les avions
+Boche," about which the Frenchmen were using "polite" phrases all day,
+were continually overhead, and having reported the movement of troops
+on the roads, shell-fire began to increase in intensity. Decidedly, it
+was "getting warm." Lieutenant-Colonel ---- of the R.A.M.C. and the
+Medical Staff with whom I had had the privilege of messing for some time
+were very forcible in their advice to me to evacuate with the orderlies.
+They were living in a shell-proof dug-out, whereas we had no possible
+defence against a direct hit from any kind of shell.
+
+'Several batteries of artillery having been withdrawn from forward
+positions, and posted near us, were making sleep impossible and drawing
+the enemy's fire. It was quite impossible to obtain transport of any
+kind for my stores, so I gave what remained to the R.A.M.C. for walking
+wounded cases, of which I had supplied several during the day.
+
+'Then we made a "night-flitting," the orderlies and myself, and slept a
+few miles to the S.W. But with every step away from the hut I became
+more and more uncomfortable. By daybreak I had decided to return and see
+how things were going. The orderlies decided to accompany me.
+
+'On the way back we had to take cover once for a while, but finally
+reached the hut and carried on for the remainder of the day.
+
+'We were called several kinds of lunatics for returning by the Medical
+Staff, who were then preparing to leave, and be it confessed we felt the
+truth of their remarks. It was quite out of the question to hold on any
+longer without cover save a "tin-hat" a-piece, so again we evacuated,
+this time finally.'
+
+It was only when the grey-clad Germans were actually in sight that the
+workers at St. Leger left their loved Y.M.C.A. I only visited St. Leger
+once, but that little shanty strangely fascinated me. It was not much
+to look at, just a group of ruined farm buildings, and in it 'the
+swallows had found a house' and regardless of our presence, yes,
+regardless of the shells, for St. Leger was bombarded every day even
+then, they flew backwards and forwards, feeding their young and
+twittering merrily and unconcernedly as if it had been a farm building
+in one of our English counties. It must have been with a heavy heart
+that those Y.M.C.A. men turned their backs on St. Leger and trudged to
+Boisleaux-au-Mont, where the five splendid huts that formed our
+equipment shortly afterwards shared the fate of St. Leger, and were all
+destroyed before the advance of the Huns.
+
+At Boyelles the tent was amid the ruins by the roadside, and the
+enamelled Triangle sign was attached to the bottom of the trunk of a
+tree that had been cut down by the enemy and was lying in the hedge
+just as it fell. Achiet-le-Petit Y.M.C.A. was in an orchard, the
+equipment consisting of a big marquee and several little shanties
+ingeniously constructed by the workers from empty petrol cans and
+biscuit boxes. High up in an elm tree was a sort of crow's nest, used by
+the Germans as an observation post during the time of their occupation.
+At Haplincourt the Y.M.C.A. was anything but imposing--an insignificant
+house fitted up as a club room, but in the paddock behind it the
+secretaries had erected a platform, and arranged an open-air auditorium
+on a grand scale. A hundred yards or so away was a large plunge bath,
+deep enough for a good high dive. It had been constructed by the Germans
+when they were in occupation, but when we saw it a score of our own
+Tommies were disporting themselves in the water and having a high old
+time. Albert was a scene of desolation, with its ruined church as the
+most conspicuous feature. High up on the top of the spire, dislodged by
+German shells, and jutting out at right angles to the spire, was the
+famous figure of the Virgin holding in her hands the infant Christ. For
+many months the figure had remained in this position, and was only
+finally brought down during the enemy's advance in 1918. The Y.M.C.A. in
+Albert was established in one big hut and two badly ruined houses. It
+was on the Saturday that St. Leger fell, and the Sunday at Albert was a
+memorable day. The town was crowded with an endless stream of men,
+horses, guns, and service wagons passing through. Little was sold in our
+canteens, but free refreshments were handed out by tired but willing
+workers all day long. Nearly all those workers had thrilling stories to
+tell of narrow escapes from death. Albert was evacuated on the Sunday
+night, and the place must have presented somewhat the appearance of a
+shambles. The Boche aeroplanes were dropping bombs or firing their
+machine-guns all the time, but still our men kept on serving the hot tea
+and cocoa, biscuits, and cigarettes that were so much appreciated by
+officers and men alike, only leaving their posts and abandoning their
+hut when ordered to do so by the Military. The retreat from Albert must
+have been like an awful nightmare. Some of our men in the darkness
+became entangled in the fallen wires, and whilst trying to extricate
+themselves heard the hum of an aeroplane just overhead, and a bomb was
+dropped only a few yards in front of them.
+
+[Illustration: THE Y.M.C.A. IN A RUINED WAREHOUSE. SHELL-HOLE IN FLOOR
+OF CANTEEN]
+
+At Bapaume we had several centres in and closely adjacent to the town.
+Bapaume, like Peronne, was not destroyed by enemy shell-fire, but
+deliberately wrecked by the Hun before he was forced to evacuate, and
+the foe we face to-day is a past master in the art of destruction.
+Hardly a building of any description remained intact in either of these
+towns when the British entered into occupation. That very fact made us
+marvel when, standing for the first time in front of the big building
+occupied by the Y.M.C.A. in Peronne we noticed that it was practically
+intact. On entering the building we marvelled still more, for the first
+object we saw was a fine German piano. Surely it was an act of kindness
+on the part of the wily Hun to leave it for our men. Was it? When the
+British occupied Peronne a company of troops from the west of England
+were the first to enter that house. A Tommy who was musical made a
+bee-line for the piano, but his officer restrained him, bidding him
+first look inside. It was well he did so, for three powerful bombs were
+attached to the strings of the piano, and had he touched one of the
+keys concerned, he himself, the piano, and the building would have been
+utterly destroyed. In the hut attached to the house a boxing match was
+taking place on the evening of our arrival, and men had come from
+outposts miles away to take part. Underneath the house was a German
+dug-out of almost incredible depth. The original staircase was
+missing--the Germans having commandeered the wood for the construction
+of the dug-out--but it had been replaced by an ingenious Y.M.C.A.
+secretary, who had searched amid the ruins of Peronne until at last he
+had found another staircase, which, with infinite pains and labour and
+not a little ingenuity, he had built in to replace the original one. The
+day before our visit the old lady who had lived in the house before the
+war paid a visit to her old home. She was a refugee, and had trudged
+miles to get back to Peronne. She requested permission to dig in the
+garden and soon unearthed the uniform of her husband who fought against
+the Germans in 1870. She had buried it there before the fall of the
+town. Digging again she came across his sword and accoutrements, and
+deeper still, her silver spoons and other trinkets that she valued.
+Could anything bring home more clearly the horrors of war? If, instead
+of Peronne in Northern France, it had been that sweet little town in
+England or Scotland, or that village in Wales or Ireland in which you
+live! If you had heard the cry one evening, 'The Huns are coming,' and
+had just half an hour in which to rush round your home and gather
+together any things you specially treasured, and take them out into your
+garden and bury them, knowing that anything you left behind would be
+either looted and sent to Germany, or deliberately destroyed for sheer
+hate! How easily this might have been, but for the mercy of God, the
+mistakes and miscalculations of the enemy, and the bravery and
+self-sacrifice of our heroes in blue and khaki, yes, and our workers in
+fustian and print--for England must never forget the debt she owes to
+her munition workers as well as to her sailors, soldiers, and airmen.
+They see nothing of the romance of war; they know nothing of its
+excitement, and yet apart from their patriotic service the best efforts
+of our fighting men would have been in vain.
+
+[Illustration: A Y.M.C.A. CELLAR AT YPRES]
+
+Never was the Y.M.C.A. more appreciated than during the months that
+preceded the great retreat in the spring of 1918. New Red Triangle huts
+were springing up like mushrooms, especially in the Fifth Army area,
+that part of the line that had recently been taken over from the French.
+Supported by the generous gifts of friends at home, ably directed by
+our divisional secretaries and those associated with them in the work,
+and supported and encouraged in every way by the Military Authorities,
+the progress made was remarkable. Then came the unexpected advance of
+the German hordes and the laborious work of months was destroyed in a
+few hours. At Noyon the secretary had to quit in a hurry, but returned
+to the hut later to bring away the money belonging to the Y.M.C.A.
+Thrice he returned, and the third time found it impossible to get away.
+After remaining in hiding for twenty-four hours he at length managed to
+escape with ten thousand francs in his pocket, saved for the Association
+which lost so heavily during those terrible days. At Amiens the Y.M.C.A.
+workers hung on for ten days after the official canteens had been
+removed because the town had become too hot for them. Day and night the
+'Joy' hut close to the railway station was kept open, and thronged with
+officers and men, and the service rendered to the troops may be gauged
+from the amount of the takings, which ranged between fifteen and
+twenty-thousand francs a day.
+
+Our total loss in the retreat was exceedingly heavy--more than one
+hundred and thirty huts and other centres in Picardy and Flanders, and
+in cash, upwards of one hundred and fifty thousand pounds. Serious as
+was that loss it might have been very much worse. Eight trucks of stores
+and equipment were stopped in the nick of time. The axle of one of our
+big lorries broke within a hundred yards of the most heavily shelled
+area in one of the towns bombarded by the enemy, but it was got away
+and, excepting in two cases, all the money and notes from tills and
+cash-boxes were removed safely before the huts were abandoned--striking
+testimony to the devotion of those in charge. 'What I think impressed
+me most,' wrote the organising secretary for France, 'has been the
+undaunted spirit of our workers, who, when shelled out of huts,
+persisted in the attempt to return to them under very great personal
+danger.' 'Although we have lost everything that we had,' wrote one, 'we
+still have hope within us, and are trusting to get back right into the
+thick of things in the very near future.' Yet another, writing in the
+spirit of Eastertide, said, 'We believe that our work will rise in new
+freshness and power out of its apparent extinction!' 'There was a
+singular unanimity of effort on the part of the workers who were
+isolated one from the other, and had no opportunity of arranging a
+common policy. The sale of such articles as the soldiers needed
+continued in the huts up to the last moment possible, and then, when the
+danger of the hut and stores falling into the hands of the enemy became
+imminent, biscuits and cigarettes were handed out as largely as possible
+to men in the neighbourhood taking part in the fighting. One would have
+thought that having done this the workers would have considered their
+own personal safety and retired, but in several cases I found them
+running stunts for walking wounded in the open, outside the hut or in
+its immediate neighbourhood, in close touch with the medical
+authorities.
+
+'The confusion of the retreat opened up to our workers opportunities of
+service which they gladly utilised. Last night was a night of
+uncertainty. We could not go to bed owing to the uncertainty of the
+military position where our headquarters were, and so stood on a high
+hill beside an old Trappist monastery, watching the village at the foot
+in flames, and trying to ascertain the progress of the fighting through
+the darkness. Our workers even under these circumstances seized an
+opportunity of doing a very fine bit of service. A stream of poor
+refugees were passing, people of all conditions and ages, fleeing for
+safety and shelter, and so at 11.30 at night at the cross-roads, a table
+was set up with a hot urn of cocoa and supplies of biscuits, which were
+handed out to French and Flemish people as they passed....
+
+'I have never seen anything that has touched me more than these streams
+of all sorts and conditions of people straggling along with their little
+belongings, infants in arms, to old people who had not walked a mile for
+years. It was a great opportunity for rendering a truly Christian
+service. The other day we lent one of our large lorries for a whole day
+for the purpose of carrying these people in some degree of comfort to a
+place of safety.'
+
+Thus by every device that resourcefulness and experience could suggest
+the workers of the Y.M.C.A. in France ministered to the comfort of the
+men who were so bravely sustaining that terrible onslaught. The
+organisation of the Red Triangle is the embodied goodwill of the British
+people towards its beloved army. An emergency like the one in the spring
+of 1918 was just the time when the services of the Red Triangle were
+most sorely needed by our soldiers.
+
+Fortunately, all the Y.M.C.A. workers got away safely. Sixty from the
+Fifth Army took refuge at Amiens, whilst more than eighty from the area
+of the Third Army found sanctuary at Doullens.
+
+A few months later, thanks to the arrival of the Americans in France,
+and the brilliant strategy of Foch and Haig; thanks above all to the
+mercy of God, the tide turned, and the Huns were once more in full
+retreat. A distinguished war correspondent wrote his impressions of
+Bapaume a day or two after it had again been captured by the British.
+Said he, 'I prowled about the streets of Bapaume through gaping walls of
+houses, over piled wreckage, and found it the same old Bapaume as when I
+had left it, except that some of our huts and an officers' club, and
+some Y.M.C.A. tents and shelters have been blown to bits like everything
+else.' A ruined town without a Y.M.C.A.! Could anything be more
+desolate?
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+THE BARRAGE AND AFTER
+
+          The problem of dealing with conditions, at such a
+          time, and under existing circumstances, at the
+          rest camps has always been a most difficult one;
+          but the erection of huts by the Young Men's
+          Christian Association has made this far easier.
+
+          The extra comfort thereby afforded to the men, and
+          the opportunities for reading and writing, have
+          been of incalculable service, and I wish to tender
+          to your Association, and all those who have
+          assisted, my most grateful thanks.--FIELD-MARSHAL
+          VISCOUNT FRENCH.
+
+
+IT was on the afternoon of July 30, 1917, that we reached Bailleul in
+Flanders. Proceeding directly to the Headquarters of the Y.M.C.A. we had
+tea, and then set out to visit the huts in the vicinity. It was a novel
+experience, for every hut was empty. The reason was not far to find. The
+troops were in their camps formed up in marching order, and later in the
+evening we watched them march out to take part in the great offensive.
+We were told that the barrage was timed for 3.50 in the morning, and
+were asked to have our work for the walking wounded ready at 5 A.M., so
+we determined to spend the night on the top of Kemmel Hill, the highest
+hill in Flanders. It was just after midnight when we reached the summit
+of the hill; and we wondered if the barrage had not already commenced,
+so heavy was the firing. From our point of vantage we could see the
+whole of the sector, from Armentières in the south, across the
+battlefields of Messines and Wytschaete and away beyond Ypres in the
+north. Silently, close to us, an observation balloon stole up in the
+darkness, and a few minutes later as silently descended. Involuntarily
+we ducked as a monster shell shrieked overhead, and some one cried,
+'There goes the Bailleul Express!' About 3 A.M. things began to quiet
+down. Our guns might have been knocked out; they were hardly replying at
+all to the enemy's fire. Later on we saw a series of signal flashes high
+up across the battlefield, and then at 3.50 promptly to the moment, the
+barrage began, and there was no possibility of mistaking it--two
+thousand guns, as we learned afterwards, all firing at the same time. As
+one looked at that hell of flame and bursting shell, one felt it was
+impossible for any life to continue to exist beneath it, and one thought
+of the boys, as steady as if they had been on parade, creeping up behind
+that barrage of fire. We had seen them as they left their camp the night
+before, and we saw them when they returned--some of them--during the two
+days following the barrage; not in regiments a thousand strong, with
+colours flying and bands playing, but dribbling back one or two at a
+time--the walking wounded--and each one came in to our little Y.M.C.A.
+tents attached to the clearing stations--one was at an island in a sea
+of mud, near Dickebusch huts in Flanders. There was a queue inside of
+two or three hundred men. Every man in that queue was wounded, and
+waiting to have his wounds attended to; every man was hungry until he
+entered that tent; every man plastered from head to foot with the most
+appalling mud, and unless one has seen the mud of Flanders or of the
+Somme, it is impossible to imagine what it is really like. As I mingled
+with the men in that queue and assisted our workers to hand out hot tea,
+coffee, and cocoa, biscuits, bread and butter, chocolate, cigarettes or
+oranges, I thanked God for the opportunity He had given to the Y.M.C.A.,
+and the thing that impressed me more than anything else was the fact
+that one did not hear a single complaint, not one word of grousing. And
+why not? Was it because they liked that kind of thing? Don't make any
+mistake about it--no one could possibly like it, but out there the men
+know they are fighting not for truth and freedom in the abstract, but
+for their own liberty, and, what is infinitely more important to them,
+for their homes and loved ones. They know that what the Hun has done for
+Northern France and Flanders is as nothing compared with what he would
+do for the places and the people we love if he once got the opportunity
+of wreaking his vengeance on us. There is no finer bit of work that the
+Y.M.C.A. is doing to-day than this work for the walking wounded, which
+before any great push takes place, is carefully organised down to the
+last detail. Before one of the great battles, our men took up their
+positions at thirty-four different centres where they were able to
+minister to the needs of the wounded, and thus to co-operate with the
+magnificent work that is being done under the sign of the Red Cross. As
+in France, so in Italy and in the East, at Beersheba and other centres
+on the lines of communication in Palestine, records show how efficiently
+the same type of service is being rendered to our brave troops.
+
+[Illustration: HUT IN WILDERNESS OF DESTRUCTION. CUTTING THE ICE IN
+SHELL-HOLES FOR WATER FOR TEA--WINTER, 1916-17]
+
+[Illustration: RUINED HOUSE USED BY Y.M.C.A., PROPPED UP BY TIMBER]
+
+To return to the barrage. It is always interesting to note the effect a
+scene of that kind has on people of different temperaments. We had been
+sitting round a huge shell-hole near the top of Kemmel Hill feeling, it
+must be confessed, a trifle 'fed-up' with things. We were all tired, and
+had had a very heavy day's work. It was an uncomfortable night, to say
+the least of it, with drizzling rain, and very cold for the time of
+year. At the first sound of the drum-fire of the barrage set up by the
+British guns, we sprang to our feet, wild with excitement. A
+distinguished padre from the Midlands was lost in admiration for the
+work of the munitioners whose labours made possible this great strafing
+of the Hun. The leader of the party, a colonial from far-off Australia,
+simply danced with excitement which he made no attempt to suppress,
+contenting himself with ejaculating from time to time expressions to the
+effect that that was the most dramatic moment of his life. An
+unemotional Professor from one of our great universities stood with
+clenched fists, and was overheard to say, 'Give 'em hell, boys!' Another
+padre in the company began to quote Browning, the quotation referring to
+the signal flashes to which reference has already been made:
+
+          'From sky to sky. Sudden there went,
+          Like horror and astonishment,
+          A fierce vindictive scribble of red,
+          Which came across, as if one said,
+               . . . "There--
+                        "Burn it!"'
+
+How often it happens that in the greatest moments of one's life, it is
+the trivial thing that appeals most strongly to one's imagination. So in
+this case. The thing never to be forgotten was connected with the early
+dawn. I can see even now that long grey streak on the horizon across the
+battlefield, as the daylight came. A thrush from a bush close to where
+we were standing began to pour out its song of praise and thanksgiving,
+heedless of falling shells and the roar of guns. There was something
+unspeakably pathetic in that song on the battlefield, yes, and prophetic
+of the great day that is coming in spite of all reverses; the day of
+victory and peace, peace purchased at the price of struggle, and of
+blood.
+
+As one watched the barrage from Kemmel the onslaught seemed to be
+irresistible. It seemed impossible for the German hordes to hold our men
+back. Neither could they have held them, but what the Hun could not do,
+the rain did for him. It just teemed down, and in a few hours Flanders
+was churned up into a swamp of mud. It was impossible to bring the big
+guns up and the whole advance was stayed. One thought how often the same
+thing had happened before, and wondered, only wondered, if we at home
+were supporting the boys at the Front as they had a right to expect us
+to support them? It is so easy at a time like this to put one's trust
+merely in 'reeking tube and iron shard,' and to leave God out of our
+calculations. After all in this great struggle we are not fighting
+merely against 'flesh and blood,' but against 'principalities and
+powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places,' and even to-day
+'More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.' It was
+that great soldier, Sir William Robertson, who said, 'Let us never
+forget in all that we do that the measure of our ultimate success will
+be governed largely, if not mainly, by the extent to which we put our
+religious convictions into our actions, and hold fast, firmly and
+fearlessly, to the faith of our forefathers.' Had the Germans beaten us
+two years ago every one would have known the reason why--they had more
+men, bigger guns, and more of them, more aeroplanes, and an infinitely
+better supply of munitions of war, but by the summer of 1917 we were
+superior to them in every particular, and yet victory tarried. Why? Can
+it be that God was waiting for His people to seek His aid?
+
+With Russia out of the war, we were once again to stand with our backs
+to the wall--the position in which the British are always seen at their
+best--and the National crisis came as one more challenge to the Nation
+to turn to the God of our fathers.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+'LES PARENTS BLESSÉES'
+
+          The Y.M.C.A.? Why, they could no more do without
+          the Y.M.C.A. than they could do without munitions
+          at the Front? I have seen it in operation.--THE
+          RIGHT HON. WILL CROOKS, M.P.
+
+
+'A GREAT Mother Hen,' so wrote one who for the first time saw the work
+of the Y.M.C.A. for the relatives of dangerously wounded men. This work
+is carried on in London and a number of provincial centres, but it is
+seen at its best in France, for there it is on a much larger scale. If a
+man is dangerously wounded and lying in one of the hospitals on the
+other side of the Channel, a message is sent to his people at home
+containing the requisite permission to visit him, and telling them,
+moreover, that from the moment they reach France the Y.M.C.A. will take
+care of them. Red Triangle motors meet every boat as it reaches a French
+port; automatically the relatives of wounded, or 'Les Parents Blessées'
+as the French call them, are handed over to our care, and we motor them
+to their destination--assisted sometimes by the Red Cross. As this may
+mean a run of eighty or a hundred miles, and in war time may mean a
+whole day, or possibly two days on the French railways, the motor run is
+in itself a great boon. During the whole of the time they are in France,
+the relatives are entertained as the guests of the Red Triangle in the
+special hostels that have been established for the purpose in the
+principal bases. Many of them have never been away from their own homes
+before; they know no language but their own, and a journey of the kind
+would have its terrors at any time, but to all the ordinary
+difficulties has now to be added the fact that they are consumed with
+anxiety on account of those who are dearer than life itself. It means
+everything to them that the Y.M.C.A. as a 'Great Mother Hen' takes them
+under its protection, soothes and protects them, so that in the darkest
+moments of their lives they are not dealt with by any officials who have
+to get through so many cases in a given time, but by sympathetic
+friends, actuated only by the love of God, and of country. One of the
+most beautiful of these hostels is 'Les Iris.' It is hidden away in the
+depths of a wood near the sea, and in the springtime the nights are full
+of the melody of the nightingales. This hostel is reserved largely for
+the use of the relatives of dangerously wounded officers. The lady who
+presides over another of the hostels has been called the Florence
+Nightingale of the Red Triangle, and indeed that would be a suitable
+name for any of these ladies who take the relatives to their hearts, and
+do everything possible to comfort and cheer them and make them feel at
+home. As we write, a letter from one of our guests lies before us. We
+quote from it because it is typical of thousands of letters received
+from grateful friends:--
+
+          'Many thanks for the photo of my son's grave
+          received this morning. How very kind you Y.M.C.A.
+          people are. I little thought last November when I
+          was begging (Hut Week in Brighton) that I should
+          reap personal benefit from the Y.M.C.A. The
+          kindness and hospitality extended to my husband
+          and I when we came to France nearly three months
+          ago, we shall never forget. It is not in our power
+          to help with money except in a small way, but we
+          tell all we can, and help in every way in our
+          power.'
+
+During a recent visit to France we had the privilege of being shown over
+one of the British hospitals, which, like all our hospitals, was
+wonderfully efficient. Everything that could be done to alleviate
+suffering was done. In one ward every man was seriously wounded, and
+side by side were two beds, one occupied by a young Canadian and the
+other by a young Britisher. The latter had his mother with him, who was
+one of our guests. The Canadian watched them together for some time in
+silence, but followed them with his eyes as a cat might a mouse.
+Suddenly, without any warning, he flung himself over on to his side and
+burst out crying. Questioned as to what was the matter, he replied,
+'Nothing.' 'Then what makes you cry? Is the pain worse?' 'No, thanks,
+the pain is better.' 'Then what makes you cry like that?' Drying his
+eyes, the boy replied, 'It's all very well for him, he's got his mother
+with him. My mother is more than six thousand miles away!' Is it not
+worth any effort and any cost to help the loved ones of these men who
+have made such great sacrifices for us? The whole of this work for 'Les
+Parents Blessées' is full of pathos. On one occasion we reached a big
+hospital centre just as another Association car arrived from a big base
+port, bringing three English women to see their husbands. The Y.M.C.A.
+leader took them to the wards they were seeking. At the first, the
+sister in charge came to speak to one of our guests and said, 'I am very
+sorry, but am afraid your husband won't know you. He has been terribly
+ill, and all sorts of complications have set in, but you had better come
+in and see him.' Twenty minutes later we saw her again, and she told us
+that for ten minutes she sat by her husband's bedside, but he did not
+know her. Then stooping over him, she whispered, 'You remember little
+Lizzie and little Willie at home, don't you?' For one second he gave her
+that look of love and recognition that made the long journey from home
+worth while.
+
+Passing on to another ward we sent in a message, and the sister came to
+greet our guest, and said, 'I am glad to say your husband is much
+better. I'll tell him you are here.' When she came back she said she had
+asked the invalid, 'What would you like best in all the world?' Without
+a moment's hesitation, he replied, 'To go back to Blighty, Sister.'
+'Blighty'--how many of those who use it realise the meaning of the word?
+It comes from the Indian 'Vilayhti' and means 'The home across the sea.'
+'Blighty!' said the Sister; 'you know that's impossible. What would you
+like next best?' 'To see my wife,' was the prompt reply. 'And what
+would you say if I told you your wife was waiting outside to see you?'
+queried the Sister, as she moved from his bedside and opened the door.
+Yes, to these people many thousands of them, the Red Triangle has indeed
+been as a Great Mother Hen at a time when they most needed its care. We
+are all very much like big children, and to all of us there are times
+when we need some one to take us by the hand and speak words of
+consolation and good cheer.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+CELLARS AND DUG-OUTS ON THE WESTERN FRONT
+
+          My son, who is somewhere in France, tells me what
+          a great comfort your Y.M.C.A. has been to him from
+          the time he started his training at ---- and all
+          through his stopping-places almost up to the
+          trenches.
+
+
+UNLESS one has seen for oneself the ravages of war, it is impossible to
+conceive the horror and desolation of a place like Ypres. Before the war
+it was one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, to-day it is nothing
+more than a heap of ruins. It is enough to make even the most
+unemotional of men cry, to stand in that once beautiful Cloth Hall
+Square and see how complete is the destruction--not one house, not a
+single room left intact--everything destroyed beyond recognition. And
+what of the Y.M.C.A. in Ypres? There we found the Red Triangle standing
+erect amid the ruins, and following the hand that pointed down we came
+to a little cellar Y.M.C.A.--only a cellar and yet it had been a source
+of helpfulness and inspiration to tens of thousands of our brave men. It
+was wonderfully fitted up, contained a small circulating library, piano,
+and everything needed for the canteen side of things. Not only that, it
+was a centre to work from. Between the cellar and the enemy were nine
+dug-outs at advanced stations. As these were all evacuated by order of
+the Military during the German offensive in April 1918, there can be no
+objection to their location being indicated. The first consisted of a
+ruined house and a Nissen hut at the Asylum; the second was at
+'Salvation Corner,' and the third at Dead End, on the Canal bank. There
+was a Y.M.C.A. at Wells Cross Roads, another at St. Jean and Wiel, and
+a sixth at Potyze Château. The seventh had a homely ring about it, for
+it was situated at 'Oxford Circus,' the eighth was at St. Julien, the
+ninth at Lille Gate (Ypres), and the tenth was the cellar Y.M.C.A. at
+the corner of Lille Road referred to above. For many months it was the
+centre of the social life of the stricken town, but in August 1917 it
+received a direct hit from an enemy shell, and was knocked in. This
+dug-out work is intensely interesting, though naturally it has its
+limitations. Large meetings are, of course, impossible; sometimes even
+the singing of a hymn would be sufficient to attract the attention of
+Fritz, but the man who is resourceful and courageous, and who can see an
+opportunity for Christian service in meeting the common everyday needs
+of men, will find endless opportunities of putting in a word for the
+Master--and the sordid dug-out under shell-fire, can easily be
+transformed into a temple to His praise, an inquiry-room where
+resolutions are made that change the lives of men, and help the soldier
+to realise that he is called to be a crusader.
+
+[Illustration: CANADIAN Y.M.C.A. DUG-OUT IN A MINE CRATER ON VIMY RIDGE,
+1917]
+
+[Illustration: A CANADIAN Y.M.C.A. DUG-OUT NEAR VIMY RIDGE]
+
+In the Red Triangle dug-outs of the Ypres salient, from three to four
+thousand bloaters were supplied to the troops week by week; 1500 kilos
+of apples, and more than 100,000 eggs! It was a miracle how these latter
+were collected in the villages behind the line. Corps provided a lorry
+and two drivers for five months to bring them into Ypres, and also
+assisted us with thirty orderlies. It was that timely help that made our
+work possible. It would be difficult to overestimate the boon to the
+troops of this variety to their diet. Iron rations will keep body and
+soul together, but it is the little extra that helps so much in keeping
+up the health and spirits of the men. They would follow the egg lorry
+for a mile and gladly pay the threepence each that the eggs cost. In
+February 1918, the turnover from the Red Triangle centres round Ypres
+amounted to 245,000 francs, whilst in March it had risen to 260,000. For
+many weeks in this salient we gave away from five to six thousand
+gallons of hot drinks each week. All honour to the band of Y.M.C.A.
+leaders who kept the Red Triangle flag flying under these difficult
+conditions. For six weeks one of our leaders was unable to leave his
+cellar home, owing to the incessant shelling and bombing of the
+immediate vicinity. These were men who 'counted not their own lives dear
+unto them,' but were ready to take any risk and to put up with any
+personal inconvenience that they might serve the country they
+loved--yes, and they too endured 'as seeing Him Who is invisible.'
+
+The King, who is the patron of the Y.M.C.A., and very keenly interested
+in the work, visited our tiny centre at Messines. The dug-out at
+Wytschaete was knocked out, and the Red Triangle cellar at Meroc, just
+behind Loos, destroyed by a direct hit. The latter was approached by a
+long communication trench, and was fitted up in the ordinary way--a few
+tables and chairs, reading and writing materials, games, pictures on the
+walls, and, of course, the inevitable and always appreciated piano. A
+few days before we were there a dud shell from one of the German
+'heavies' fell only two or three yards in front of the divisional
+secretary's car. The cellar was immediately under a ruined _brasserie_,
+and in the grounds of the latter was a solitary German grave. The story
+goes that in the early days of the war enemy patrols passed through
+Meroc, and a shot alleged to have been fired from a window of the
+_brasserie_ found its billet in one of the Huns. In revenge, the
+Germans killed every man, woman, and child in the _brasserie_. In
+striking contrast was the story told us by the matron of one of our
+British hospitals: 'Every one in this ward is desperately wounded, and
+too ill to travel. All in that row,' said she, pointing, 'are Germans.
+Yesterday a man occupying one of those beds lay dying, and could not
+make his head comfortable. I went into the next ward, and said to the
+Tommies "There's a German dying, will one of you lend him your pillow?"
+Without a moment's hesitation,' said she, 'every one of those
+dangerously wounded Britishers whipped out his pillow to help his dying
+enemy.' That is the spirit of our men, and that accounts, quite as much
+as their valour, for the fact that they have won the respect even of an
+enemy trained from infancy to regard the British soldier as an object of
+scorn and derision.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+CAMEOS FROM FRANCE
+
+          The work of this Young Men's Christian Association
+          has sunk so deep into the minds and into the lives
+          of our fellow countrymen that its work in the
+          future can never be diminished, and must be
+          extended. And it is going to do more to my mind,
+          than simply minister to the wants of the men in
+          camp; it is going to be a bond between this
+          country and the Great Englands beyond the
+          sea.--THE RT. HON. THE EARL OF DERBY, K.G.,
+          G.C.V.O.
+
+
+A STRIKING feature of the war work of the Y.M.C.A. has been the
+promptness with which a new situation has been seized and a new opening
+entered. There has been an utter absence of red tape, and freedom of
+action has been given to all accredited representatives of the
+Association. The Red Triangle has always been first in the field, and
+has been likened to a tank in its knack of overcoming apparently
+insuperable obstacles. The day after the British troops first entered
+Bapaume a Y.M.C.A. man appeared leading a packhorse loaded up with
+cigarettes, biscuits, and dolly cakes, which he distributed amongst the
+troops. He had got a foothold for the Association, and that foothold was
+retained until Bapaume was evacuated.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+In the British offensive in the early days of August 1918 a noted war
+correspondent at the Front wrote:--
+
+          'In one part of the line three hours after the
+          troops reached their final objective they were
+          eating a hot breakfast as part of the programme of
+          the day. The familiar, ever-welcome sign of the
+          "Y.M.C.A." blossomed on a roofless French café six
+          miles within the crumpled German line, before the
+          tanks had finished chasing the 11th Corps staff
+          out of Framerville and down the Peronne road.
+          Food, and even books and papers, were set out
+          under the Red Triangle for tired and hungry
+          fighting men as they trooped into the rickety
+          building to eat and be refreshed in a room
+          carpeted with German papers.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+What thrilling memories the name of Arras will always conjure up in the
+minds of Y.M.C.A. workers who served in that city of ruins! One wrote
+home the day after a strong attack by the British on the enemy lines. He
+wrote the letter from a dug-out which only the day before was occupied
+by the Huns, in which he was carrying on for the Y.M.C.A. So precipitate
+was their flight that he partook of the repast served up by German cooks
+for German officers. At one time the rival trenches were, in places,
+less than ten yards apart! It was here that Sir Douglas Haig personally
+complimented the Association on the work its representatives were doing
+on the field of battle.
+
+The most memorable motor run we ever had was from Souastre to Arras in
+1916. The hut was closed when we reached Souastre in the morning, the
+leader having received a letter from the Town Major politely requesting
+him to close it from 7.30 A.M. as it was expected that the Huns would
+strafe the village at 8 A.M., and again at 4.30, and so it happened.
+This seemed strange, as the village had not been strafed of late. How
+could the British have known when Fritz would fire again? It seemed
+uncanny, until a strange unwritten reciprocal working arrangement
+between friend and foe was explained, which means in effect that Fritz
+refrains from bombing or bombarding 'A----' three or four miles behind
+the British lines if Tommy leaves village 'B----' behind his lines
+alone, and _vice versa_. As both villages are used as billets for the
+rival armies, both have been glad at times to honour this understanding.
+The run from Souastre to the railhead at Saulty was uneventful. Night
+was closing in as we left for Arras and there was no moon. For twenty
+kilos or more we had to travel with lights extinguished. We were less
+than a mile from the enemy trenches, which ran parallel to the road we
+were traversing. 'Verey' lights or star-shells sent up by the enemy
+continually made everything as light as day for the few seconds they
+were in the air. There were mysterious noises from the gun emplacements
+that run along the roadside, and mysterious shapes loomed up ahead of us
+from time to time as we overhauled and passed transport wagons and the
+like. At last we reached our destination, and it was the writer's first
+visit to a town of considerable size that had been wrecked by
+bombardment. There were barricades in the streets, shell-holes and
+ruins everywhere. We motored through the famous Grande Place and passed
+through street after street in that city of the dead, until, turning a
+corner, we entered a narrow street near the ruined cathedral, and
+hearing a piano playing rag-time, it was obvious that we were near the
+Y.M.C.A. The memory of that old château in the narrow street will always
+remain with us as we saw it then--the entrance hall, where free hot
+drinks were being dispensed; the canteen crammed with British soldiers,
+including many 'Bantams,' who were then stationed at Arras; the little
+concert-room, with possibly a hundred men gathered round a piano singing
+choruses and snatches of songs or listening to the rag-time,
+accompanying it at times by whistling the refrain or stamping on the
+floor. Another crowd upstairs had been entertained to a lantern lecture,
+and the day's programme was being concluded with family prayers. As we
+lay awake that night we heard many familiar noises that sounded strange
+there--a cat call, the cry of a baby, whilst ever and anon a shell would
+go shrieking over the town. In the morning we visited the ruined
+cathedral, which was a sight to make men or angels weep, but even there
+one saw erect amid the ruins, at the highest point, the Cross, the
+emblem of our Christian faith, and one knew that though it might be by
+way of the Cross, yet truth and freedom would triumph in the end.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A well-known war correspondent writing from British Headquarters in
+France to the _Daily Mail_, on August 13, 1918, told the story of a
+village under shell-fire and still within reach of machine-gun bullets,
+in which was a German notice-board pointing to an incinerator, and
+wrote:--'I hear from an officer who visited the spot again a day later
+that another notice, "This way to the Y.M.C.A." was added. A dashing
+cavalry officer, very much of the old school, possessing a voice that
+would carry two miles, begged me with great earnestness to do him one
+service, "Would I mention the Y.M.C.A.? It had provided his men with hot
+coffee before riding out."' That is the kind of service the Red Triangle
+has the privilege of rendering to our fighting men in the course of
+practically every battle.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The Bois Carré in 1916 was a very unhealthy spot. At the edge of a wood
+in a tiny natural amphitheatre the Y.M.C.A. had one of its outposts. An
+orderly was usually in charge, and day and night he kept up a good
+supply of hot drinks for free distribution to the troops. There they
+could buy biscuits, cigarettes, soap, and other necessaries, or receive
+free of charge the ever-welcome writing-paper and materials. The
+supervising secretary visiting the dug-out one day in the course of his
+rounds found it had been blown in by a big shell. The orderly was
+terribly wounded, part of his side having been blown away, but smiling
+amid his agony, he said, 'The money's safe here, sir!' Careless of
+himself, the brave fellow's first consideration was to safeguard the
+money in the Y.M.C.A. till.
+
+We have vivid recollections of our visit to the Bois Carré in 1916. Late
+in the evening we reached Dickebusch. The Y.M.C.A. was there in the main
+street of the little Belgian village, and immediately behind it was the
+ruined church. It was only a small strafed building in a ruined street
+when the Red Triangle first made its appearance in Dickebusch, but the
+secretary held that to be the most convenient type of Y.M.C.A. building,
+'for,' said he, 'if it becomes too small, all you have to do is to
+knock a hole through the wall on either side, and take in additional
+houses.' This was exactly what we had done and, unattractive as it was,
+the place drew crowds of men. At the Dickebusch Y.M.C.A. we were
+provided with shrapnel and gas helmets and instructed in the use of the
+latter. A two-mile trudge across a duck-walk over 'b----y meadow'
+brought us to the famous Ridgewood Dug-outs. It was here that the
+Canadians lost their guns in the early days of the war, and afterwards
+so gloriously regained them. We entered the wood at midnight. A huge rat
+crossed our path, and as we entered the first of the Y.M.C.A. dug-outs
+where free cocoa was being dispensed in empty jam tins, we remembered a
+yarn told us the day before by one of our workers. He had come to
+Ridgewood as a special speaker, and after the evening meeting lay down
+on the floor of the dug-out to sleep, but as he was beginning to feel
+drowsy, a huge rat ran over his legs, and later one passed across his
+face. With an electric flash-lamp he scared them away, but soon getting
+used to it they came on 'in close formation.' He lit a candle, and a few
+minutes later the rat ran away with the candle--so he said! From the
+Ridgewood we went on to the Bois Carré. Shells were screaming overhead
+all the time, but it was not a long walk though it provided many
+thrills. For a couple of hundred yards we were on open ground, and
+within easy reach of the Hun snipers. Only two of us were allowed to
+pass at a time, and my guide and I had to keep fifty yards apart, and
+when a 'Verey' light went up, had to stand absolutely still until it
+fell to earth, and its light was extinguished. Weird things those star
+shells! They shoot up to a good height like rockets, burst into
+brilliant light, poise in mid-air and gradually shimmer down and out. A
+few minutes brought us to the shelter of a ruined _brasserie_, and from
+its further side we entered the communication trenches, and thus passed
+to the Bois Carré. Standing back to visualise the scene, the orderly
+caught my arm and pulled me into the shelter of the dug-out--a second
+later came the patter of machine bullets on the sand-bags where we had
+stood not ten seconds before. There was something fascinating about that
+little dug-out Y.M.C.A., with its caterer's boiler, urns and stores, and
+it is sad to think that since then it has been destroyed by shell-fire,
+even though other dug-outs have been opened to take its place.
+
+[Illustration: A GREAT BOON TO BRITISH TOMMY--A Y.M.C.A. WELL UNDER
+SHELL-FIRE]
+
+[Illustration: THE CAMBRIDGE DUG-OUT]
+
+A year later we revisited that old _brasserie_. There was little of it
+left. The central hall remained, and the Red Triangle was on it,
+marking it out as a centre for walking wounded. A dressing station had
+been rigged up in the cellar underneath. A distinguished preacher
+serving with the Y.M.C.A. conducted a memorable Watch-night service in
+the Ridgewood. Two or three hundred men gathered round and listened with
+marked attention. A shell burst quite close during the prayer, and every
+man instinctively glanced up to see the effect on the padre. He carried
+on exactly as if nothing had happened, and won his way to every heart.
+
+
+[Illustration: A REFUGE FOR THE WALKING WOUNDED]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+STORIES OF 'LE TRIANGLE ROUGE'
+
+          It is with very great pleasure I send a small
+          contribution (3s.) to the Y.M.C.A. funds, and only
+          wish it could match my inclination. Few things
+          have brought so much comfort to the parents at
+          home as the knowledge of the splendid work done by
+          your organisation. As one boy puts it, 'When we
+          get inside the Y.M.C.A. hut, we feel as if we are
+          home again.'
+
+
+AT the close of a Y.M.C.A. Conference held in the Hôtel McMahon in
+Paris, a French lady came timidly forward with a lovely bouquet of red
+roses, and in a pretty little speech presented them as a thankoffering
+for the war work of the Y.M.C.A. It was the gift of a mother who had
+four sons serving with the Army. Those flowers have long since faded,
+but the kind thought that prompted them will always remain a gracious
+memory.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A soldier home on leave brought an interesting souvenir of the first
+'Threapwood' hut, which did such good work in the Ploegsteert Woods, but
+was ultimately destroyed by shell-fire--a 2 franc and a 50 centimes
+piece which had become welded together in the heat of the conflagration.
+Another Tommy saw a fierce fight take place between British and Germans,
+actually inside the hut at Neuve Église. The incident that seemed to
+have appealed most strongly to his imagination was the fact that the
+pictures were still hanging on the walls. It is interesting to notice
+the curious freaks of dud shells. Outside the hut at Tilloy we saw one
+which had pierced its way through the trunk of a tree without
+exploding--the nose of the shell protruded at the other side of the
+trunk, the shell itself remaining firmly embedded in the tree.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+An Australian officer one day sauntered into the 'Crystal Palace,' an
+important Y.M.C.A. centre in Havre. He was interested, and well he might
+be. It is a huge building, and swarms of men assemble there in the
+evenings. The Australian's interest took a practical form. Before
+leaving he handed two one-pound notes to the leader, expressing regret
+that he could not make it more, and adding, 'I think you Y.M.C.A. people
+will make a religious man of me before the war is over.' 'What do you
+mean?' said the secretary. 'Well,' said he, 'I have never had any use
+for religion, but at the battle of ---- I felt down and out. I didn't
+care much if the Boche killed me. I had had nothing to eat for
+days--when suddenly a Y.M.C.A. man appeared, heaven knows where he came
+from, but he was there right enough, and he handed me a good hot drink,
+a packet of biscuits, and some cigarettes. Yes,' said he, 'I believe
+you Y.M.C.A. men will make a religious man of me before you have
+finished.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+In war-time people often forget their differences, and in Paris one of
+our splendid British soldiers, who was a Roman Catholic, lay badly
+wounded and terribly ill. He wanted to confess, but there was no English
+priest near. Ultimately a French priest confessed and absolved him
+through an American Y.M.C.A. lady--a Protestant--who acted as
+interpreter.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+In the early days of the war a valued worker on Salisbury Plain was the
+grandson of a famous Cornish revivalist. He was an ordained man and a
+very strong Protestant. He went out to France later on as a chaplain of
+the United Board. Returning home on furlough, he called at Headquarters
+and told his experiences on the battlefield. 'You will be surprised,'
+said he, 'when I tell you that my greatest friend in Flanders was a
+Roman Catholic padre. He was one of the best men I ever knew, and we had
+an excellent working arrangement. On the battlefield if I came across
+any of his men, I would hand them on to him, and he would pass my men on
+to me. If he were not at hand, I would try my best to help the dying
+Roman Catholic soldier as I thought my friend would have helped him had
+he been there, and _vice versa_. I shall never forget,' said he, 'my
+last night in Flanders and our affectionate farewell. You know how
+strong a Protestant I have always been, and my convictions have never
+been stronger than they are to-day, but see this,'--and he unbuttoned
+his tunic and brought out a Crucifix which was hanging from his
+neck--'this was the parting gift of my Roman Catholic friend, and as
+long as I live I shall keep it as one of my most treasured
+possessions.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+As a rule there is not much romance in the story of a department that
+concerns itself with nothing but trading. But the story of the growth
+and development of the trading department of the Red Triangle is a
+romance. All along we have discouraged trading for trading's sake in our
+huts, but in a crisis like the one brought about by the war, it is not
+for each individual or organisation to pick and choose, but to do what
+is needed by the State, and on that principle we have had to develop the
+trading side of our work enormously. Home and overseas, the department
+has been brilliantly led by men animated with the highest ideals of
+Christian service, who have been ready to take any risks, and whenever
+necessary to work day and night. Their task has been colossal and they
+have done magnificently. During the six months ending 31st May 1915, our
+turnover in France amounted to £32,594, whilst three years later the six
+months turnover had risen to £680,000. It was thrilling work during the
+German advance in March 1918, chasing our ever-moving centres in the
+Somme area, and keeping up their supplies or maintaining touch with
+Amiens during these terrible days, when for a whole week more than £600
+daily was taken in the little 'Joy' hut outside the Central Station.
+That meant day and night work at our Base Stores in France, and thanks
+to the cordial co-operation of the A.M.F.O. and the H.Q.L. of C. we were
+able to send forward 200 trucks from one port alone, containing 45,000
+cases, or 1,500 tons of food-stuffs, smokes, and ingredients for hot
+drinks--tea, coffee, and cocoa. From December 1914 to the middle of May
+1918--1,350,000 cases were handled by our stores in France,
+representing the double handling of 50,500 tons of goods. During the
+retreat the Y.M.C.A. motor lorries became mobile centres of operation.
+They were filled up at the nearest stores available, and often travelled
+from eighty to ninety miles to a cross roads or convenient point where
+men going in and coming out of the line were provided with the necessary
+supplies. For the six months ending November 30, 1917, our free gifts to
+the troops in France amounted to £157,000. This figure does not include
+the cost of huts and equipment, nor yet the general expenditure on the
+work--but it embraces the cost of the hostels for the relatives of
+wounded, and free food and drink for the walking wounded and for the men
+serving in advanced positions.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A distinguished officer of the Danish Army called at the headquarters of
+the British Y.M.C.A. after a visit to France, to acquaint himself with
+the history of our war work:--'One day I stood on Messines Ridge,' said
+he, 'and all around me was devastation caused by war, shells were to be
+seen bursting all around, accompanied by the deafening roar of the big
+guns. Overhead amidst the din could be heard the whirr of the engines of
+the German and Allied fighting machines. I felt thrilled to think I was
+in the midst of the greatest battle of history. Stepping aside a few
+yards I was surprised to find a dug-out with the Red Triangle sign. I
+could only exclaim, "What, these people here!"'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+One of the funniest sights we saw in France was that of a tiny British
+corporal marching behind ten stalwart German prisoners, escorting them
+back to their quarters after they had finished orderly duty in one of
+our tents. The humour of the situation evidently appealed to him, for he
+winked as he passed us--quite an unsoldierly thing to do!
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Tommy has a knack of making himself comfortable, though his surroundings
+very often do not naturally suggest comfort. It is surprising what a
+snug bed and living room combined can be made out of a discarded
+hen-house! A barn occupied by men of the Horse Guards Blue was
+ingeniously rigged up by its temporary tenants. One wall was missing and
+was made up with sacking--on the other side of this flimsy partition
+were the horses. The harness was hung round the walls, and four stakes
+driven into the ground for each bed. The wire that had bound hay bales
+had been ingeniously woven into wire mattresses stretched from stake to
+stake; over it was, stretched the sacking--also from hay bales--and
+over that again was a good thick layer of straw. There is never anything
+to be gained by grumbling, but everything by taking things cheerfully as
+they come and making the best of one's circumstances.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A Y.M.C.A. hut is a poor substitute for home, but our aim is to make
+every Y.M.C.A. as much like home as it is possible for it to be. It is
+surprising how much can be done by pictures, decorations and flowers, to
+give the home touch. A canary singing over the counter; a cat on the
+hearth; a bunch of primroses or forget-me-nots; a smile or a word of
+welcome; a woman's voice; a piano--family prayers at the close of the
+day--these are some of the things that count, and are numbered amongst
+the greatest assets of the Red Triangle.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It is strange how often scenes and sounds of war and peace are
+intermingled. It is a common sight to see men and women going
+unconcernedly about their work, and children playing in towns that are
+habitually shelled or bombed. Stranger still is it to note the habits of
+the wild birds, constructing their nest amid scenes of war and in
+localities subject to constant bombardment. The Y.M.C.A. hut in
+Ploegsteert Wood was destroyed during a three hours' bombardment in May
+1916, but whenever there came a few seconds' pause in the booming of the
+guns, the nightingales sang as unconcernedly as in the piping times of
+peace. We once heard, near Hersin, a sort of duet between a cuckoo and a
+big gun; the bird punctuating with its call the thunder of the guns,
+and, as stated elsewhere, whilst the barrage was in full swing the
+thrushes on Kemmel, only a few hundred yards behind the guns, sang as
+sweetly and merrily as in the lanes and gardens of England. In the
+course of a brief visit to the American front in France we called at a
+little Y.M.C.A. shanty, badly strafed, within a mile or so of the enemy.
+Through the open window from which all glass had long since vanished, a
+swallow entered, and, perching on a wire stretched across the room,
+carolled joyously its simple little song--a message truly of peace and
+eternal hope!
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The 'Walthamstow' hut at Remy had to be temporarily abandoned during the
+German offensive. The leader in charge transferred operations to a
+dug-out across the way, which adjoined a clearing station. The
+inevitable caterer's boiler enabled him to keep up a constant supply of
+hot tea and coffee for the wounded. An Australian terribly mutilated was
+brought in. A happy smile, a few cheery words, and a cup of steaming
+hot cocoa made the Australian feel he had met a friend--and speaking
+slowly, in a voice that was scarcely louder than a whisper, he said, 'I
+wonder why I am allowed to suffer like this,' 'I know why,' replied the
+Y.M.C.A. man; 'you are suffering like this so that two women I love--my
+mother and my sister--may live in peace and safety in the north of
+London. If it were not for the sacrifices you and thousands of other
+boys are making out here, that would be impossible.' The soldier lad was
+quiet for some time, and then whispered to his new-found friend--'I'm
+glad to go on suffering!'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The same secretary tells an interesting story of one of the bitter
+fights round Passchendaele. The wounded were being brought in on
+stretchers, and he was on the spot with hot drinks for the boys. The
+guns were quiet for a moment and a voice was heard singing clearly and
+distinctly:
+
+          'Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,
+                  Lead Thou me on.
+          The night is dark, and I am far from home;
+                  Lead Thou me on!
+          Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
+          The distant scene; one step enough for me.'
+
+[Illustration: Y.M.C.A. MOTOR KITCHEN BEHIND THE LINES]
+
+The singer was a private, badly wounded and being carried in on a
+stretcher. The subsequent verses were drowned in the roar of battle, but
+those standing round could see from the movement of the wounded man's
+lips that he was still singing. Thus it is possible for a man to find
+his Saviour near him even amid the horror and noise of war.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+One day in 1917 we stood outside a little Y.M.C.A. at Erquinghem, lost
+during the German advance in the following spring, and standing there we
+heard 'Grandmother' speak. 'Grandmother,' it should be explained, was
+a mighty howitzer. It was concealed under an improvised shed carefully
+camouflaged, and was brought out on rails, in a horizontal position. As
+we watched, it was brought to the vertical and out shot a tongue of
+flame. The projectile was so huge we could watch its flight for miles
+until it disappeared from view in the distance. Listening intently we
+heard the explosion in the enemy's lines. Many a Y.M.C.A. on the Western
+Front is situated right amid the guns, and when they are fired one knows
+it--'Grandmother' speaking, seems to shake the very foundations of the
+earth.
+
+[Illustration: INDIAN TROOPS AT THE SIGN OF THE RED TRIANGLE]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE EAST
+
+          The Y.M.C.A. is doing excellent work--its efforts
+          are appreciated immensely by all ranks in this
+          force. Experience of Y.M.C.A. work in the Army has
+          long since convinced me how invaluable its
+          services are to us, both in peace and war.--THE
+          LATE LIEUT.-GENERAL SIR STANLEY MAUDE.
+
+
+THE Macedonian call 'Come over and help us' has been repeated in our own
+days, and has come from near and far East. The Red Triangle has been
+quick to respond to the call, and a few incidents of its work are
+recorded here, though the story itself must be told after the war. The
+Chief Executive officer of the Indian National Council is himself an
+Indian, and not only has he, with the assistance of his Council, been
+responsible for the great work of the Red Triangle in India, but also
+for the extensive programme of work the Association has undertaken for
+Indian troops in East Africa, Mesopotamia, and Europe. In addition to
+work for British troops in India, the Y.M.C.A. has established work for
+Indian troops in a number of cantonments, where service parallel to that
+undertaken for British troops is carried on, with the exception that no
+religious work is done, unless in the case of Christian Sepoys.
+
+The number of branches with British troops on August 1, 1917, was 43,
+worked by 40 European and American and 9 Indian secretaries, and 1
+honorary lady secretary. With Indian troops there were 8 branches,
+worked by 1 European and 8 Indian secretaries. These figures do not
+include the temporary work undertaken by the Army Y.M.C.A. with the
+Waziristan Field Force, which terminated during August 1917, and which
+included 4 British and 4 Indian branches, with 3 European and 2 Indian
+secretaries. There was also 1 European secretary at Headquarters on
+August 1, 1917, for Army work in India; and in addition secretaries
+engaged in civilian Y.M.C.A. work in several stations gave part of their
+time to Army work, as well as many voluntary workers.
+
+In Burma a large barrack-room, made of wood and bamboo with a
+grass-thatched roof, houses the Association, which works amongst the men
+of the newly formed Burmese regiments. The whole building is on piles,
+and stands about six feet off the ground, thus preventing snakes and
+other unwelcome guests from coming inside. The regiments comprise not
+only Burmans but Karens, Chinese, and Arakanese. Most of the men are
+from the deep jungle, and very few of them can read or write. The
+gramophone interests them enormously, and they look inside it to see
+who is producing the sound, and will sit round in a circle listening to
+it for hours. Picture papers interest them, but usually they prefer
+holding the pictures upside down. The better educated men write a good
+deal on the free notepaper provided by the Y.M.C.A. Quartettes are sung
+by Karen and Chinese Christians. At the far end of the building is a
+huge image of the Buddha which was there before we came, and is used by
+some of the boys as a sort of chapel for private devotions. The boys
+have to take their choice between Christianity and Buddhism, and as we
+have three exceptionally good lamps there is much more light at the
+Y.M.C.A. end of the hall, and we have the better attendance in numbers
+at all events.
+
+Egypt, handicapped at first through lack of money, has also done
+magnificently. There is no more important centre of Association activity
+in the world than the Esbekia Gardens in Cairo. Ever since the early
+days of the war, night after night, thousands of khaki-clad warriors
+have congregated in these lovely gardens, which under other auspices
+might easily have been one of the danger spots of Cairo, instead of a
+kind of modern 'City of Refuge' from the temptations of the city. The
+Anzac hostel is another striking feature of the work in Cairo. In June
+1917 no fewer than 6893 soldiers slept in it, and that was not by any
+means a record month. The money for the purchase of this hostel as the
+permanent property of the Y.M.C.A. has been subscribed by members of the
+Baltic, but the discovery of the existence of a third mortgage has
+delayed the completion of the purchase. At Alexandria, Khartoum, Port
+Soudan, on both sides of the canal and far into the Sinai Peninsula, the
+Association outposts have been busy. A Red Triangle hut in the desert
+was destroyed by a bomb dropped from a hostile aeroplane, but when the
+smoke subsided, the centre pole was still standing and the Association
+flag flying. The huts at Kantara are amongst the finest in the world,
+and neither here nor anywhere else has it been necessary to put up a
+notice intimating that the Y.M.C.A. is 'open to all,' Tommy knows it,
+and regards the Red Triangle as his own peculiar possession. One cannot
+conceive of any place on earth where it is more needed than in one of
+these desert camps, where there is nothing to do, nowhere to go, and
+nothing to see but endless stretches of monotonous and dreary sand.
+Under such circumstances the Red Triangle is Tommy's tuck shop; his
+church--with the chaplain as the parson; his post-office, concert hall,
+social room, school, and home. This is true of every fighting front, and
+that is why the Association has won for itself a lasting place in the
+affections of the manhood of the Empire.
+
+A young soldier writing home the day after his arrival in Mesopotamia,
+said the first thing he struck on landing was the welcome sign of the
+Red Triangle. 'And,' said he, 'if we are ordered next to the North Pole,
+I am sure we shall find it there!' The Y.M.C.A. secretary for
+Mesopotamia tells of a visit he paid to a centre on the way to Bagdad.
+It was a big bare marquee, crammed with men, with very little furniture
+in it--the difficulties of transport being so great in those days--just
+half a dozen tables and a few chairs, a heap of books, and a number of
+games. There were six inches of dust all over the floor, and the
+temperature was 120 degrees in the shade, yet one thing that attracted
+the men to the Y.M.C.A. marquee was that it enabled them to escape the
+heat of their own bell tents. Through the kindness of Sir Alfred Yarrow
+a Red Triangle motor launch has since then been provided for use on the
+Tigris, and has greatly simplified transport. The central Y.M.C.A. at
+Bagdad is one of the best of our war buildings, and is situated on the
+banks of the Tigris. An Association centre has been established on the
+reputed site of the Garden of Eden.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The story of the Red Triangle in Palestine is an epic in itself. For
+months the Association occupied dug-outs along the Palestine front, and
+in those days one secretary devoted the whole of his time to making
+personal purchases for officers and men, who could not themselves get
+away to any centre of civilisation to make purchases on their own
+account. Gaza was the first centre occupied in the Holy Land; Beersheba,
+Jaffa, and Jerusalem being occupied later. At Jaffa the former German
+Consulate was fitted up as a Y.M.C.A., and the Red Triangle as a matter
+of course has made its appearance on a big building in Jerusalem.
+
+Malta was a very important centre in the early days of the war, and the
+Y.M.C.A. flourished in its numerous hospital camps. In Macedonia the
+work has been difficult, but greatly appreciated in Salonica itself, as
+well as on the Varda and the Struma. The need has been urgent, and every
+effort has been made to meet that need. Transport difficulties have led
+to inevitable delays in the delivery of stores and equipment, but there
+are more than forty centres now, including five for Serbian soldiers.
+
+The Y.M.C.A. had its part in the ill-fated expedition to the
+Dardanelles. Mudros, Imbros, and Tenedos were centres of importance in
+those days, and the Red Triangle was at work in each island. The urgent
+need of the troops was for soft drinks, and those ordinary canteen
+supplies that give variety to the soldiers' menu, and make the official
+rations palatable. The official canteens were powerless to meet the
+demand. We were anxious to help, but transport was the difficulty. At
+last, through the kindness of Lord Nunburnholme, we were enabled to
+charter the s.s. _Nero_ of the Wilson Line, and despatch it with a cargo
+of canteen supplies to the value of eleven thousand pounds to Mudros. A
+few days later the Peninsula was evacuated, but whilst they were there
+the men availed themselves to the full of the opportunity of buying
+supplementary food at British prices. When the _Nero_ reached Mudros,
+Greek venders were selling our Tommies tinned fruit at twelve shillings
+a tin, and other prices were correspondingly high.
+
+In the centre of an official photograph of Anzac showing the Bay, the
+camp, and the surrounding sandhills, are to be seen the letters
+'Y.M.C.A.' They appear on a tiny marquee and close to it a big dug-out,
+measuring 30 by 19 feet, in which the Red Triangle carried through its
+programme of friendliness and good cheer, always under shell-fire. One
+night a fragment of a Turkish shell, weighing twelve and a half pounds,
+found its way through the roof of that dug-out. At Cape Helles there
+were three tiny tents fastened end on end. Had they been larger they
+could scarcely have escaped the attention of 'Asiatic Annie,' the big
+Turkish gun that dominated the position. As it was, the Officer
+Commanding the advanced base at Lancashire Landing wrote to Headquarters
+to say how much the men appreciated those tents, and explained that the
+previous day an eight-inch high explosive shell from a Turkish gun had
+burst in the centre of the middle tent and completely destroyed it.
+'Fortunately,' said he, 'it didn't damage the piano, and still more
+fortunately,' he added, 'it didn't harm the gramophone.' That was
+curious, and we thought of some of the gramophones we had known, and
+felt it would have been no disaster if a shell had destroyed the lot!
+This gramophone was different, however, for it had only just been wound
+up when the shell burst, but regardless of the bustle and confusion
+caused by the explosion, it kept on playing until it had finished the
+last note of the tune! What a splendid object lesson for the Allies, to
+stick to the job they have on hand to the finish, or in other words,
+till victory crowns their efforts. Many months after the incident here
+recorded the Irish Y.M.C.A. was invited to open up at Rathdrum. The
+secretary responsible interviewed the O.C., and learning that he was a
+Catholic, asked politely if he knew the work of the Y.M.C.A. 'Indeed I
+do,' was the reply. 'I was at Cape Helles when a shell burst in your
+tent. I was the officer in charge, and it was my duty to remove
+casualties. I went up to the tents fearing the worst, and shall never
+forget the smiling face of the Y.M.C.A. man behind the counter. It won
+me over completely.'
+
+A distinguished officer wrote:--
+
+          'Your work has been of inestimable value to the
+          troops, filling a gap which it is impossible for
+          the Military Authorities to provide for. "Always
+          first up, always working hard, and always
+          welcome--the Red Triangle will always be
+          gratefully remembered by the soldiers in the Great
+          War."'
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+SIDE LINES OF THE RED TRIANGLE
+
+          The Y.M.C.A. has fashioned a girdle of mercy and
+          loving-kindness round the world which will stand
+          to their credit as long as the memory of this war
+          exists.--LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON.
+
+
+[Illustration: A SHAKEDOWN IN A LONDON HUT]
+
+[Illustration: RELATIVES OF THE DANGEROUSLY WOUNDED ARE LOOKED AFTER BY
+THE Y.M.C.A. IN FRANCE]
+
+THERE are numerous side-lines to this work, that are important enough in
+themselves, the significance of which is scarcely realised by the
+general public, or even by those who are supporting the movement. Take,
+for example, the 'Snapshots from Home' movement, which represented the
+combined voluntary work of the photographers of the United Kingdom,
+organised under the Red Triangle. Upwards of 650,000 snapshots were sent
+out to soldiers and sailors on active service, each one bearing a
+message of love and a reminder of home. Sir Evelyn Wood, V.C., was one
+of the first to recognise the significance of the letter-writing that is
+done on such a large scale in the Y.M.C.A. tents. The veteran
+Field-Marshal pointed out that the benefit was two-fold: first, it
+occupied the time of the men; and, secondly, it kept them in touch with
+their homes, both matters of first importance. 'That's what my Dad
+always puts on his letters to Mummy,' said a little girl, pointing to
+the Red Triangle on the notepaper, when on a visit to the Crystal
+Palace. Fifteen to twenty million pieces of stationery are distributed
+free of charge to the troops monthly by the Y.M.C.A., and in four years
+the total issued amounted to upwards of nine hundred million pieces.
+Workers are often called upon to write letters for the men, and the
+latter make all sorts of mistakes with their correspondence. Sometimes
+they stamp their letters but forget to address them, often they
+address them but forget the stamps. One lad was greatly excited and
+wanted the secretary in charge of the post-office to rescue two letters
+he had posted earlier in the afternoon. When asked why he wanted them
+back he blushed like a schoolgirl and stammered out, 'I've written two
+letters--one to my mother and the other to my sweetheart--and I've put
+them in the wrong envelopes!' The letters were not rescued, for more
+than five thousand had been posted before he discovered his mistake, and
+one wonders what happened!
+
+[Illustration: Y.M.C.A. NIGHT MOTOR TRANSPORT]
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+In Paris the Association has established a central inquiry bureau under
+the Hôtel Édouard VII. off the Grand Boulevard. Two daily excursions are
+arranged around Paris, and two each week to Versailles. Representatives
+of the Red Triangle meet all the principal trains, day and night. The
+Hôtel Florida is now run under the Association for British troops,
+whilst the American Y.M.C.A. has its Headquarters for France in the
+city, and has taken over several large hotels and other buildings.
+
+There is not the romance about the work of the Red Triangle in the
+munition areas, that there is in what it is doing for our fighting men,
+but there can be no doubt as to its importance. The munition workers as
+a class are as patriotic as any other class, but their work is drab,
+monotonous, and strenuous. Little has been done officially to bring home
+to the man who makes the shell the relationship of his work to the man
+who fires it; or of the woman who works on the aeroplane to the man who
+is to fly in it, and yet the one can do nothing without the other.
+Things have changed for the better, but earlier in the war the output of
+munitions was positively hindered by the inadequacy of the canteen
+facilities available to the munition workers. The Y.M.C.A. was the first
+organisation to attempt to meet this need on anything like a large
+scale, and eventually the work grew to considerable dimensions. Our work
+in the munition areas has been essentially a ladies' movement, and has
+largely consisted of canteen work. Other features are being increasingly
+added, music and singing have been organised successfully, lectures have
+been greatly appreciated, and several big athletic features introduced.
+Sporting events, also cricket and football leagues for munition workers,
+have been well supported. It is intensely interesting to see these
+people at work, and no other proof of British organising power and
+ability are necessary than a visit to some of the great works, many of
+which were not built for the purpose of manufacturing munitions of war,
+and others improvised since the commencement of hostilities. At one
+place in which a canteen was formally opened by Princess Helena
+Victoria--who has taken the keenest interest in the development of our
+munitions department--from ordinary shipbuilding before the war great
+changes had taken place: a Super-Dreadnought was approaching completion;
+several T.B.D.'s were on the stocks, and some of the latest type of
+submarines were being built; aeroplanes were being turned out at an
+incredible rate; shells made by the thousand; rigid air-ships were under
+construction; and, perhaps as wonderful as anything, artificial feet
+were being made in the same workshops.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Incidentally might be mentioned here, the work the Association is doing
+for officers. There are four large hostels in London for the
+accommodation of officers, and one for officer-cadets. The young
+officer is often not blessed with too much of this world's goods, and
+hotel life is expensive, and not always too comfortable. The success of
+these hostels has demonstrated the need. At Havre, Calais, St. Omer,
+Étaples, and many centres up the line, as well as in home camps, such as
+Ripon, we have the pleasure of doing something to serve the officer, and
+in many English camps we have opened huts for the exclusive use of
+officer-cadets. Gidea Park, Berkhampstead, and Denham were amongst the
+first and most successful of these centres. The interned officers in
+Switzerland and Holland are largely catered for by the Y.M.C.A.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It has been a pleasure to co-operate from time to time with the work of
+the R.A.M.C. and the Red Cross. In huts, in hospitals, and convalescent
+camps, in caring for the relatives of wounded, in work for the walking
+wounded, and in many other ways the Red Cross and the Red Triangle have
+worked closely together. An officer of the R.A.M.C. (T.), has written
+the following interesting description of the work of the Y.M.C.A. for
+the walking wounded:--'The O.C. the Divisional Walking Wounded
+Collecting Post was frankly worried as he sat in his tiny sandbagged hut
+with the D.A.D.M.S., and talked over all the problems which faced him in
+view of the "stunt" due to come off at dawn a few days later. "I've got
+plenty of dressings, and everything of that sort," he said, "and, of
+course, I can get plenty more brought up by returning ambulance cars.
+But there is the question of food--there's the rub. The numbers of
+wounded vary so greatly, and it's not so easy to lay in a huge reserve
+of grub as it is of dressings. Of course, I've done my best, but I'm
+rather worried." "If that is all your worry we'll soon put that right,"
+answered the optimist of the staff. "We'll get the Y.M.C.A. chap on the
+job." "What can he do?" "What can he not do rather? You wait and see.
+Come along and we'll call on him now."
+
+'In a little shed of corrugated iron by the side of a shell-swept road
+they found him. With his coat off and his sleeves rolled up, he was
+pushing across the counter steaming mugs of cocoa and piles of buns to
+the crowd of hungry and clamouring Tommies who besieged his premises. He
+was not a young man. Not the strongest-hearted of Medical Boards would
+have passed him for service. To put it briefly, he had no right in the
+world to be where he was, in one of the nastiest corners of that
+particularly nasty place, Flanders. But there he was, roughing it with
+the rest of them, and to judge from his smiling countenance, thoroughly
+enjoying every particle of his experience. "Hello, Major!" he called
+out cheerfully on seeing his two officer visitors. "Anything I can do
+for you to-day?" "Rather! A whole lot. Can we have a talk in your own
+place--away from the crowd?" The Y.M.C.A. man led the way to the six
+feet square hole in the ground which he called his billet, and there the
+medical staff officer explained his needs. "There's a stunt on in a few
+days," he said. "You may have guessed that. What can you do to help us?
+You know the pressure under which the R.A.M.C. will be working. It'll be
+a big job dressing all the casualties there are likely to be; but we'll
+manage that bit. What we want is a hand in the feeding of them. You
+understand?" The face of the secretary glowed with excitement. "I'll do
+any mortal thing I can," he answered eagerly. "There'll be nothing doing
+here once the show starts, so I'll shut down, and bring my whole stock
+over to your dressing station, and my staff too. We can feed several
+hundred if you'll let us." "What about the cost of the grub?" "Not a
+word about cost, sir! You're welcome to it free, gratis, and for
+nothing, with all the pleasure in the world." "Thanks awfully," said the
+D.A.D.M.S. "That's just what I wanted you to offer, and I thought you
+would; your folks have helped us so often before." "Jolly good job,"
+mused the Y.M.C.A. man, "that I have kept hidden those extra cases of
+chocolates and sweet biscuits. I thought there might be something of
+this sort coming off."
+
+'Ere the grey dawn of a certain morning brought the nerve-racking
+inferno of barrage and counter-barrage, the entire stock of the canteen
+was installed in the larger of the two huts which formed the collecting
+post. Boxes of biscuits, chocolates, and cigarettes with the lids
+knocked off, stood ranged along the wall, ready for the tired and hungry
+guests who would soon appear. Outside, in two huge cauldrons, gallons of
+strong cocoa were brewing merrily. Little was spoken by the men standing
+around, as they waited, nerves a trifle on edge, for the breaking of the
+storm. Suddenly from somewhere in the rear came the hollow boom of a
+"heavy," the artillery signal, and in an instant every battery in the
+area had hurled its first salvo of the barrage. The air was full of
+noise, the rolling roar of the guns at "drum fire," the hissing and
+screaming of flying shells, the echoes of far-away explosions. The
+ground trembled as if an earthquake had come. The battle had begun.
+
+'The O.C. looked in at the door of the hut. "Everything ready?" he
+asked. "Ready and waiting," answered the Y.M.C.A. man, and very soon in
+twos and threes the wounded began to dribble in, and shortly a steady
+stream of battered humanity was straggling down the road, to halt at the
+welcome sight of the hut with the Red Cross flag by its door. How some
+of them limped over every weary step of the way was beyond
+understanding. With shattered limbs and mangled flesh they came, worn,
+hungry, thirsty, in agony, some stumbling alone, some helped along by
+less grievously injured comrades. In a pitiful throng they gathered
+around the dressing station.
+
+'The quick eyes of the R.A.M.C. sergeant picked out the worst cases, and
+these were hurried into the hut where the medical officers plied their
+sorrowful trade. The others sat down and waited their turn with the
+stolid patience of the British soldier when he is wounded, and among
+them worked an Angel of Mercy, an elderly angel clad in a flannel
+shirt, and a pair of mud-stained khaki trousers. Amid the poor jetsam of
+the fight went the Y.M.C.A. man with his mugs of cocoa and his biscuits,
+his chocolate and his cigarettes, as much a minister of healing as was
+the surgeon with his dressings and anodynes. All the men were bitterly
+cold after their long night of waiting in the old front trench, or were
+dead beat with the nervous strain of the action and the pain of their
+wounds. All were hungry. A few no longer cared greatly what more might
+happen to them, for they had reached the limit of endurance, as surely
+as they had reached the limit of suffering. But even to those last the
+warm drink and the food and, perhaps more than anything else, the
+soothing nicotine, brought back life and hope in place of apathy and
+despair. 'God bless you, sir,' murmured a man here and there. But the
+greater part could find no words to speak the gratitude which their
+eyes told forth so clearly.'
+
+This little story is not the tale of one actual incident. It is only the
+stereotype of scenes that have been acted and reacted often and often at
+the Front. Time and time again has the Red Triangle come to the aid of
+the Red Cross, placing its workers and its stores unreservedly at the
+disposal of the Royal Army Medical Corps. When the wounded have been
+pouring into the dressing stations in hundreds, the Y.M.C.A. workers
+have taken over the responsibility of feeding them, and have halved the
+cares of the overwrought R.A.M.C. This they have done not once but
+unnumbered times, and what gratitude they have earned from their guests!
+The wounded man can scarcely realise what he owes to the surgeon who
+tends his injuries; but he does appreciate his debt to the man who feeds
+him and gives him the 'fag' for which he has been craving. The cocoa
+and cigarettes of the Y.M.C.A. do not figure among the medicaments of
+the Pharmacopoeia, yet many a 'walking wounded' will swear to you that
+they have saved his life--as perhaps they have.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+THE RED TRIANGLE AND THE WHITE ENSIGN
+
+          Surely the Almighty God does not intend this war
+          to be just a hideous fracas, a bloody, drunken
+          orgy. There must be purpose in it all; improvement
+          must be born out of it. In what direction? France
+          has already shown us the way, and has risen out of
+          her ruined cities with a revival of religion that
+          is most wonderful. England still remains to be dug
+          out of the stupor of self-satisfaction and
+          complacency which the great and flourishing
+          condition has steeped her in. And until she can be
+          stirred out of this condition, until a religious
+          revival takes place at home, just so long will the
+          war continue. When she can look on the future with
+          humbler eyes and a prayer on her lips, then we can
+          begin to count the days towards the end.--ADMIRAL
+          SIR DAVID BEATTY, K.C.B., M.V.O., D.S.O., K.C.V.O.
+
+
+[Illustration: Y.M.C.A. IN THE FRONT-LINE DUG-OUTS ON THE PALESTINE
+FRONT]
+
+THIS chapter is written in a 'sleeper' at the close of a busy day in the
+North. The day has been made a memorable one by a visit to the _Queen
+Elizabeth_, as she lay at her moorings in one of our great naval bases.
+She is one of the greatest instruments of war in the world, and it was a
+revelation to enter one of the gun turrets of the super-dreadnought, to
+look through the periscope, or see the ingenious mechanism that moved
+those mighty guns, and lifts into position the huge projectile that is
+capable of delivering death and destruction to an enemy many miles away.
+It was more than interesting to visit the wireless rooms, where
+ceaseless watch is kept by day and night, and to see the wonderful
+orderliness of everything, and to note that every one on board was
+ready, and their only fear that the German Fleet might never be tempted
+out again. The visit to the _Queen Elizabeth_ left one thinking of the
+service the Red Triangle has been able to render to the White Ensign.
+During the war there are not as many opportunities for work amongst
+naval men as in peace time, but there is all the more need that when
+the men are ashore everything that is possible should be done for them.
+The Scottish National Council have up-to-date well-equipped hostels and
+recreation-rooms in several naval centres, and those at Edinburgh and
+Glasgow are thronged with bluejackets. South of the Border there are
+many fine hostels and recreation-rooms for sailors, and in scores of
+centres in England, Wales, and Ireland the Red Triangle is catering
+successfully for the needs of our bluejackets. The biggest crowd of all
+is to be found in the quarters occupied by the Y.M.C.A. at the Crystal
+Palace, where thousands of men every day use the Y.M.C.A. as their club,
+and find in it their home. We shall never know all we owe to our
+splendid Navy, and that debt can never be fully paid. At the close of
+the war we are planning to erect permanent hostels and institutes for
+sailors in several naval bases at home and in some of the great foreign
+stations. Much appreciated war work for sailors is being carried on now
+at Brindisi and Taranto, for the men of the drifters employed on
+minesweeping in the Mediterranean, also at Malta, Mudros, and other
+centres overseas.
+
+[Illustration: Y.M.C.A. DUG-OUT AND CANTEEN ON PALESTINE FRONT]
+
+A demand for a Y.M.C.A. on a battleship came from the men of H.M.S.
+_Conqueror_, and it has been found most helpful.
+
+Many isolated naval stations round the British coast are supplied with
+cabinets, each one containing a gramophone, library, a supply of writing
+materials, and games. For obvious reasons it would be imprudent whilst
+the war is on to indicate the centres by name in which the Red Triangle
+is serving the men of the Navy, but there will be a great story to tell
+when the war is over.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+THE RELIGION OF THE RED TRIANGLE
+
+          The work of the Y.M.C.A. is, to my mind, one of
+          the outstanding features of this war. Their
+          efforts, along with other agencies working for the
+          highest welfare of the Army, have shown a true
+          catholic spirit, and made it easier for our
+          soldiers to live a noble, true and clean life. May
+          God's blessing follow their increasing
+          influence.--THE CHAPLAIN-GENERAL TO THE FORCES.
+
+          The Y.M.C.A. has been one of the really great
+          things which have come into their own in this
+          world crisis. It has been a Hindenburg Line of the
+          Christian faith.--DR. MICHAEL SADLER,
+          VICE-CHANCELLOR OF LEEDS UNIVERSITY.
+
+
+THE Y.M.C.A. is not in camp as a rival to the ordinary Church
+organisations, nor yet to supplant or in any conceivable way to
+undermine the influence of the chaplains. Its large and commodious huts
+and tents have been used in thousands of camps for the official Church
+Parade services, and in many cases there has been no other suitable
+room available. We have counted it a privilege on Sunday mornings to
+place our equipment unreservedly at the disposal of all the official
+chaplains who desired to use it. We have welcomed the opportunity of
+assisting the great and important work the chaplains are doing for the
+men of His Majesty's Forces, for the Y.M.C.A. is itself a wing of the
+great Christian army, and has sometimes been described as the Church in
+action. Apart from the support in men and money it has received from
+members of the Churches, the war work of the Red Triangle would have
+been impossible. The Y.M.C.A. is not a church, and will never become
+one. It administers no sacraments, its membership is confined to one
+sex; it discourages in all its branches the holding of meetings that
+clash with those of the Churches, and in every possible way each member
+unattached is encouraged to join the Church of his choice.
+
+In the course of a striking letter to _The Challenge_ of July 12, 1918,
+a correspondent said:--'We turn, for an example, to the Y.M.C.A. Conceal
+the unpleasant truth how we may, the outstanding religious performance
+of this war in the eyes of the public at large has not been the daily
+services in Church--not even the Holy Communion--but the work done in
+the Y.M.C.A. huts. It is along those lines that we must travel if we are
+to win the world. For the mediævally-minded, for the intellectually
+timid, there is always Rome. But it is not by those that the new England
+will be built, and it is the new England we must save for Christ.'
+
+Another writer to the same Anglican journal said it had been stated that
+'after the war there would be a holy Roman Church and a holy Y.M.C.A.,
+but no more Church of England.' The fact of the matter is the Y.M.C.A.
+is not making the work of the Churches unnecessary, but rather it is
+giving the ordinary man a new conception of what Christianity really is,
+and is thus helping to interpret the churches to the masses, and is
+acting as a bridge or a communication trench between the organised
+forces of Christianity in the front line, so to speak, and the great
+masses away back in reserve, on which they desire to draw. Some people
+have spoken sneeringly of 'canteen religion'; the soldier never
+does--and why should he? There is nothing new about it, for it is as old
+as the early days of Christianity, only the gospel of the 'cup of cold
+water' has been adapted to the needs of modern warfare, so that the man
+in the firing-line knows it from experience as the gospel of the 'cup of
+hot coffee.' Straggling back to a clearing station, wounded, plastered
+with mud, and racked with pain, the most eloquent of sermons would not
+help him, but a hot drink, a few biscuits or even a cigarette, if given
+in the name of the Master may put new heart and life into him, and give
+him fresh courage for the way. The Churches realise this, and have given
+us of their best as far as helpers are concerned.
+
+We have a vivid recollection of visiting the big Y.M.C.A. hut in the
+Cavalry Camp at Rouen in 1915. It was the ordinary week-night service,
+and more than six hundred men were present. A famous Scottish preacher
+had conducted the service, and at the close we chatted with him for a
+few minutes in the quiet room. 'Before I came out to France,' said he,
+'I knew you had a great opportunity. Now I know that the greatest
+spiritual opportunity in history rests on your shoulders--is with the
+Y.M.C.A.' And yet there is a way of doing spiritual work that would make
+all spiritual work in camp absolutely impossible. We remember visiting a
+big hut one day--it did not sport the Red Triangle, but was beautifully
+furnished. Over the door was a bold device 'A Home from Home! All
+Welcome!' On entering, the first thing one saw was the text 'Behold your
+sins will find you out!' And a few yards further on 'The wages of sin is
+death.' 'No smoking!' was another notice, and yet another, 'This hut
+will be closed every evening from seven to eight for a gospel service.'
+Religion to appeal to the soldier must be natural and not forced, and
+must be free from controversy and unreality. The British soldier hates a
+sham, and instinctively classes the hypocrite with the Hun. He may not
+understand our Shibboleths; he has no use for our controversies, but he
+can and does understand the Life of the Master, when he sees the beauty
+of that Life reflected in some humble follower of His, who day by day is
+risking his life at the Front, that he may supply a cup of cocoa to a
+wounded soldier, or who is slaving behind a Y.M.C.A. refreshment counter
+at home, and doing uncongenial work for the love of Christ.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+When it was decided to send the Indian troops to France, the Y.M.C.A.
+offered its services to the Indian Government. The offer was refused. At
+last, however, permission was given to supply recreation marquees for
+the use of the Indian Army in France, but only on condition that there
+should be no proselytising, no preaching, no prayers, no hymn singing,
+no Testaments or Bibles given, and no tracts. The Y.M.C.A. accepted the
+conditions, and though some of its friends felt it meant lowering the
+flag, it has loyally kept its promise, and most people realise to-day
+that this was one of the greatest pieces of Christian strategy of our
+times. A visit to one of the Red Triangle huts or tents in an Indian
+camp is a revelation. You hear the Mohammedan call to prayer, see the
+tiny mosque, and realise in how many and varied ways it is possible for
+the Y.M.C.A. to be of service to these brave men of another faith. A
+professor reported at one of the big base camps as a worker. He had come
+to lecture to the troops, and when asked by the leader as to his
+subjects replied, 'Sanscrit and Arabic.' The leader wondered how on
+earth he could make use of a man as a lecturer to British Tommies, who
+only lectured on those two obscure and difficult topics. The professor
+found his niche, however, teaching the Mohammedan priest to read his
+Koran--the leader commenting--'The more he knows it, the less he will
+trust it.'
+
+It is interesting to note how well these Indian heroes get on with our
+own Tommies. They play their games and sometimes sing their songs. When
+'Tipperary' was all the rage, the Indians had their own version of the
+chorus, which they sang with great enthusiasm. It ran thus:
+
+          'Bura dur hai Tipperary,
+          Bura dur hai kouch ho,
+          Bura dur hai Tipperary,
+              Sukipas powncheniko,
+          Ram, ram, Piccadilly,
+          Salam Leicester Square.
+          Bura, bura dur hai Tipperary,
+              Likem dil hoa pus ghai.'
+
+On one occasion the secretary of an important base said he had arranged
+a new stunt for us that evening--the formal opening of a hut in the
+Indian Cavalry Hospital Camp. We arrived to find the hut crowded, and a
+great banquet arranged in our honour. Nothing need be said as to the
+banquet or its disastrous results as far as we are concerned! The
+Indians enjoyed it, and that was the important thing. Before the
+banquet we had the privilege of greeting the men and welcoming them to
+the Y.M.C.A., and after we had finished, the leading Mohammedan in the
+camp mounted the platform and gave a great oration in honour of the
+Christian Association. He was followed by the leading Brahmin, and he in
+turn by the senior Sheik, all speaking in most cordial terms of the
+Y.M.C.A. In the midst of the orations, a stately Indian advanced
+solemnly and placed a garland of flowers round my neck. Thrice this
+garlanding process was repeated on different occasions--lovely roses and
+sweet peas--and it was a great and much appreciated honour, though it
+made one feel a trifle foolish at the time. After the banquet we
+proceeded to the adjoining recreation tent, and it was an inspiration to
+see it crammed from end to end with men of many religions and different
+races, all happy and contented and all usefully employed. On the
+platform a 'budginee' or Indian concert was proceeding; a crowd of men
+at the tables were learning to write; another crowd receiving a lesson
+in English; a large group looking at pictures and illustrated magazines,
+whilst others were playing games or listening enraptured to the strains
+of the Indian records on the gramophone. The C.O. who took us round,
+said that when the men came to France not one of them could even sign
+his name to his pay book, they all had to do it by means of
+thumb-prints. 'To-day,' said he, 'every man can sign his name, and many
+can write an intelligent letter, and they have learned everything in the
+Y.M.C.A.' A few days previously an Indian of some rank stood with folded
+arms, his back against the wall, in that very tent. He said nothing, but
+took in everything, and when the marquee closed for the night and the
+dusky hero warriors retired to their tents, he spoke to the Indian
+secretary in charge. 'I have watched you men,' said he; 'you are not
+paid by the Government, you come when you like and you go when you like.
+There is only one religion in the world that would send its servants to
+do what you are doing--to serve and not to proselytise. When this war is
+over and we return to India, I want you to send one of your men to my
+village. My people are all Hindus, but they will do what I tell them. I
+have been watching you carefully, and I have come to the conclusion that
+Christianity will fit the East as it can never fit the West.' One of the
+lessons of the Red Triangle is that you can never win men by
+antagonising them, or by speaking disrespectfully of the things they
+hold dear. Love must ever be the conqueror, and the love of all loves is
+the love of God revealed in His Son, Jesus Christ.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Our Jewish friends were surprised and delighted in the dark days at the
+close of 1914, to find that the doors of the Y.M.C.A. were thrown widely
+open to their padres, who could gather in soldiers of their community to
+worship God in their own way in the huts of the Red Triangle. They have
+not been slow to show their appreciation--several Y.M.C.A. huts have
+been given officially by Jews; one well-known and much used hostel bears
+the name 'Jewish Y.M.C.A.,' and Jewish padres will go to any trouble or
+inconvenience to help our work at home or overseas. No Red Triangle hut
+can be used for proselytising by Catholic, Protestant, Moslem, or
+Jew--that goes without saying--but any official chaplain is welcome to
+the use of our huts for instructing his own people in their own faith.
+
+[Illustration: THE Y.M.C.A. AT BASRA, MESOPOTAMIA]
+
+A striking article recently appeared in a Catholic journal, from which
+we cull the following paragraphs, expressing as they do another point
+of view:--
+
+          '"R.C.," "C. of E.," "Y.M.C.A."--these three are
+          the religions of the Front. The drum-head service,
+          whilst nominally "C. of E.," is, of course, more a
+          military parade than a religious function. It is
+          not without a certain amount of picturesque Army
+          ceremonial, but to the Catholic soldier, as a
+          Catholic, the spectacle is an uninteresting one.
+          The Y.M.C.A., too, I think, would not claim to be
+          a religion. It is perhaps a religious institution;
+          a kind of spiritual ration-dump. Its huts, even
+          during a cinema show, and at the counters where
+          they sell Woodbines and chocolates, have a
+          Christianised atmosphere. No soldier fears to be
+          thought "too good" through attending a Y.M.C.A.
+          service. That is, perhaps, where its undoubtedly
+          great influence comes in. It gives the impression,
+          one supposes, to these soldiers that here they
+          have what the P.S.A. fraternity call "a man's
+          religion for man." It caters for the frequent
+          English soul which (perhaps in the Charity of God)
+          finds a path to Heaven in the singing of
+          second-rate hymns on Sunday evening; in the
+          constant repetition of "Abide with me," and "O
+          God, our help in ages past." It is difficult to
+          say if the influence of the Y.M.C.A. is much
+          responsible for the remarkably even, and
+          considering all things, somewhat high moral code
+          of the Army out here. Rather, perhaps (Deo
+          gratias), it is an English heritage from the past.
+          Most emphatically one cannot help being struck by
+          the excellent moral lives that many of these men
+          live, when all things are considered. Of course,
+          to a large extent, there is the lack of occasions
+          of sin. Drunkenness, most possibly, is rare
+          because the authorities have greatly restricted,
+          and wisely, the hours of drinking, and the beer,
+          etc., available, even if taken in large
+          quantities, is rarely intoxicating. Frankly, it
+          appears that the good influence of the Y.M.C.A. is
+          derived from the temporal comforts and
+          conveniences it offers to the much-tried B.E.F.
+          men. I stood outside a Y.M.C.A. building one
+          night, in the worst of weather, weather as foul as
+          it can be in France in war time. Three rain-sodden
+          Canadian infantrymen trudged along towards the
+          place, and their ears caught the sound of some
+          execrable piano-strumming. "Holy Hell," said one,
+          "there's some music there; come on!" That is the
+          story, in epitome, of the Y.M.C.A. In the mercy of
+          God, it is a good one."
+
+[Illustration: THE CENTRAL Y.M.C.A., BAGHDAD]
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A young soldier sent to an English paper the following interesting
+account of a Communion Service held in one of our huts at the Front:--
+
+          'The following Tuesday, just as our company was
+          going "up the line" to the trenches, a Communion
+          service was held in the rest-room of the Y.M.C.A.
+          hut. I attended it along with nine other men, and
+          the service was conducted by a well-known Scottish
+          Y.M.C.A. worker, who at the time was acting as the
+          leader of the hut. In that little room we ten men
+          in khaki were verily in the presence of the
+          Unseen. I never realised Christ to be so near as
+          when we handled the elements. For myself I can
+          truly say that, in the grey dawn of the following
+          morning, I went up to meet the enemy with a
+          strange peace, and a deep assurance in my soul
+          that, come what might, I need fear no evil,
+          knowing that He was with me--and so it proved to
+          be. Our time in the trenches was the most exciting
+          I have yet experienced, but He kept near, and so
+          "all's well."'
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+STORIES OF THE INVERTED TRIANGLE
+
+          I am sending you a pound note, the first I ever
+          received, as I am a poor old woman not able to
+          work. To maintain my home I used to take in
+          washing, but now I cannot even do my own, but the
+          other Sunday, when I shook hands with one that I
+          used to wash for, he put that bit of paper in my
+          hand, but said nothing, so I received it as part
+          payment for work done over seven years ago, and
+          when I looked at it, I thanked God, and said I
+          would give it to some good cause, and I think I
+          cannot do better than help you to get shelter for
+          the soldiers. God bless 'em.
+
+
+MORE than five hundred thousand men have signed the War Roll pledge of
+allegiance to our Lord Jesus Christ, which has now been formally adopted
+by the Churches, and which reads as follows:
+
+          'I hereby pledge my allegiance to the Lord Jesus
+          Christ, as my Saviour and King, and by God's help
+          will fight His battles for the Victory of His
+          Kingdom.'
+
+Many have no doubt forgotten their promise, but for many it has meant
+the beginning of a new life, and to thousands of parents the knowledge
+that the boy, who was their all, signed this declaration before making
+the supreme sacrifice, has brought untold comfort.
+
+Wherever practicable a Quiet Room for prayer and Bible study is included
+in our camp outfit, also a book-stall for Testaments, pledge cards, and
+religious literature. Millions of Testaments and gospel portions have
+been distributed free of charge, and realising the difficulty of
+obtaining gospel booklets or tracts that appeal to men, a new one from
+the pen of the General Secretary was issued each of the first thirty
+weeks of the war. The approved plan has been to have family prayers, no
+matter how brief, as far as practicable in every hut, every night, and
+if this feature of the programme is not popular, the fault is usually to
+be found in the one who leads.
+
+A casual observer, after visiting a Y.M.C.A. hut, sometimes comes to the
+conclusion that the Association is doing a great social work, but is not
+much as a religious force. It is not difficult to understand that point
+of view. He has seen two or three hundred men clamouring at the
+refreshment counter for coffee, buns or cigarettes; the billiard tables
+have been fully occupied; hundreds of soldiers were writing letters at
+the tables provided for the purpose, and hundreds joining in some rowdy
+chorus, or heartily laughing at a humorous song or funny sketch. Where
+then does the spiritual work of the Red Triangle come in? The best
+answer is to quote what has actually happened.
+
+To the south-west of Salisbury Plain there was before the war a tiny
+village. To-day it is the centre of a big camp, which, incidentally,
+contains several Y.M.C.A. huts. The leader of No. 4 was talking to the
+Church of England padre one morning. They were warm friends and the
+chaplain was frank in his remarks: 'I think you are overdoing it,' said
+he, 'by having prayers in the hut every night. Surely it would be
+better,' he added, 'if you concentrated on one evening of the week
+instead.' 'I have thought and prayed about it,' replied the leader, 'and
+it is a matter of principle with me. These dear boys are all going to
+the Front next week, and no matter what the programme of the day, I feel
+we ought to finish at night with a public acknowledgment of God.' 'Very
+good,' replied the padre, 'if that is your conviction, carry on! Take
+prayers yourself this evening.' And he did. He was no orator; he was not
+a college man, neither was he ordained. It was a simple little service,
+and did not take more than ten or fifteen minutes from start to finish.
+There was an opening hymn, one of the old familiar ones, that took the
+lads away back to the homes of their childhood. A short passage of
+scripture was read, followed by a few straight but sympathetic words of
+exhortation and a brief closing prayer. That was all, and the same
+thing, no doubt, took place in hundreds of centres the same night.
+Prayers over and the 'King' sung, the leader came down from the
+platform, where a young private greeted him and shook his hand till it
+hurt saying, 'I want to thank you for giving me a new vision of a God I
+once knew.' Walking towards the centre of the hall, a young subaltern
+greeted him saying, 'I want to thank you for that little service; it has
+been no end of a help to me, and I should like to give you this for your
+work,' so saying he handed him an envelope, and looking inside he found
+a letter from the lieutenant's mother, containing thirty shillings in
+postal orders to be spent by him in camp. The service had helped him,
+and that was his thankoffering. The hut cleared, the men retired for the
+night to their sleeping quarters. A solitary soldier lingered by the
+doorway as if he wanted some one to speak to him. 'Good-night, my lad,'
+said the leader, 'can I do anything for you?' Instead of replying the
+soldier burst out crying, and later said, 'If you will you can save me
+from a great crime!' 'Save you from a crime--whatever do you mean?' And
+then the trooper told his story. There was nothing uncommon about it. He
+and his brother had made love to the same girl, their mother had
+intervened, 'and,' he said, 'I have written to my mother this evening a
+letter that no boy should write to his mother, and after attending your
+service to-night, I feel I would give all I've got to take back that
+letter!' The letter was found and destroyed, and the soldier rejoiced in
+what he regarded as a great deliverance. This is no story of an orthodox
+revival, but of the kind of thing that may be taking place hundreds of
+times any week.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+In the early days the famous ---- Division assembled in one of the great
+camps near Winchester. Regiments and units were there from India, South
+Africa--from all parts of the world. Rain came down in torrents and the
+mud was appalling. The huge Red Triangle tents were crowded from morning
+till night and the devoted workers, all too few in number, had neither
+time nor strength for religious work in the ordinary acceptance of the
+term. They could have limited their canteen work, and closed the
+refreshment counter excepting for a few hours daily. That would have
+been the easier plan, and would have given them the opportunity of
+devoting themselves to concerts and meetings in the evenings. The
+alternative would have been to spend and be spent in serving the
+material needs of the men, trusting that God would use the atmosphere of
+the place and the personal contact of the workers to influence the men,
+and thus make up for their inability to do much in the meeting line.
+They chose the latter plan, and the leader retiring for the night would
+throw himself on his bed and sometimes fall asleep without undressing.
+At times suffering from the reaction, he would ask himself the question,
+'Is it worth while? Am I doing the right thing?' The answer came the
+night before the men left for the Front. It had been a record day, every
+moment had been crowded, and they had sold out. The majority had
+retired for the night, a few remained to tidy up the tents. This task
+accomplished, a group of soldiers gathered round the leader, and the
+talk soon turned quite naturally to some of the deepest problems of
+life. Presently a stalwart young Gordon Highlander told of his home in
+far away Scotland, of his farewell to his dear old mother before he went
+out to India, and of the promise he made her--the promise he had not
+kept--to read his Bible every day, to lead a pure clean life, and to
+keep clear of drink. The atmosphere of that crowded Y.M.C.A. tent had
+brought it all back to him and, unknown to the staff, he had renewed his
+vows to God and his mother. In making this confession he was overcome by
+emotion, and throwing his arms round the leader's neck he sobbed out the
+story of his repentance. There is no more moving sight than the anguish
+of a strong man, probably no sight that gives more joy in Heaven than
+the tears that tell of the return of the one that had been lost.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A young Canadian officer who had lost a leg and an arm wrote to me
+before sailing to Montreal from Bristol in May 1918, and this is what he
+said:--'I would like to tell you how much we have appreciated the
+Y.M.C.A. I came over with the first batch of Canadians; we were drafted
+to Larkhill, Salisbury Plain. After leaving my home--a godly home--I
+fell into the hands of very ungodly people and sank very, very deep in.
+I was lying on the roadside much the worse for drink. I was down and
+couldn't get up; comrades and every one seemed to have left me. I saw
+one of your cars rush by. When it had passed about a hundred yards, out
+jumped a Y.M.C.A. man. He came back to me and said, "Come along my
+friend, I will take you to your hut." I looked at him and said, "I've
+sunk too low for a man like you to touch me." He helped me up, took me
+to my hut, and said, "This is my work in the Y.M.C.A., to help the
+helpless. Come in and have a cup of tea with me to-morrow." Shamefaced,
+I went the next day. He was there to greet me; he talked and prayed with
+me, but I saw no light until one night in the trenches, I thought I
+heard this man praying, and I heard it again and again, and had no rest
+till I laid my sins at the foot of the Cross. Although I am going home
+with a leg and an arm off, I have a clean heart washed in the Blood of
+the Lamb. I have visited many huts, but that was the only man who spoke
+to me personally about my sinful condition. Your leaders can do much if
+they will. God bless the work and the workers. I will enclose this
+leader's card so that you can let him know his prayers followed me up to
+the trenches. God bless him!'
+
+Cecil Thompson, the leader referred to, never saw this letter. Long
+before it was written he had 'gone west,' had passed to his reward, one
+of the Red Triangle martyrs of Salisbury Plain. But he 'shall in no wise
+lose his reward,' for it is work like this that pays, and the spirit of
+Cecil Thompson lives on in the lives of those who have been won, not by
+his eloquence, but by the personal contact of a man who had yielded
+himself to become a channel for the Divine blessing.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The greatest romance of the Red Triangle is the romance of its religious
+work. War always seems to have one of two effects upon the lives of
+those who participate in it--either it hardens a man and makes him
+callous, or else it purifies and ennobles him. The Chaplains, the
+Churches, the Y.M.C.A., the Church Army, the C.E.T.S., the Salvation
+Army, and countless other organisations and individuals are always at
+work, trying to counteract the power of the downward pull. It was our
+youngest General, the late Brig.-Gen. R. B. Bradford, V.C., M.C., who
+addressed to his men in France, shortly before his death, the following
+stirring words:--'I am going to ask you to put your implicit trust and
+confidence in me, to look upon me not only as your Brigadier, but as
+your friend. By the help of God I will try and lead you to the best of
+my ability, and remember your interests are my interests. As you all
+know, a few days from now we are going to attack; your powers of
+endurance are going to be tested. They must not fail you. Above all,
+pray; more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. It is
+God alone who can give us the victory, and bring us through this battle
+safely.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It is said that General Smuts' attention was drawn to Herbert Schmalz's
+picture, 'The Silent Witness,' in the Royal Academy. It showed the
+interior of a French church, and many wearied and wounded French
+soldiers huddled together on the floor. A soldier with a wounded arm was
+awakened by the pain, and raising himself on his unwounded arm saw the
+figure of the Christ, the silent witness of his suffering and agony.
+Looking long and earnestly at the picture, it is said the famous Boer
+General quietly remarked, 'Many a man has seen that vision in this war.'
+
+[Illustration: THE RED TRIANGLE IN JERUSALEM]
+
+[Illustration: THE HEXHAM ABBEY HUT, SCHEVENINGEN, HOLLAND]
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+When visiting Bailleul in 1917 the following story was told me by a
+distinguished padre serving with the Y.M.C.A. It concerned a casualty
+clearing station on the outskirts of the town. A gentleman ranker was
+brought in terribly wounded. His shoulder had been shattered by shrapnel
+and gas gangrene had set in A constant and welcome visitor was the
+senior chaplain. One day he called, and said cheerily, 'Well, old
+fellow, how goes it to-day?' 'Thanks, padre,' was the reply, 'the pain
+is not quite so bad to-day, but, padre,' he added earnestly, stroking
+his wounded arm, 'I wish you would persuade them to take this away.'
+'Don't talk like that,' said the chaplain; 'you'll want to use that old
+arm for many a year to come!' 'No, padre,' he replied with conviction,
+'I shall never use it again; I'm going west!' A moment later he was
+seized with a frightful paroxysm of pain, and with a torrent of oaths
+shrieked out, 'Why the b---- h---- can't they take this arm away!' He
+fell back exhausted, but an instant later sat bolt upright and with arms
+held out looked intently towards the roof of the hut. His face became
+radiant, and there was no trace of pain. In an ecstatic voice he cried
+out, 'Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!' and fell back dead. Thank God that's
+possible, and even in the hour of death, the blasphemer may receive
+forgiveness and the knowledge of salvation, for
+
+          'The ways of men are narrow,
+           But the gates of Heaven are wide.'
+
+[Illustration: SALONICA: WINTER ON THE DOIRAN FRONT, SHOWING Y.M.C.A.
+TENT]
+
+[Illustration: A WELCOME Y.M.C.A. IN THE TRENCHES]
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A lady worker in the Isle of Wight felt unaccountably drawn to a young
+soldier who had vowed he would never enter the Y.M.C.A. again, because
+he objected to evening prayers. Little by little she won his confidence,
+until the night before he left for France with a draft, he came in to
+say good-bye, and told her she was the first person to speak to him
+about sacred things, adding--'I may do some day, but at present I cannot
+see things as you do.' He went to France, followed by her prayers, and
+in due course took part in the famous attack on Cambrai. Nothing was
+heard of him for weeks, and his friends were forced to the conclusion
+that he was numbered amongst the dead. Time passed by, until one morning
+the lady of the Red Triangle received a letter from him, written from a
+German prisoner of war camp. It was a commonplace letter and told of the
+great fight, of his capture and internment, and so forth, but the
+concluding words were the ones she wanted--'You will be glad to know I
+can see things as you do now.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+We were speaking at the opening of a hut near Portsmouth. At the close
+of the ceremony a dear little old widow lady, sitting in the front row,
+told us of her own boy. He was a young officer serving in France, and
+was called out late one night to help repel a sudden attack by the
+enemy. Shot down by machine-gun fire, a brother officer stooped to help
+him, but he cried, 'Lead on, lead forward, I go to my God!'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A day later another Y.M.C.A. lady in one of the hospital huts told us
+the story of her nephew. He, too, was a young officer, and was called
+out to assist in repelling a sudden attack by the Huns. Our men had
+scarcely reached No Man's Land when the enemy turned on their dreadful
+gas. One of the first to be overcome by its fumes was the sergeant of
+his platoon. Regardless of the risk he ran, that young officer stuck to
+his disabled sergeant until help arrived. Not realising that he had
+himself become affected by the noxious fumes, he tried to stagger to his
+feet, but fell backwards into a shell-hole, and in falling broke his
+neck. The sad news was conveyed to his people in the North of England,
+and the night they received it his father and mother sat alone in the
+quiet of their home. Presently the mother spoke--'I feel,' said she,
+'that the only thing that would console me in my loss would be to know
+that the man for whom my boy died was a good man.' It was only a week
+later that the sergeant for whom the young officer died, came to that
+home, and when he came he was hopelessly intoxicated. The parents
+quickly ascertained that it was not the case of a man having been
+overcome by sudden temptation; they could have forgiven that, but he was
+an utter waster, about as bad as a man could be. When he had left the
+house those two sat once again in the silence of their home, and it was
+the mother who spoke, slowly and quietly, 'It almost breaks my heart to
+know my boy gave his precious life for a worthless life like that.' And
+yet, what of the young officer himself? Did he know the type of man it
+was for whom he was about to make the supreme sacrifice? Of course, he
+knew; he was in his own platoon, and yet, knowing, he willingly gave his
+life in an attempt to save him. One cannot recall this story without
+thinking of those wonderful words: 'For scarcely for a righteous man
+will one die: yet per-adventure for a good man some would even dare to
+die, but God commendeth His Love towards us, in that, while we were yet
+sinners, Christ died for us.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+In a far away corner of the Harfleur Valley the Y.M.C.A. has one of its
+finest equipments. The leader was a great man in every sense of the
+word, and every night he organised a sing-song for the troops, which
+invariably went with a swing. He seemed to know by instinct when to
+strike right in, and what to say. A night came, however, when he seemed
+to have struck a bad patch, for no one would play, sing, or recite. The
+story is told here almost word for word, as it was first told me by a
+leading worker home from France, who drew a graphic word picture of the
+hut leader pleading from the platform for help which never came. The
+huge hut was crammed with men, and looking at the crowd standing at the
+back he noticed a movement amongst them. A trooper detaching himself
+from the crowd slowly elbowed his way to the front. It was easy to tell
+by his unsteady steps that he was under the influence of drink. Mounting
+the platform, he turned first to the audience and then to the Y.M.C.A.
+leader, and cried in a voice that every one could hear: 'What's the
+matter, Boss? Won't any one oblige you? Never mind, padre, if nobody
+will help you, I will! What would you like me to do? I can play, or I
+can sing, or I can recite--or I can pray!' For a moment the secretary
+did not know what to reply. He was a man of experience, but had never
+been placed in a predicament like that before. To his horror he saw the
+poor drunken trooper stumble to the edge of the platform and with hands
+outstretched called for prayer, and there followed one of the strangest
+prayers ever heard in public as the drunkard cried out, 'Everlasting
+God! Everlasting God! Everlasting God----!' He could get no further, but
+broke down and sobbed like a child, and in his agony cried out, 'I had a
+good mother once; I've been a damned fool. May God forgive me!' Could
+God possibly hear and answer a prayer like that? Of course He could, and
+He did! Possibly He would rather have even a prayer like that, than the
+meaningless prayers with which we sometimes mock Him, and if any man
+ever gave evidence of his conversion to God it was that trooper. He
+stayed only four days longer in that reinforcement camp in the
+Harfleur Valley, but if he could help it, never for a moment would he
+let our leader out of his sight, and in a hundred ways he helped him
+with his work. He would go methodically and frequently round the hut,
+gather up the dirty mugs, bring them back to the counter and help to
+wash them. He would go down on his hands and knees under the tables,
+pick up scraps of paper and cigarette ends and help clean up the floor.
+Four days later he was sent with a detachment up the line; three days
+later still, with his company, he was ordered 'over the top,' and
+literally he went into the 'Valley of the Shadow of Death,' but he did
+not go alone, for 'there went with him One the form of Whom was like
+unto the form of the Son of God!'
+
+[Illustration: Y.M.C.A. FOR INTERNED PRISONERS OF WAR, LEYSIN,
+SWITZERLAND]
+
+The Y.M.C.A. is a Christian Association, the Red Triangle a Christian
+emblem, and for that very reason the freedom of the Association is
+given to every enlisted man. Protestant and Catholic, Anglican,
+Free-Churchman, Jew, Hindoo, Mohammedan--men of any religion, every
+religion, and no religion at all, are equally welcomed beneath its roof,
+and no man will ever hear unkind or disrespectful things said from a
+Y.M.C.A. platform concerning the faith he holds dear. At the same time
+we can never forget that the greatest need of every man, amongst the
+millions we serve in our huts, is that he should have a Friend who will
+never fail him nor forsake him, who will stand shoulder to shoulder with
+him in his fierce fight with temptation in camp or city, will be with
+him in the trenches, in the firing line, as he goes over the parapet, or
+even into the dread 'Valley of the Shadow,' and there is only One Who
+can thus meet every need of every man, and that One is the strong Son of
+God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the best Friend, the truest Comrade we can
+have.
+
+We often fall far short of our aim, alas! but the primary aim of the
+Y.M.C.A. always has been, and is, to lead men to a saving knowledge of
+that Friend.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE RECONSTRUCTION
+
+          The Y.M.C.A. has a very thorough understanding of
+          men, and with that sympathy which has
+          characterised its work throughout has brought to
+          the National Employment Exchange system an element
+          which has humanised the movement.
+
+          The state of the Labour Market and the condition
+          of trade after the lapse of the period of
+          reconstruction following the war will be so
+          favourable that the physically fit man will
+          experience little difficulty in securing
+          employment, but even if that is so we shall, for a
+          long time, have with us the disabled man, who,
+          without assistance and guidance, cannot be
+          suitably placed in industry. We must see an
+          extension of the good-will and sympathy evinced by
+          the Y.M.C.A. movement amongst every class in the
+          community.
+
+          The Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Labour
+          are getting up a special department to deal with
+          the discharged soldier. What the Y.M.C.A.
+          contributes to this problem is character.--MR. G.
+          H. ROBERTS, M.P., MINISTER OF LABOUR.
+
+
+THE question is often asked 'What is going to be done with the Y.M.C.A.
+huts after the war?' It is never easy to prophesy with any degree of
+certainty, but there can be little doubt that, properly handled, these
+huts will be at least as useful after the war as they are now. Their
+furniture, which comprises hundreds of billiard tables, thousands of
+chairs, tables, stoves, ranges, and so forth, is well fitted for doing
+good service after the war. One of these huts planted down in the centre
+of some rural community and staffed by voluntary workers, who have
+purchased their experience by downright hard service during the war,
+should be an inestimable boon. It would break the monotony of country
+life; or, being set down in an industrial district of a big town or
+city, would help in congenial ways to relieve the tedium of the drab
+life of the workers.
+
+The immediate problem is that of the discharged man. Incidentally his
+presence in our midst is even now helping us to gain that practical
+acquaintance with his needs that will be invaluable in dealing with the
+greater problem of demobilisation. Thousands of men are discharged from
+the Navy and Army every week. Many of these for months, it may be for
+years to come, will not be able to do a good day's work, no matter how
+willing they may be, and it is up to us to help them. No one who has
+seen the conditions under which they have been living in Picardy or in
+Flanders can wonder at this, and they will need sympathy and
+encouragement on the part of their employers. The Y.M.C.A. can supply
+the human touch that may be of the greatest possible service to the
+Ministries of Labour, Pensions, and Reconstruction, and although the
+State itself must take responsibility for the future of those who return
+broken from the war and for their dependents, there will still be ample
+room for voluntary effort without any taint of charity.
+
+A number of experiments are being tried, all designed to point the way
+to future efforts if such experiments prove successful. The Red Triangle
+Farm Colony at Kinson in Dorset has been fitted up as a sanatorium for
+the benefit of men discharged from the Navy and Army who need sanatorium
+treatment because they are suffering from, or threatened with,
+consumption, and whilst the men are undergoing treatment they are
+trained in poultry-farming, horticulture, and other outdoor pursuits on
+plans cordially approved by the authorities.
+
+A Red Triangle Poultry Farm in Surrey is also run entirely for the
+benefit of discharged men, and a somewhat larger venture is under way in
+Suffolk with a two hundred acre farm and extensive fruit gardens. At
+Portsmouth and other centres hostel accommodation is provided for men
+who, on leaving the Navy or Army, go through a course of training for
+civil life. Experimental workshops in London are proving a great
+success, discharged soldiers being trained in carpentry, joinery,
+picture-framing, and the repairing of pianos.
+
+A series of exhibitions dealing with the work of ex-soldiers has been
+successfully inaugurated, and Red Triangle employment bureaux have
+already secured situations for more than twenty thousand discharged men.
+
+The biggest opportunity for the Red Triangle will come with the
+declaration of peace. 'After the war' for tens of thousands of men has
+commenced already, and not only during the war, but in the
+reconstruction we shall need the help of every worker who is prepared
+heart and soul to work out the full programme of the Red Triangle for
+Britain's sake and for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
+
+
+          Printed in Great Britain by T. and A. CONSTABLE,
+          Printers to His Majesty at the Edinburgh
+          University Press
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Transcriber's Notes:
+
+So that paragraphs could flow uninterrupted, illustrations were
+relocated to positions between paragraphs.
+
+Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
+
+Page viii, "BLESSÉS" changed to "BLESSÉES" ('LES PARENTS DES BLESSÉES')
+
+Page xiii, "Schevingen" changed to "Scheveningen" (Abbey hut,
+Scheveningen, Holland) This was changed also on the illustration caption
+itself.
+
+Page 39, "necesary" changed to "necessary" (it is absolutely necessary)
+
+Page 124, "same" changed to "came" (she came back she)
+
+Page 158, "simpl" changed to "simple" (its simple little song)
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Romance of the Red Triangle, by 
+Arthur Keysall Yapp
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+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Romance of the Red Triangle, by Sir Arthur K. Yapp, K.B.E.
+    </title>
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+<pre>
+
+Project Gutenberg's The Romance of the Red Triangle, by Arthur Keysall Yapp
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Romance of the Red Triangle
+       The story of the coming of the red triangle and the service
+              rendered by the Y.M.C.A. to the sailors and soldiers of
+              the British Empire
+
+Author: Arthur Keysall Yapp
+
+Illustrator: W. P. Starmer
+             Edgar Wright
+
+Release Date: June 27, 2010 [EBook #32998]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROMANCE OF THE RED TRIANGLE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Emmy and the Online Distributed Proofreading
+Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from
+images generously made available by The Internet
+Archive/American Libraries.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 319px;">
+<img src="images/icover.jpg" width="319" height="500" alt="Cover" title="" />
+</div>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[i]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+
+
+<h1>THE ROMANCE OF<br />THE RED TRIANGLE</h1>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[iv]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 368px;"><a name="Frontis" id="Frontis"></a>
+<img src="images/i004.jpg" width="368" height="500" alt="Y.M.C.A. AND GERMAN OBSERVATION STATION IN THE TREES AT ACHIET-LE-PETIT" title="" />
+<span class="caption">Y.M.C.A. AND GERMAN OBSERVATION STATION IN THE TREES AT ACHIET-LE-PETIT</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[v]</a></span></p>
+<h1>THE ROMANCE</h1>
+<h3>OF THE</h3>
+<h1>RED TRIANGLE</h1>
+
+<div class='center'>
+THE STORY OF THE COMING OF THE<br />
+RED TRIANGLE AND THE SERVICE<br />
+RENDERED BY THE Y.M.C.A. TO THE<br />
+SAILORS AND SOLDIERS OF THE<br />
+BRITISH EMPIRE<br />
+</div>
+
+<h3>BY</h3>
+
+<h2>SIR ARTHUR K. YAPP, K.B.E.</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+Illustrations by<br />
+W. P. STARMER, EDGAR WRIGHT<br />
+AND OTHER ARTISTS<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+HODDER AND STOUGHTON<br />
+<small>LONDON NEW YORK TORONT</small>O<br />
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[vi]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3><i>DEDICATION</i></h3>
+
+
+<div class='center'>
+<i><span class="smcap">This</span> book is affectionately dedicated to Y.M.C.A.</i><br />
+<i>leaders and workers at home and abroad in grateful</i><br />
+<i>appreciation of their faithful and loyal service.</i><br />
+<i>Much of this work has been done out of sight, and</i><br />
+<i>endless difficulties have had to be surmounted.</i><br />
+<i>Names have not been mentioned in the book, but</i><br />
+<i>the writer would like to express his personal</i><br />
+<i>gratitude and appreciation to every one.</i><br />
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[vii]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2>CONTENTS</h2>
+
+
+
+<div class='center'>
+<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="">
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER I</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>&nbsp;</td><td align='left'><small>PAGE</small></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>THE COMING OF THE RED TRIANGLE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER II</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>BLAZING THE TRAIL WITH THE RED TRIANGLE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_19">19</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER III</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>FLOTSAM AND JETSAM</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_33">33</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER IV</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>THE ROMANCE OF FINANCE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_39">39</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER V</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>THE LADIES OF THE RED TRIANGLE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_63">63</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER VI</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>'GUNGA DIN' OF THE RED TRIANGLE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_71">71</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER VII</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[viii]</a></span>IN THE TRAIL OF THE HUN</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_80">80</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER VIII</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>THE BARRAGE AND AFTER</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_108">108</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER IX</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>'LES PARENTS DES <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'BLESS&Eacute;S'">BLESS&Eacute;ES</ins>'</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_118">118</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER X</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>CELLARS AND DUG-OUTS ON THE WESTERN FRONT</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_126">126</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XI</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>CAMEOS FROM FRANCE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_133">133</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XII</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>STORIES OF 'LE TRIANGLE ROUGE'</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_146">146</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XIII</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE EAST</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_162">162</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XIV</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>SIDE LINES OF THE RED TRIANGLE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_175">175</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XV</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[ix]</a></span>THE RED TRIANGLE AND THE WHITE ENSIGN</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_191">191</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XVI</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>THE RELIGION OF THE RED TRIANGLE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_195">195</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XVII</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>STORIES OF THE INVERTED TRIANGLE</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_211">211</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XVIII</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE RECONSTRUCTION</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_236">236</a></td></tr>
+</table></div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2>
+
+
+
+
+<div class='center'>
+<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="Illustrations">
+<tr><td align='left'>Y.M.C.A. and German observation station in the trees at Achiet-le-Petit</td><td align='right'><i><a href="#Frontis">Frontispiece</a></i></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>&nbsp;</td><td align='right'><small>PAGE</small></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Hut in the grounds of the ruins of the H&ocirc;tel-de-Ville at Arras</td><td align='right'><a href="#huts">16</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>One of many Y.M.C.A. huts built under shell-fire</td><td align='right'><a href="#one">17</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>The first Y.M.C.A. over the German trenches on the Somme battlefield</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_32">32</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>The Y.M.C.A. in the orchard at Albert</td><td align='right'><a href="#the">33</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>A refuge for the refugees</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_48">48</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Y.M.C.A. marquee in the shell-swept Somme area</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_49">49</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Y.M.C.A. in a ruined parish hall in Flanders, June, 1916</td><td align='right'><a href="#flanders">64</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Bapaume-Cambrai road, with trees all cut down by the Germans</td><td align='right'><a href="#baup">65</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>The Red Triangle in the support trenches</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_80">80</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>'George Williams House' in the front trenches</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_81">81</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii">[xii]</a></span>A half-way house to the trenches</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_81">81</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>The Y.M.C.A. in a ruined warehouse. Shell-hole in floor of canteen</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_96">96</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>A Y.M.C.A. cellar at Ypres</td><td align='right'><a href="#cellar">97</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><div class='hang1'>Hut in wilderness of destruction. Cutting the ice in shell-holes for water for<br />tea&mdash;winter, 1916-17</div></td><td align='right' valign='bottom'><a href="#Page_112">112</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Ruined house used by Y.M.C.A., propped up by timber</td><td align='right'><a href="#ruined">113</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Canadian Y.M.C.A. dug-out in a mine crater on Vimy Ridge, 1917</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_128">128</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>A Canadian Y.M.C.A. dug-out near Vimy Ridge</td><td align='right'><a href="#canada">129</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>A great boon to British Tommy&mdash;a Y.M.C.A. well under shell-fire</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_144">144</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>The Cambridge dug-out</td><td align='right'><a href="#cambridge">144</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>A refuge for the walking wounded</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_145">145</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Y.M.C.A. motor kitchen behind the lines</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_160">160</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Indian troops at the sign of the Red Triangle</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_161">161</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>A shakedown in a London hut</td><td align='right'><a href="#shakedown">176</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Relatives of the dangerously wounded are looked after by the Y.M.C.A. in France</td><td align='right'><a href="#relatives">176</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Y.M.C.A. night motor transport</td><td align='right'><a href="#motor">177</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xiii" id="Page_xiii">[xiii]</a></span>Y.M.C.A. in the front-line dug-outs on the Palestine Front</td><td align='right'><a href="#dugouts">192</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Y.M.C.A. dug-out and canteen on Palestine Front</td><td align='right'><a href="#canteen">193</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>The Y.M.C.A. at Basra, Mesopotamia</td><td align='right'><a href="#basra">208</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>The Central Y.M.C.A., Baghdad</td><td align='right'><a href="#central">209</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>The Red Triangle in Jerusalem</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_224">224</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>The Hexham Abbey hut, <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'Schevingen'">Scheveningen</ins>, Holland</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_224">224</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Salonica: winter on the Doiran Front, showing Y.M.C.A. tent</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_225">225</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>A welcome Y.M.C.A. in the trenches</td><td align='right'><a href="#welcome">225</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Y.M.C.A. for interned prisoners of war, Leysin, Switzerland</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_232">232</a></td></tr>
+</table></div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER I</h2>
+
+<h3>THE COMING OF THE RED TRIANGLE</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>His Majesty congratulates the Association on the
+successful results of its war work, which has done
+everything conducive to the comfort and well-being
+of the armies, supplying the special and peculiar
+needs of men drawn from countries so different
+and distant. It has worked in a practical, economical
+and unostentatious manner, with consummate
+knowledge of those with whom it has to deal. At
+the same time the Association, by its spirit of discipline,
+has earned the respect and approbation of
+the military authorities.&mdash;<span class="smcap">His Majesty the King.</span></div>
+
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class="smcap">It</span> was in the summer of 1901, in the old
+volunteer days, that the Y.M.C.A. for the
+first time had its recreation tents at Conway
+in North Wales. The Lancashire Fusiliers
+were in camp, and the men had thronged the
+marquee all day, turning up in great force
+for the service that Sunday evening. It
+seemed as if they would never tire of singing
+the old familiar hymns, and when the time<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span>
+came for the address the attention of every
+man was riveted from start to finish. At
+length the tent cleared, and the men retired
+for the night. Now and then the chorus of
+a hymn could be heard coming from a bell
+tent, but soon the 'Last Post' sounded, and
+a few minutes later the plaintive notes of
+the bugle gave the signal for 'Lights Out.'
+Thereupon two of the Y.M.C.A. leaders,
+leaving the camp behind, walked up and
+down the sands of Morfa. It was a perfect
+night; not a sound was to be heard except
+the gentle ripple of the waves, three or four
+hundred yards away. The moon was near
+the full; everything seemed almost as light
+as day, and the bold outline of the Conway
+Mountain stood in clear relief against the
+sky. 'I wonder what all this means,' said
+one of the two, referring to the impressive
+service of the evening and to the crowds
+that had thronged the tents all day. 'I
+have been wondering,' said he, 'if there is a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span>
+great European war looming in the distance,
+and if God is preparing the Y.M.C.A. for
+some great work it is destined to perform
+then.' How often have those words come
+back since the beginning of the war! God
+was indeed preparing the Association for a
+work infinitely bigger than any of its leaders
+knew or even dared to hope. In those days
+H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught became
+Patron of our Military Camp Department,
+and he has ever since been a warm friend.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>How far distant now seem those early
+days of August 1914. For weeks there had
+been rumours of war, but all arrangements
+had been completed for the work of the
+Y.M.C.A. in the Territorial camps to proceed
+as usual during the August holidays.
+Then came the order for mobilisation, and
+on August the 4th a council of war was
+held at Headquarters, attended by Association
+leaders from all parts of the country.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span>
+Many of the districts were in financial difficulties,
+owing to the sudden break up of
+the summer camps, and the only possible
+policy was the one agreed upon at the
+meeting&mdash;a common programme and a
+common purse. No one knew where the
+men, or the money, were to come from, but
+it was decided to go right ahead, and from
+that resolve there could be no turning back.
+It is still true that 'He that saveth his life
+shall lose it, and he that loseth his life shall
+find it.' In that great crisis, had the
+leaders of the Y.M.C.A. stopped to consider
+first the immediate or future interests of
+the Association, then the Association would
+have gone under, and deservedly so.
+Britain was in danger, and her interests
+had to be considered first.</p>
+
+<p>What stirring days those were! We
+think of one tiny village to the south-west
+of Salisbury Plain, with a normal population
+of two or three hundred. Within a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span>
+few days of the opening of hostilities, thirty-four
+thousand men were dumped down in
+the immediate vicinity. They had no tents,
+no uniforms, no rifles, nowhere to go, and
+nothing to do, for the simple reason that
+England did not desire war and had not
+prepared for it. The General in command
+had known the Y.M.C.A. in India, and came
+to London to ask our help, which was
+gladly given. Huge recreation tents were
+opened there, and all over the country.
+North, South, East, and West, Britain was
+suddenly transformed into one armed camp,
+and the Y.M.C.A. was never more needed
+than it was in those early days. Some of
+the centres were very small, others very
+large. At the Y.M.C.A. in the White City,
+for instance, it was no uncommon thing to
+see four or five thousand men gathered
+together in the great hall. At the Crystal
+Palace, too, and in many of the camps,
+the work was carried out on a very large<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span>
+scale, whilst in other centres a farm building,
+a private house, or a tiny tent met the need.</p>
+
+<p>Thanks to the loyal co-operation and
+energy of Association leaders and workers,
+two hundred and fifty of these centres were
+established within ten days. They were
+dotted down all over the country, and every
+week that passed by showed an increase in
+strength and in the number of centres,
+until the sign of the Red Triangle was to be
+found in more than two thousand centres in
+all parts of the United Kingdom, in every
+part of the Empire, on every battle-front,
+and in some places where the Allied flags
+do not yet fly. The hands of the Military
+in those days were so full up with other
+things that they had little time to devote
+to the recreation of the troops, and our help
+was warmly welcomed. We have acted
+throughout in close co-operation with the
+Military, and we should like to add our
+tribute of praise to the efficiency of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span>
+Military machine, as we have come in touch
+with it. Much has been said during the
+war as to the marvels of German organisation,
+and possibly not too much. At the
+same time there is quite as much to be said
+in praise of British organisation. Germany
+wanted a war whilst we did not. Germany
+prepared for war, tirelessly, ceaselessly;
+with her eye on the goal&mdash;world-wide
+dominion&mdash;she brought all her organising
+ability to bear on the preparation for the
+war she was determined to force on
+humanity. Britain, on the other hand,
+has had to improvise her war organisation
+since war has been actually forced on her.
+A run round the great base camps in France
+will show how wonderfully complete is that
+organisation&mdash;transport, supply, commissariat.
+Of course there have been mistakes,
+but singularly few under the circumstances.
+Many people are very critical of the War
+Office, but those who know most of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span>
+difficulties that have been overcome and
+the successes achieved, will be the least inclined
+to join hands with the critics.</p>
+
+<p>It is like a nightmare to think of that
+first winter of the war, with its gales, rain
+and mud, and it was when the weather was
+at its worst that the men of the first
+Canadian Contingent were encamped on
+Salisbury Plain. It is difficult to conceive
+what they would have done, but for the
+timely help of the Red Triangle. The roads
+were almost impassable, and the mud in
+the vicinity of the camps appalling, but
+the Canadians stuck it, and so did our
+leaders and workers. The tents were
+crowded to their utmost capacity, but it
+was soon found that no tent could weather
+the gales of Salisbury Plain in winter.
+That discovery led to the evolution of the
+Y.M.C.A. hut. Wooden frames covered
+with canvas were tried first of all, but they,
+too, were incapable of withstanding the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span>
+fury of the gales, and something much
+stronger had to be provided.</p>
+
+<p>It meant a great deal to the country
+during that first winter of the war that the
+men were happy and contented, because
+they had their leisure hours pleasantly
+occupied, and because the most popular
+place in camp was almost without exception
+the one that bore the sign of the Red
+Triangle. And what did they find at the
+sign of the Red Triangle? They found
+there an open house, a warm welcome, a
+place of recreation and enjoyment, where
+they could meet their friends on terms
+thoroughly cordial and unofficial. Coffee
+and buns were always a great attraction,
+and as for music&mdash;the piano was hardly
+ever silent. Tommy Atkins loves a good
+tune and loves a crowd; the quiet place
+does not so much appeal to him. At the
+Y.M.C.A. he found diversion for his hours
+of leisure; opportunity for study if he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span>
+cared for it; libraries, classes, and lectures.
+There, too, he found an expression of
+religious life that appealed to him, the
+inspiration that comes from religion without
+the controversy and sectarian bitterness
+which, alas! too often accompany it, a
+religion to work by and a religion that can
+do things. Before the war nobody had
+heard of our mystic sign, but within a few
+weeks letters bearing it had found their
+way into hundreds of thousands of homes,
+bringing joy and consolation wherever they
+went. That, in brief, is the story of the
+coming of the Red Triangle. And what is
+its significance? As the emblem of the
+war work of the Y.M.C.A. it has not been
+chosen by chance, but because it exactly
+typifies the movement it represents. The
+threefold needs of men are its concern, and
+its programme is adapted to meet the needs
+of body, mind, and spirit, whilst its colour
+symbolises sacrifice. In an old book of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span>
+signs and wonders called <i>Mysterium Magnum</i>
+the inverted triangle appears as a symbol of
+the divine spirit, and in the third year of
+the war a famous Belgian painter asked
+'Qu'est-ce-que c'est&mdash;cet Y.M.C.A.?' and
+without waiting for an answer went on to
+say that the Red Triangle meant emblematically&mdash;'Spirit
+informing and penetrating
+matter,' which was, he supposed, the function
+of the Y.M.C.A. 'The Y.M.C.A. is
+attempting the impossible,' said one of its
+critics; 'it is building on the apex of the
+triangle.' Thank God it is. Yes! and
+thank God it has achieved the impossible.
+If any one had dared to foretell four years
+ago, a tithe of what has already been
+accomplished, no one would have believed
+it. The secret of the inverted triangle is
+that it is upheld by invisible hands, and it
+is the full programme of the Red Triangle
+that appeals so irresistibly to the men.
+If we were merely out to run a canteen,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span>
+others could perhaps have done the canteen
+work as well, or nearly as well, as the
+Y.M.C.A. Others could run lectures for
+the troops, and others cater for their
+spiritual needs, but it has been left to the
+Y.M.C.A. to formulate the appeal to the
+whole man&mdash;Body, Mind, and Spirit&mdash;and
+the appeal to every man, irrespective
+of creed or party. Every man is equally
+welcome in the Y.M.C.A.&mdash;Protestant,
+Romanist, Anglican, Free-churchman, Jew,
+Mohammedan, Buddhist, Hindoo, or
+Brahmin&mdash;the men of every religion and
+no religion, and yet the religious note is
+ever dominant, though no man's religion
+will ever be attacked from a Y.M.C.A.
+platform.</p>
+
+<p>The story of the Red Triangle is, indeed,
+one of the great romances of the war. Its
+work has never been regarded as an end
+in itself, but rather as auxiliary to that of
+other organisations. It is auxiliary to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span>
+the Church, and its doors have been thrown
+wide open to the Padres of all denominations.
+Protestants, Catholics, Jews&mdash;even
+Mohammedans&mdash;have worshipped God in
+their own way within the hospitable walls
+of the Association. It has been auxiliary
+to the official medical services of the Army,
+the R.A.M.C., and the Red Cross&mdash;in
+hospitals and convalescent camps, and
+with the walking wounded at the clearing
+stations at the Front. It has arranged
+concerts and entertainments by the thousand
+for patients and nurses; has looked
+after the friends of dangerously wounded
+men, and has often handed over its huts
+to be used as emergency hospitals; while
+in hosts of other ways which can never be
+recorded, it has been able to render vitally
+important service. It has been auxiliary
+to the Military machine at every turn of
+the war. In the midst of the camp though
+not of it, its secretaries and workers conform<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span>
+to military rules and are subject to
+discipline, although they are themselves
+civilians. In this way the Association has
+provided the human touch, and officers
+and men alike have appreciated the fact
+that there is one place in camp where
+discipline through being temporarily relaxed,
+has been permanently strengthened.</p>
+
+<p>The Romance of the Red Triangle, like
+the story of the first crusade, has been the
+romance of the pioneer. The Y.M.C.A.
+was first in the field, though now there
+are many other organised societies and
+private individuals doing similar work
+on the lines which it thought out and
+proved to be practicable. Indeed, the
+whole story of the Y.M.C.A. has been full
+of adventurous episodes of romance, not
+merely during the war, but long before
+it, commencing seventy years ago, when
+George Williams came as a boy from
+Somerset to London, and as one of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span>
+a band of twelve intrepid young men,
+founded the first branch of a movement
+destined to spread to all corners of the
+world. It is only during these years of
+war that the Society has fully come into
+its own, and received universal recognition,
+but we do not forget that to those pioneers
+of the early Victorian days and to the
+Y.M.C.A. leaders, who during the years
+before the war hammered out a policy for
+work amongst soldiers in the Volunteer
+and Territorial camps, the widespread
+movement of to-day is largely due.</p>
+
+<p>To know what the Army thinks of the
+Y.M.C.A., one need only note, on the one
+hand, the facilities given to the Association
+by officers in high command; and on the
+other, how the N.C.O.'s and men&mdash;officers
+and officer-cadets too&mdash;make use of the
+huts.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"><a name="huts" id="huts"></a>
+<img src="images/i033.jpg" width="600" height="412" alt="HUT IN THE GROUNDS OF THE RUINS OF THE H&Ocirc;TEL-DE-VILLE AT ARRAS" title="" />
+<span class="caption">HUT IN THE GROUNDS OF THE RUINS OF THE H&Ocirc;TEL-DE-VILLE AT ARRAS</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Prior to one of our great advances in
+1917, the district to be attacked was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span>
+reconstructed behind the line in a large
+map carefully worked out on the ground,
+every road and path being clearly marked.
+Every trench, redoubt, and dug-out;
+every hedge and ditch was recorded, and
+every gun emplacement shown. 'Reserved
+for the Y.M.C.A.' was written over a
+vacant plot near the centre of the map.</p>
+
+<p>In France 'Le Triangle Rouge' is often
+called 'Les Ygrecs' (The Y's), and the
+Red Triangle will pass the Association
+worker almost anywhere. It sounds odd
+in the reserve trenches, amidst the roar of
+guns and the scream of shells, to hear the
+sentry's challenge as we have heard it,
+'Halt! who goes there?' 'Y.M.C.A.'
+'Pass, Y.M., all's well!'</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"><a name="one" id="one"></a>
+<img src="images/i034.jpg" width="600" height="350" alt="ONE OF MANY Y.M.C.A. HUTS BUILT UNDER SHELL-FIRE" title="" />
+<span class="caption">ONE OF MANY Y.M.C.A. HUTS BUILT UNDER SHELL-FIRE</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>One of our workers in the valley of the
+Somme in 1917 was left behind, as the
+troops advanced to follow up the line of
+the great German retreat. For weeks he
+shared his Y.M.C.A. shanty with the rats,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span>
+and late one evening went for a two miles
+walk. A sentry challenged him, and
+evidently regarded him with suspicion.
+After he had convinced the guard of his
+identity, it was explained to him that
+three German prisoners were at large, and
+one of them was known to be wearing a
+Y.M.C.A. uniform. When he awoke that
+night in his rat-infested shanty it seemed
+to him that if the three Huns chanced to
+know of his whereabouts, it would not be a
+difficult thing for them to possess themselves
+of yet another Y.M.C.A. uniform!</p>
+
+<p>In the early days of the war it was
+agreed that no request for the help of the
+Association, which on investigation proved
+a definite need to exist, should be refused,
+and God honoured the faith of those who
+dared to make the resolve. The way the
+movement has grown and is growing still
+is nothing short of a romance, and the
+following pages tell the story of service<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span>
+rendered under the sign of the Red
+Triangle to the men of His Majesty's
+Forces, irrespective of class, creed, or
+party, in England and north of the Border,
+in Wales and Ireland, on every battle-front
+and in every base; amongst men of
+every colour and creed who are serving
+under our great Flag&mdash;the Flag that
+stands for Freedom.</p>
+
+<p>Possibly the greatest romance of all
+will be that dealing with the work of the
+Red Triangle after the war. Who knows?</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER II</h2>
+
+<h3>BLAZING THE TRAIL WITH THE RED TRIANGLE</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>Few organisations have done so much in caring for
+the comfort and well-being of our soldiers as your
+Associations. They have given invaluable help to
+the Army, and have immeasurably lightened the
+hardships which have to be endured by our troops.
+In recognising the excellent work that has already
+been done, I should like to wish you success in that
+which you still propose to undertake. I consider
+that your plans for after the war are not the least
+important of your activities.&mdash;<span class="smcap">The Right Hon.
+David Lloyd George, M.P.</span></div>
+
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class="smcap">The</span> Red Triangle is often to be found in
+unexpected places. 'A wonderful, friendly
+old octopus, this Y.M.C.A.' was the way
+an Australian put it, and it was not at
+all a bad description of the ubiquitous
+Red Triangle. Tommy recognises it to-day
+as his club, his meeting house, his
+home from home. It is his, and he knows
+it! It touches him at every point and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span>
+in almost every place. The recruit finds
+it at his dep&ocirc;t, near his billet, and in the
+training camp where he learns to be a
+soldier; indeed, it is part of the training,
+and an important part, too. Passing
+through London or a great provincial
+city, he can stay the night in one of the
+Y.M.C.A. hostels; he meets it again at
+the English ports before he embarks for
+one of the fighting fronts; it is there to
+greet him on the other side, not only at
+the ports of entry and in the base camps,
+but on the lines of communication in
+France, Italy, Egypt, Palestine, Mesopotamia,
+and right up the line, in cellar or
+dug-out as well as in rest-camp and at
+railhead. If he should have the misfortune
+to be wounded he may expect to find the
+Association at the casualty clearing station
+or in the hospital, and later on in the
+convalescent camp, or, if invalided out
+of the army, it will still stick to him and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span>
+befriend him at a time when he is likely
+to need a friend. If he is numbered
+amongst the missing and finds himself in a
+prisoner of war camp in Germany, even
+then he may not be beyond the outreach
+of the Association. There is at least one
+redeeming feature to the prisoner of war
+camp in Ruhleben in Germany, for right
+in the heart of it there is a little brown
+hut with the Red Triangle and the letters
+'Y.M.C.A.' on the roof&mdash;one of several in
+Germany erected with American Y.M.C.A.
+money, at a time when America was a
+neutral state, and run entirely by British
+prisoners of war for the benefit of their
+fellow-Britishers, who also have the misfortune
+to be prisoners of war.</div>
+
+<p>It is little we can do for these brave
+lads who are wearing their hearts out
+longing to hear the voices of those they
+love in the Homeland, but the Y.M.C.A.
+does what it can.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>This girdle of loving-kindness is completed
+in the Internment Camps of Switzerland&mdash;at
+M&uuml;rren, Leysin, Interlaken,
+Meiringen, and Seeburg, and in those of
+Holland at Scheveningen, Rotterdam, The
+Hague, and Groningen. None need our
+help more than the officers and men of
+those internment camps. It was one of
+the latter who said he would rather be in
+Germany than in the internment camp in
+Switzerland, for in Germany, said he, one
+has, at any rate, the excitement of trying
+to escape; but now, working hand-in-hand
+with the British Red Cross, the Red Triangle
+provides recreation and employment for
+the long hours of leisure, and there can be
+no doubt as to the appreciation of those
+it seeks to serve.</p>
+
+<p>A worker at Cambridge went to a
+neighbouring village to arrange a flag
+day on behalf of our war fund. He was
+advised to get in touch with the post-mistress,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span>
+who was keenly interested in the
+movement. 'Of course, I am interested,'
+she said when he saw her, 'and if you will
+come into my sitting-room I will show
+you why.' There on the wall in a little
+room at the back of the post-office was
+what she called her Roll of Honour&mdash;the
+photographs of twelve lads from her
+Bible class, all serving with His Majesty's
+Forces. 'Eleven out of the twelve,' said
+she, 'write me almost every week, and
+tell me what a boon the Y.M.C.A. is to
+them. That is why I am ready to do all
+I can to help you with your Flag Day.'
+The sequel was interesting. Half an hour
+later No. 12 called to see her. 'How
+strange,' she cried; 'I was just talking
+about you, and saying you were the only
+one of the boys who never wrote expressing
+appreciation of the Y.M.C.A.' 'That
+is easily explained,' was the reply. 'I
+have been at sea since the early days of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span>
+the war, and have had no opportunity of
+getting ashore and using the Y.M.C.A.
+until three months ago, when I was sent
+to Egypt and stationed at the Mena camp.
+There I used the Association hut within
+sight of the great pyramid, and I appreciate
+the work as much as anyone to-day.'</p>
+
+<p>A young soldier who was formerly a
+Y.M.C.A. worker wrote from France:&mdash;'We
+came upon the Prussian Guard about
+ten days ago, and for five days and nights
+we fought hand to hand like demons,
+but in the end we gained our objective.
+You talk of the work of the Y.M.C.A. at
+home as splendid. I know it is, but here
+the Y.M.C.A.'s are more. In this place,
+famous for its wonderful bell tower, the
+Y.M.C.A. is in full swing, although only
+yesterday it was shelled heavily and
+shrapnel was falling pretty thick along the
+road. Cheero!' Another young soldier<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span>
+wrote from Malta, and gave his experience
+of the Y.M.C.A. 'The Association is the
+finest thing that was ever instituted
+without doubt. The Army has blessed
+the fact many a time. I have served in
+France and a few other countries, and
+am in a position to know.'</p>
+
+<p>In the early days of the war Y.M.C.A.
+secretaries learned to adapt all kinds of
+premises, no matter how primitive, to
+meet the needs of the troops. A cow-house
+amid the trenches of the East
+Coast; a pigsty in the south-west of
+England, neither of them much to look
+at, but doing good service and helping to
+blaze the trail; a dug-out at Anzac and
+three tiny marquees at Cape Helles; a
+cellar at Meroc, just behind the British
+lines in the neighbourhood of Loos; a
+ch&acirc;teau formerly the residence of the lord
+of the manor at Mazingarbe, and a palatial
+but ruined Technical Institute at Armenti&egrave;res.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span>
+It was fixed up in a convent at Aire&mdash;the
+first Y.M.C.A. to be opened in a forward
+position in France, and inside a ruined
+hospice at Ypres; in a Trappist monastery
+on the Mont des Cats; in the most southern
+city in the world at Invercargill; above
+the clouds with the British troops in
+Italy; inside some of the German prisoner
+of war camps in Germany; in the old
+German Consulate at Jaffa, in the heart of
+the Holy City, and on the Palestine lines
+of communication at Gaza and Beersheba.
+'The Jolly Farmer' near Aldershot, and
+the more notorious 'Bolger's' public house
+in Sackville Street, Dublin, made their
+appearance early in the war under the
+sign of the Red Triangle, whilst Ciro's, the
+once famous night club in the heart of
+London, and the mansions of Viscount
+Wimborne and Lord Brassey have also
+been thrown open for the service of the
+Association.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The trail of the Red Triangle was first
+blazed in the United Kingdom, and since
+then it has become familiar on every fighting
+front, and in all sorts of queer and unexpected
+places: in the jungle of India;
+on the banks of the Tigris, the Euphrates,
+and the Nile; amid the swamps of East
+Africa; along the valley of the Jordan;
+in the Egyptian desert; in the great
+training camps of North America; in
+Australasia and South Africa, as well as
+in the plains of Flanders and Picardy;
+in the valleys of the Somme, the Marne,
+the Meuse, and the Aisne. It is to be
+found on the Varda and the Struma, and
+we have seen for ourselves how that trail
+has been welcomed by men of many
+nationalities&mdash;Britons from the Homeland
+and from the outposts of Empire, from
+Canada, Newfoundland, Australia, New
+Zealand, and South Africa; Indians,
+Chinese, Cape Boys and Kaffirs, Frenchmen,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span>
+Portuguese, and Belgians, and wherever
+the trail of the Red Triangle goes it
+stands for reconstruction even amid the
+horrors and desolation of war.</p>
+
+<p>An officer cadet who had spent two
+years in France, said he had noticed a
+great change in the attitude of the men.
+'In the early days of the war,' said he,
+'men on arriving in new billets at the
+Front would say, "Is there no Y.M.C.A.
+in the village?" Later on they took it
+for granted that the Red Triangle was
+there and asked, "Where is the Y.M.C.A.?"
+Now they always say, "Where is it?"
+and every one knows to what they refer.'
+It brings comfort, hope, good cheer, and
+inspiration with it. An English boy
+writing home from Egypt to his people in
+the Midlands, said that the Y.M.C.A. was
+to him as 'a bit of Heaven in a world that
+was otherwise all hell.' A visitor to the
+Association at Kantara expressed his surprise<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span>
+at finding such a splendid Y.M.C.A.
+building in that Egyptian centre, fitted
+up even with hot and cold baths!</p>
+
+<p>A sum of &pound;400 was taken in a single day
+over the refreshment counter in one of
+the Y.M.C.A. marquees in the heart of the
+Sinai Peninsula, and it will give an idea
+of the immense amount of work involved
+to the staff of the Association, when it is
+remembered that all stores had to be
+conveyed from the railhead to the Y.M.C.A.
+on the backs of camels.</p>
+
+<p>A British soldier writing from the
+'Adam and Eve' hut in Mesopotamia
+said, 'I should like to comment upon the
+wonderful work the Y.M.C.A. is doing
+here among the troops. In almost every
+large camp there is a Y.M.C.A. hut, a
+veritable haven in the desert, not only for
+canteen, but religious work also. I attended
+a service in the hut, and it made a
+good impression on me. We sang the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span>
+good old hymns, and I am sure we all felt
+refreshed.'</p>
+
+<p>As might be expected, the Dominions
+have done their full share of pioneering,
+and have blazed the trail in many different
+directions. The Canadians have done a
+great work at Shorncliffe, Sandling, Bramshott,
+and Witley; in the Forestry camps
+at home and right up the line in France.
+The Australians on Salisbury Plain, at
+Weymouth, and in many other home
+centres have served their troops splendidly;
+whilst in France, Egypt, the Dardanelles,
+and Palestine their pioneering work has
+been great. The New Zealanders at Sling
+Plantation, Hornchurch, and other centres
+at home, have done equally well, and their
+pioneering work overseas has been most
+efficient. The South Africans have done
+valuable work in the Military Expedition
+to Swakopmund and in East Africa. India
+has made a great contribution to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span>
+Empire work of the Red Triangle, first of
+all by catering for the needs of British
+troops quartered in India itself, and also
+in Mesopotamia and East Africa, where
+the work has been directed from India, as
+has that for the Indian troops in France.
+Passing reference should also be made here
+to the great programme of work undertaken
+and planned by the Y.M.C.A.'s
+of the United States. In the United
+Kingdom, in France, Russia and Italy,
+as well as in North America, they have projected
+work on an enormous scale, in fact,
+all the Allied countries are closely co-operating
+in the work of the Red Triangle.
+It has been the privilege of the British
+Associations to provide huts for the exclusive
+use of Belgian, Serbian, and
+Portuguese troops, and to cater for the
+needs of American and Colonial soldiers in
+hundreds of centres. In London, for
+instance, special facilities have been given<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span>
+to New Zealanders at the Shakespeare
+hut; we were able to procure for the
+Canadian Y.M.C.A. the magnificent Tivoli
+site on which their fine hostel now stands,
+and to hand over the group of huts to the
+Americans which formed the nucleus of
+the Eagle Hut. The Australians rented and
+furnished the Aldwych Theatre on their own
+account. The New Zealand Y.M.C.A.'s
+made a handsome contribution towards the
+cost of the Shakespeare Hut, and the whole
+of the cost of the Eagle and Beaver Huts
+has been borne by the American and
+Canadian Y.M.C.A.'s, respectively. The
+American and Colonial Associations have
+taken over a number of British huts in
+camps, and in some cases have enlarged
+them.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;">
+<img src="images/i051.jpg" width="550" height="390" alt="THE FIRST Y.M.C.A. OVER THE GERMAN TRENCHES ON THE SOMME BATTLEFIELD" title="" />
+<span class="caption">THE FIRST Y.M.C.A. OVER THE GERMAN TRENCHES ON THE SOMME BATTLEFIELD</span>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 390px;"><a name="the" id="the"></a>
+<img src="images/i052.jpg" width="390" height="600" alt="THE Y.M.C.A. IN THE ORCHARD AT ALBERT" title="" />
+<span class="caption">THE Y.M.C.A. IN THE ORCHARD AT ALBERT</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER III</h2>
+
+<h3>FLOTSAM AND JETSAM</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>In my opinion nothing can exceed the value of the
+work which has been and is being done for H.M.
+Forces by the Y.M.C.A. I offer my best wishes
+for continued success.&mdash;<span class="smcap">The Right Hon. H. H.
+Asquith, K.C., M.P.</span></div>
+
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class='smcap'>The</span> Romance of the Red Triangle is a
+twenty-four hours a day romance, for
+many of its centres never close their
+doors. When we are comfortably sleeping
+at night and in the early hours of the
+morning, Y.M.C.A. workers are hard at
+work on motor patrol conveying leave
+men from station to station or hut to hut,
+and others are on foot meeting the men
+and guiding them to their destination.
+Alighting from the Edinburgh train at
+Leeds very early one morning, it was
+raining and a young Scottish trooper<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span>
+stepped down to the platform from the
+adjoining compartment. We knew we
+were all right, a room having been retained
+for us at the Station Hotel; but what of
+him? Had he anywhere to go? He evidently
+had no plans, but at that moment
+a gentleman in civilian attire stepped up
+to him, and without patronising, and in
+the most natural way possible said to him,
+'Have you long to wait? Have you
+anywhere to go?' The lad replied that
+he had several hours to wait for his connection
+and had nowhere to go. 'Well,
+come along with me, and I will see you all
+right at the Y.M.C.A.' People who do this
+work or devote themselves, night after
+night, to that of the motor patrols don't
+often get their photos into the papers,
+but they are rendering national service
+of a high order without fee or reward, and
+in almost every case, at the end of a hard
+day's work.</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The International Hospitality League
+of the Y.M.C.A. is doing similar work on
+a very large scale, and in its kiosks and
+inquiry rooms, not only in London, but in
+Glasgow, Edinburgh, and many of our
+large provincial centres hundreds of thousands
+of inquiries are being received and
+answered day by day, whilst the street
+patrol workers have been able to help
+very many who have welcomed their
+assistance.</p>
+
+<p>We know of no more moving sight than
+one of the great Triage huts in France
+when leave is on. We think of our last
+visit to one such. Three hundred men were
+sleeping there that night, and 'Uncle Joe,'
+the Y.M.C.A. leader, went round the
+bunks last thing to see them safely tucked
+in. As we stood in the main hall we
+thought we understood what was said of
+our Lord that 'when He saw the multitude
+He was filled with compassion.' Scores<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span>
+of men were gathered around the piano,
+singing rowdy choruses of the kind loved
+by our Tommies. The coffee queue extended
+the whole length of the room, and
+the men had to buy their tickets from
+Uncle Joe, who had a few words with each
+in homely Lancashire dialect, whilst
+further along the counter a titled lady was
+serving coffee as fast as she could pour it
+out. There were crowds round the tables,
+reading or feeding. We noticed at one
+table a group of men, one of whom was
+cutting up a long French loaf, another
+had just opened a tin of sardines which he
+was sharing round, whilst a third was
+helping his comrades from a tin of pears.
+All were on their way home on leave, or
+returning to the Front, and all were
+merry and happy as British Tommies
+almost invariably are.</p>
+
+<p>Sometimes in a London hut, or it may
+be in the Y.M.C.A. in Paris, you will come<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span>
+across one of these Tommies who is down
+and out. He has been on leave and has
+spent or lost all his money, and is down
+on his luck. It is to the Y.M.C.A. he
+turns. A little act of kindness, under such
+circumstances, has often changed a man's
+whole outlook on life. Nearly the whole
+of the service in the Y.M.C.A. hostels is
+rendered voluntarily, and many workers
+who have home or business ties welcome
+this opportunity of doing war service
+that really counts. There is a tendency
+in some quarters to speak disparagingly
+of the voluntary worker, but those who
+know, realise the enormous value of such
+service. No paid workers could have been
+more zealous or more efficient than those
+who have served voluntarily under the
+Red Triangle. The old brewery in Earl
+Street was the first building in London
+to be adapted for sleeping purposes, but
+the 'Euston' was the first Y.M.C.A.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span>
+hostel to be built. One of the largest is
+the Shakespeare Hut which was built on
+the site of the proposed National Shakespeare
+Memorial Theatre, kindly loaned
+for the purpose. The huge building by
+London Bridge was lent by the city of
+London. Many of the huts occupy central
+and important sites, as for instance, the
+station huts at King's Cross, Victoria, and
+Waterloo,&mdash;and the station hut often means
+the last touch of home before men go
+overseas, and that makes the work and
+the personality of the workers all the
+more important.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER IV</h2>
+
+<h3>THE ROMANCE OF FINANCE</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>This work has been admirably done both at home
+and at the Front. Its spiritual and material value
+to the men lies beyond all reckoning, and the
+services of its personnel are deeply appreciated by
+the men themselves.&mdash;<span class="smcap">The Right Hon. A. J.
+Balfour, O.M., M.P.</span></div>
+
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class="smcap">On</span> August 4, 1914, our plan for war work
+was ready, but the 'sinews of war' were
+lacking. Little could be done without
+money. In our extremity we laid the
+whole position before one of our most
+generous leaders and supporters, and told
+him of the opportunity we saw facing the
+Y.M.C.A. 'If we are to seize the opportunity,'
+we said, 'it is absolutely <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'necesary'">necessary</ins>
+we should secure immediately twenty-five
+thousand pounds!' He looked up and
+smiled indulgently&mdash;'Twenty-five thousand<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span>
+pounds!' he cried; 'you couldn't possibly
+raise three thousand pounds at a time
+like this; the thing's impossible!' 'Impossible
+or not,' was the reply, 'it must be
+done. We mustn't even stop to think of
+the future of the Y.M.C.A. Everything is
+at stake, and even if we have to sell every
+building and every stick of furniture we
+possess we must go forward now!' That
+very day a large number of telegrams and
+letters were sent out from Headquarters
+to friends all over the country&mdash;the first
+war emergency appeal of the Red Triangle&mdash;and
+within a few days the whole of the
+twenty-five thousand pounds had been
+raised, and we were appealing for another
+fifty thousand pounds, until at the time
+of writing, in August 1918, the war fund
+has reached the total of nearly two and a
+half millions sterling. That is a small
+sum compared with the amounts raised for
+Y.M.C.A. war work in the United States.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span>
+Their first appeal brought in five million
+pounds, the second more than twelve
+millions, and their appeal a year later, in
+October 1918, is for twenty millions sterling.
+Our American friends gave us a hundred
+thousand pounds from the amount raised
+by their second war work appeal, a generous
+and much appreciated gift. People who
+know little of the facts are sometimes
+inclined to criticise what they regard as
+the huge war expenditure of the British
+Y.M.C.A.'s, but a moment's reflection will
+make it clear that it has been little short
+of a miracle of finance to carry out such an
+enormous programme of work at a total
+cost of only about one-third of the cost to
+Britain alone of a single day of war. We
+have always been short of money, have
+always had a big overdraft at the bank,
+and that largely because we have had to
+finance a huge business concern without
+capital. Our war fund has been secured<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span>
+partly as a result of skilful advertising,
+partly through personal solicitation and in
+response to postal appeals. Flag Days
+and Hut Weeks also proved valuable
+agencies for raising money. The full-page
+Y.M.C.A. advertisements in <i>The
+Times</i> and other papers were something
+quite new in religious and social work
+advertising, though the method has since
+been widely adopted by other organisations.</div>
+
+<p>Many touching stories are told concerning
+gifts to the war fund, gifts, many of
+which have not been secured as a result of
+cleverly drawn advertisements, but because
+the contributors have been touched directly
+or indirectly by the work itself. A boy
+wrote home from Flanders, 'Tell Dad if
+he has any money to spare to give it to the
+Y.M.C.A. as a thankoffering for what they
+are doing for us chaps out here.' One
+of our centres had been nearly destroyed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span>
+by a Zeppelin bomb. It was rebuilt and
+the day came for the reopening. A lady
+was present and expressed herself thus:
+'I wanted to be here to-day, if only to
+thank you for what your Association has
+done for my boy. When the war broke
+out,' said she, 'he went to the Crystal
+Palace for his training, and found the
+Y.M.C.A. there an inestimable boon. He
+was sent to Blandford to complete his
+training, and the Y.M.C.A. was there.
+He was drafted out to Gallipoli, and to his
+amazement he found the Y.M.C.A. on the
+Peninsula. He was wounded and sent to
+Suez, where once more the Y.M.C.A. was
+a great help to him, and yesterday,' she
+continued, 'I received a letter from him
+from Alexandria saying he was convalescent,
+and spending the whole of his spare
+time in the central building of the
+Association.' It is that personal touch
+that has made the appeal of the Red<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span>
+Triangle one of the most popular appeals of
+the war.</p>
+
+<p>A lady called one day with a novel
+suggestion. She had been reading a statement
+attributed to the Kaiser, in which the
+All Highest is alleged to have said that if
+the worst came to the worst every dog and
+cat in Germany would be armed in defence
+of the Fatherland. 'If the dogs and cats
+of Germany are going to do that for their
+country,' she said, 'why shouldn't the dogs
+and cats of England pay for one of your
+huts?' Quite frankly there did not
+appear to be much money in the scheme,
+but it could do no harm, so we encouraged
+it! Imagine our surprise when a few
+days later the same lady walked in with a
+cheque for four hundred and fifty pounds.
+There was one gift of five pounds, all the
+rest had been given in smaller amounts,
+and altogether upwards of two thousand
+dogs and cats&mdash;or their masters and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span>
+mistresses&mdash;had contributed. A few weeks
+later the fund was closed, at just over one
+thousand pounds, and there has been no
+more useful centre of Y.M.C.A. war work
+than the 'Dogs and Cats Hut' at Rouen,
+paid for entirely by this fund.</p>
+
+<p>The Boys and Girls fund has reached
+upwards of twenty thousand pounds. We
+had been speaking to the boys at Harrow
+School, and the suggestion had been thrown
+out that it would be a good plan to have
+a 'Harrow' Hut at the Front. At the
+close of the meeting the headmaster,
+supporting the suggestion, said he would
+give the collection in chapel the following
+Sunday to the fund. The head boy
+approached him afterwards and said, 'I
+think, Sir, it would be a mistake to make
+a collection for the Y.M.C.A. on Sunday.
+If you do the boys will think they have
+done their bit, and won't bother any
+further. Won't you let us make a whip<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span>
+up round the houses and see what we can
+do?' Thus it was agreed, and the five
+hundred pounds, which in those days was
+the cost of a hut, was raised in less than a
+week. We have seen that hut in France,
+and know how much it was appreciated.
+During the German advance in Picardy it
+had to be temporarily abandoned, but
+fortunately was speedily occupied again.</p>
+
+<p>In the early days of the Euston hut,
+the vicar of a neighbouring parish was
+keenly interested, and told the children in
+his day school what he had seen in the hut.
+At the close of his address a deputation
+of the older children waited on him and
+told him they were interested in what he
+told them, and would much like to help
+the Y.M.C.A. in its work for the soldiers.
+'You help?' queried the vicar; 'how
+can you help?' He knew how poor they
+were. To his surprise they had their
+scheme ready, and their plans cut and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span>
+dried. 'This time every year,' said the
+spokesman, 'we put by our pennies and
+our ha'pennies for our annual treat. We
+don't feel like having a treat this year
+when all this terrible fighting is taking
+place. We would rather give the money
+to the Y.M.C.A. to spend on the soldiers
+and sailors.' A few days later, the leader
+of the Euston hut was sitting at a table
+in the central hall when his attention was
+attracted by a group of ragged children,
+standing round the entrance. Curiously
+they would peer inside and then step back,
+until two or three bolder than the others
+walked right in as if the whole place
+belonged to them. That was too much for
+the leader. He went up to them and
+cried, 'You must run away; this place
+isn't for boys and girls, it's for soldiers and
+sailors.' Looking up into his face a little
+ragged youngster retorted, 'Please, sir,
+we've given our money towards this show,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span>
+and we want to see how it's run!' On
+inquiry, it was ascertained that the children
+belonged to one of the poorest of the
+schools in the north of London, and out of
+their poverty they had given no less than
+thirty shillings, nearly the whole of it in
+pennies and farthings. Many memorial
+gifts have been received, and a hut that
+will be an inspiration and help to tens of
+thousands, is surely one of the most
+suitable of memorials.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/i069.jpg" width="500" height="364" alt="A REFUGE FOR THE REFUGEES" title="" />
+<span class="caption">A REFUGE FOR THE REFUGEES</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Business firms and merchant princes
+have given their thousands; others, with
+equal generosity, have contributed shillings.
+In the Channel Islands, there was a fish-hawker,
+named Richards, who eked out a
+slender livelihood by selling fish on the
+streets of Jersey. The coming of the war
+hit him so hard that he was compelled
+to leave for France to seek other employment.
+He got a job under the contractors
+who were building the hutments in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span>
+Harfleur Valley. He did well, and eventually
+returned home to Jersey. The Sunday
+after his return, his minister was taking
+up special collections for the hut fund.
+Richards had found the Red Triangle
+huts at Havre a great boon, and on entering
+the church at the evening service,
+handed his minister a little paper packet
+containing coins. The padre fingered the
+parcel and said to himself, 'He has given
+six pennies, a generous gift, too, under
+the circumstances!' Imagine his surprise
+on opening the packet to find there six
+half-crowns. He said, 'You ought not to
+give so much; you can't possibly afford
+it.' 'When I remember all the Y.M.C.A.
+did for me when a stranger in France
+and homeless,' was his reply, 'I can't
+possibly do less, and wish I could give
+more.'</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
+<img src="images/i070.jpg" width="450" height="340" alt="Y.M.C.A. MARQUEE IN THE SHELL-SWEPT SOMME AREA" title="" />
+<span class="caption">Y.M.C.A. MARQUEE IN THE SHELL-SWEPT SOMME AREA</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>A flower-seller at a popular seaside
+holiday resort for many months has given<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span>
+to the local Y.M.C.A. hut a shillingsworth
+of flowers each week, as a thankoffering
+for what the Association has done for her
+husband and son.</p>
+
+<p>At Taunton a farm labourer called at
+the back door of the house of the president
+of the local Y.M.C.A., and said he wanted
+to help the war fund. It was the only
+thing he could do to help the men at the
+Front. He had tried to enlist several
+times, but they would not have him. He
+laid on the table fifty one-pound notes,
+and went back to his work on the farm.
+Inquiries elicited the fact that he had
+given practically the whole of his savings,
+and had done it in spite of his employer's
+urgent advice to the contrary.</p>
+
+<p>At the close of a meeting held by one
+of our workers, an elderly lady came to
+him and said if he would go to her house
+she would give him a sovereign. He went,
+and she gave him the coin, and then closing<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span>
+the door of her private room, said, 'And
+now I am going to give you the most
+precious possession I have in the world.'
+Her voice choked with emotion as she
+proceeded, 'Years, many years ago, I
+was to have been married. The arrangements
+were made, the day fixed, and
+the ring bought, and&mdash;<i>then he died!</i>'
+And she sobbed as she spoke. Going to
+a bureau she took out a little box and,
+handing it to him, said, 'The wedding
+ring is in there. I have kept it all these
+years, but I promised the Lord I would
+only keep it until He showed me what He
+would have me do with it, and He told me
+while you were speaking. I give it to
+you for the Y.M.C.A. and for the boys,'
+and she turned away utterly broken up.
+Thousands of incidents could be related
+of equal interest to the foregoing, did
+space permit, and all these incidents combine
+to give a personal interest to the fund.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span>
+We can only add that the greatest possible
+care has been taken to administer the
+fund wisely and so avoid waste, or anything
+that savours of extravagance. Of
+course, Y.M.C.A. finance has come in for
+criticism. Certain people who have visited
+the huts, and have seen the enormous
+business there transacted have come to
+the conclusion that either very large
+profits are being made, or that the business
+methods of the Association leave much to be
+desired. The question has frequently been
+asked, 'What is done with the profits?'
+and the fiction has got abroad that the
+Y.M.C.A. publishes no accounts and is
+amassing huge sums of money. The real
+position is easily stated:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>The Y.M.C.A. does not do trading
+for trading's sake, but because through
+its trading department it is the better
+enabled to meet the needs of the
+troops, and also because profits on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span>
+trading mean further extension. So
+rapid has been the development of the
+war work of the Y.M.C.A., that not
+only has every penny of profit been
+spent on the maintenance and development
+of this work for soldiers and
+sailors, but it has been necessary to
+raise large sums of money in subscriptions
+to meet the ever-increasing
+demand for extension. Every new
+centre means, or may mean, an additional
+burden on the central fund or
+on the divisional funds for which the
+National Council is ultimately responsible.
+First, there is the cost of the
+hut, which may mean &pound;750 or may run
+into thousands&mdash;it all depends upon
+size and site. The initial cost may be
+defrayed by an individual gift to the
+central war fund, but usually to make
+the hut large enough for its purpose,
+additional money has to be spent,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span>
+whilst the furnishing will probably cost
+from one to three hundred pounds, or
+more. Also, it must carry stock to
+the value of a hundred pounds or
+possibly much more if it is a big camp.
+A very big turnover in a Triangle hut
+may represent a very small profit, <i>e.g.</i>
+there are enormous sales of stamps and
+postal orders, and all these are sold for
+actual cost, and, what is more, the
+Association has to bear the loss of
+shortages. Then there are the things
+the Y.M.C.A. does free of any charges
+whatever, <i>e.g.</i> there are no club fees
+and no charges for admission to concerts,
+lectures, or entertainments in the
+ordinary hut. Free writing paper and
+envelopes are at the present time costing
+more than &pound;90,000 a year. Thousands
+of pounds are spent on cricket
+and football outfits, games generally,
+books, pictures, and literature for free<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span>
+distribution. Hot drinks and refreshments
+are given free to the walking
+wounded on a very large scale, and
+practically every one of the two thousand
+war Y.M.C.A.'s keeps 'open
+house' at Christmas. The work of
+the Y.M.C.A. for the relatives of
+wounded is very costly, especially in
+France, many hostels being maintained
+for that purpose. Motor transport
+is an expensive item for which
+there is no return, and very large sums
+of money are spent on lectures and
+educational work. It is estimated that
+the Y.M.C.A. educational programme
+in France alone may ultimately cost
+the Association fifty thousand pounds a
+year. When the request has come to
+open a new centre, the determining
+factor has been, 'Is it needed?' not
+'Will it pay?' Indeed many huts
+in isolated centres cannot possibly be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span>
+made to pay, and yet they mean everything
+to the men who use them. The
+spending department of the Association
+has been built up with the greatest
+care. A body of well-known business
+men meets for hours every week and
+watches expenditure as a cat watches
+a mouse. The Acting Treasurer of the
+War Emergency Fund is a partner in
+a big firm of Indian Merchants, and
+devotes himself with untiring energy
+and conspicuous ability to the supervision
+of accounts and to the expenditure.
+The accounts are audited by a
+leading firm of chartered accountants,
+and the audited statement of receipts
+and expenditure together with a balance
+sheet, is published in <i>The Times</i> and
+other papers every six months. In the
+canteens it is a matter of principle to
+give full value for money spent, but
+towards the war services the profits<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span>
+made have been equal to a sum of
+ten shillings for every pound contributed
+by the public. Owing chiefly to
+the enormous stores that have to be
+maintained in France and Overseas
+generally, the Bank overdraft of the
+war fund has often reached four and
+five hundred thousand pounds. It is
+thus not difficult to see what is done
+with the profits. The Y.M.C.A. might,
+had it so chosen, have feathered its nest
+during the war, but with a sublime,
+though by no means a reckless disregard
+of the future it stepped right into the
+breach, and went straight forward to
+meet the national need.</p></div>
+
+<p>As a Y.M.C.A. we pride ourselves on
+the business management of our work.
+We insist on business methods being
+adopted, and we do not mix our business
+with philanthropy&mdash;the Association hut
+is not a charity as far as its business side<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span>
+is concerned. The average hut in a large
+camp is expected to pay its way, so that
+subscriptions from the general public can
+be applied to the extension of the work
+and to the maintenance of centres that
+cannot be self-supporting.</p>
+
+<p>The War Office, in the early stages of
+the war, asked us to pay a rebate of
+10 per cent. on the gross takings of the
+refreshment department. After full consideration,
+we came to the conclusion that
+we could only do this by extracting the
+money from the pockets of the men, who
+for the most part are miserably paid, by
+paying it out of subscriptions given by the
+public, or by limiting the extension of the
+work. Neither alternative seemed desirable
+or in the interests of the men, and after
+many conferences with the Quartermaster-General's
+department at the War Office, it
+was agreed, by mutual consent and at the
+suggestion of the War Office, to refer the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span>
+matter for decision to the Secretary of
+State for War. It was at the time Lord
+Kitchener was in Gallipoli, and Mr. Asquith
+was personally in charge. At a conference
+at Downing Street the representatives of
+the Board of Control Regimental Institutes
+stated their case, and we had the opportunity
+of replying. Mr. Asquith took
+several weeks to consider the question in
+all its bearings, and ultimately gave the
+decision entirely in our favour, and decided
+for the duration of the war we should not
+be asked to pay the rebate. Later on,
+the matter was reopened by Lord Derby,
+and eventually it was found necessary
+for the Y.M.C.A. to pay 6 per cent. on
+their gross takings in huts on Military
+ground, to regimental funds, and this
+is a great tax on its resources. Most
+of the huts are loaned free to the
+Military for church parades and military
+lectures.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The figures of the Red Triangle are
+colossal, and yet figures by themselves
+fail to give an adequate idea of the magnitude
+of the work, and for obvious reasons
+it is impossible to make those statistics
+complete. On a given date it was ascertained
+that upwards of forty-five thousand
+workers were giving regular service to the
+war work of the Y.M.C.A. By August 31,
+1918, 929,590,430 pieces of stationery had
+been sent out from Y.M.C.A. Headquarters
+in London for distribution amongst the
+men of His Majesty's Forces. The
+stationery bill by the summer of 1918 had
+risen to the rate of upwards of &pound;90,000
+per annum.</p>
+
+<p>In two months one hundred and five
+tents were sent out to replace the
+huts and tents lost in Picardy and
+Flanders.</p>
+
+<p>In eighteen months, Triangle House,
+London, the Headquarters of our Trading<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span>
+Department, sent out to the Y.M.C.A.
+overseas:&mdash;</p>
+
+
+
+<div class='center'>
+<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="Game supplies sent">
+<tr><td align='right'>875</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Gramophones and 8386 Records.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>322</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Pianos and Organs.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>572</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Billiard and Bagatelle Tables.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>1,341</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Sets of Boxing Gloves.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>108</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Optical Lanterns.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>10,188</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Sets of Draughts.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>1,335</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Sets of Chess.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>3,140</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Sets of Dominoes.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>4,263</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Footballs.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>1,080</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Sets of Quoits.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>657</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Sets of Cricket.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>4,992</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Extra Balls.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>1,540</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Extra Bats.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>1,798</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Hockey Sticks.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>520</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Balls.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>426</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Golf Balls.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>100</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Tennis Sets.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>330</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Tennis Racquets.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>2,364</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Tennis Balls.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>61</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Sets Bowls.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>358</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Badminton Sets.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>50</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;Baseball Sets.</td></tr>
+</table></div>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>It will be noted that the items in this
+list are not trading goods to be sold at a
+profit, but excepting in the case of some of
+the billiard tables, are non-remunerative,
+and provided absolutely free for the use
+of the men serving overseas.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER V</h2>
+
+<h3>THE LADIES OF THE RED TRIANGLE</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>I have received Her Majesty's commands to convey
+to you an expression of the Queen's sincere thanks
+for the interesting information you have given
+regarding the work which is being done by the
+Young Men's Christian Association among the men
+of the Army and Navy.
+
+<p>Her Majesty is much pleased with the specimens
+of writing-papers and envelopes, and publications,
+which you have sent for her acceptance.</p>
+
+<p>Her Majesty feels sure that the useful work which
+is being carried on by the Young Men's Christian
+Association in so many different centres is highly
+appreciated not only by the soldiers, but also by
+the community.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Her Majesty the Queen.</span></p></div>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"><a name="flanders" id="flanders"></a>
+<img src="images/i087.jpg" width="500" height="357" alt="Y.M.C.A. IN A RUINED PARISH HALL IN FLANDERS, JUNE, 1916" title="" />
+<span class="caption">Y.M.C.A. IN A RUINED PARISH HALL IN FLANDERS, JUNE, 1916</span>
+</div>
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class="smcap">Before</span> the war it was one of our stock
+sayings that the Y.M.C.A. was a work
+'for young men by young men,' and one
+must recognise the fact that the man who
+is a <i>man</i>&mdash;virile, strong, athletic&mdash;is the
+one to whose leadership men will most
+readily respond. But in the early days<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span>
+of the war most of our young male workers
+joined up; whether we liked it or not we
+had to get the help of ladies, and our
+more enterprising leaders felt that after
+all there were some things in Y.M.C.A.
+hut work ladies could do almost as well
+as men. Things have moved since then,
+and now we know that much of the work
+can be done infinitely better by women.
+In many cases women have been entrusted
+with the actual leadership of huts, and have
+carried through the duties magnificently.
+The Red Triangle has given the woman
+her niche in the Y.M.C.A., and for the
+great programme that awaits us after the
+war her help will be indispensable. It
+has, moreover, given the woman who had
+home claims an opportunity of doing war
+work that really counts, in her spare time.
+The Queen and Queen Alexandra have
+been graciously interested in the work of
+the ladies of the Red Triangle, and many<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span>
+of the ladies of the Royal House have
+rendered conspicuous personal service,
+amongst whom might be mentioned
+H.R.H. Princess Christian, H.R.H. Princess
+Louise, H.R.H. Princess Patricia of Connaught,
+and H.H. Princess Marie Louise,
+whilst H.H. Princess Helena Victoria as
+Lady President has given time and strength
+to the work without reserve, and we owe
+very much to her. In the camps, ladies
+have given the home touch that means so
+much to the men&mdash;games, music, decorations,
+and flowers have come within their
+domain; they have managed the libraries,
+and have in most cases taken full responsibility
+for the refreshment department.
+Their personal influence has been invaluable.
+We remember visiting a camp somewhere
+in France. It seemed to us the
+roughest camp we had ever seen. The
+leader told us of an encounter he had with
+one of the worst of the men on the occasion<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span>
+of his first visit to the place. He had
+just got his tent erected, and the man
+chancing to see it asked what it was.
+When told that it was the Y.M.C.A., he
+replied, 'You b&mdash;&mdash; men are just what we
+d&mdash;&mdash; men b&mdash;&mdash; well want,' and that was
+the language of the camp. Eighteen
+months later we were there again and the
+camp was like another place, so great was
+the change for the better. The C.O. told
+us he attributed that change almost entirely
+to the ladies of the Red Triangle. It so
+happened that one of the ladies committed
+an unpardonable military offence. She
+returned to England two or three days
+before her permit expired. Later on,
+application was made in the usual way for
+the renewal of her permit. The General
+concerned, who is no longer in France,
+returned the application with the words
+written across it over his initials&mdash;'Keep
+this woman out.' The Base Commandant<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span>
+sent it in again having written on it&mdash;'Talk
+about keeping this woman out, she
+is of more value to me than truckloads of
+parsons and chaplains!' That was his
+way of putting it, not ours. We have the
+greatest possible admiration for the work
+of the chaplains at the Front. There is no
+finer body of men on active service to-day,
+and it is a privilege we greatly esteem to be
+permitted to co-operate with them and to be
+of some service to them in their great work.</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"><a name="baup" id="baup"></a>
+<img src="images/i088.jpg" width="500" height="364" alt="BAPAUME-CAMBRAI ROAD, WITH TREES ALL CUT DOWN BY THE GERMANS" title="" />
+<span class="caption">BAPAUME-CAMBRAI ROAD, WITH TREES ALL CUT DOWN BY THE GERMANS</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>The ladies have always been ready to
+share the risks with the men, and there
+are quite a number who have made the
+supreme sacrifice, including Miss Smallpage,
+killed by shrapnel in one of our munition
+huts in England; Miss Betty Stevenson,
+killed in an air attack in France; Miss
+Edith Howe, who died of cerebro-spinal
+meningitis; and Miss Lee, who lost her
+life in a fire in one of the huts on Salisbury
+Plain.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>In one of the great bases in France there
+is a small camp in which at one time there
+were boys only. They were too young to
+fight, their job day by day was the prosaic
+one of filling up petrol cans. One of these
+little chaps had badly hurt his hand, and
+it seemed to him the natural thing to go for
+sympathy and help to the lady of the Red
+Triangle. A brief examination convinced
+her that the damage was serious, and she
+bade him go to the doctor, whose tent was
+just across the way. Very grudgingly he
+trudged across to the doctor, but a few
+minutes later returned with the request
+that she would look at the damaged hand
+and see if the doctor had attended to it
+properly. She replied that it would never
+do to interfere with the doctor's work and,
+moreover, the doctor had no doubt done
+it far better than she could have done.
+Five times the lad came back with the
+request, 'O Missis! do look at my hand<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span>
+and see if he's done it right.' The fifth
+time he brought with him as an ally the
+Y.M.C.A. secretary in charge, who said,
+'If I were you, Miss, I would look at his
+hand. The little chap will never be happy
+until you do.' Then she undid the
+bandages, looked at the dressing, and
+bandaging it up again said, 'There, it's
+just as I told you; the doctor has done it
+far better than I could; run away and be
+quite happy about it!' He went away,
+but returned again a few minutes later,
+and that time his eyes were full of tears as
+he cried, 'O Missis! I did think you'd
+have kissed me when you saw how bad it
+was,' and, like the good woman she was, she
+kissed him as his mother would have done.
+Let no one think that's what the ladies
+of the Red Triangle usually do, for it's
+not, and yet in that simple story you have
+the whole secret of the success of the war
+work of the Y.M.C.A. Time, and time<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span>
+again, one has been through every base
+camp in France, and has traversed the
+whole British line in France and Flanders,
+and wherever one has gone one has found
+the men yearning for sympathy and
+longing for home. Not that they want
+to return home until this fight ends in
+victory, for out there they have learned
+what war means; they see it robbed of its
+romance, and they are determined to see
+it through; they fight that this war may
+end war.</p>
+
+<p>With unfailing loyalty to the high aims
+of the Red Triangle and with conspicuous
+ability ladies have served the Y.M.C.A.,
+and through the Association the men of
+His Majesty's Forces and the munition
+workers, in all parts of the United Kingdom,
+in France, and in every part of the Empire,
+and have won for themselves a permanent
+place in the movement, whatever its future
+may be.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER VI</h2>
+
+<h3>'GUNGA DIN' OF THE RED TRIANGLE</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>'You and your Association seem to me to be truly
+hitting the nail on the head, and working for the
+good of our soldier-lads, one and all. I have
+watched the Y.M.C.A. procedure at many camps,
+and have found it exactly adapted to the wants
+of large numbers of young men taken temporarily
+away from their homes and normal associations.'&mdash;<span class="smcap">General
+Sir Ian Hamilton.</span></div>
+
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class='smcap'>One</span> of the most striking of Kipling's
+characters was Gunga Din, the Indian water-carrier.
+He was not a fighting man, but
+when fighting was taking place he was in
+the thick of it, risking his life that he might
+carry water to slake the thirst of the
+fighting man. 'Gunga Din' was the
+appropriate name given to one of our
+leaders in France by a British Tommy.
+Those who do not know are sometimes
+inclined to sneer at the Y.M.C.A. man for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span>
+having a 'cushy' job, but it is hard work
+from start to finish. His job is never
+done and very often is attended with
+considerable risk. His work may carry
+him right into the front line trenches and
+though it does not take him 'over the top,'
+yet, unlike the soldier, he has not the
+privilege of hitting back. His day's work
+will vary according to the camp. In all
+probability he will have to be up early in
+the morning, to get the coffee ready.
+The hut must be cleaned, and there will be
+a lot of canteen work to be done. The
+buying will occupy some time, and then
+there will be the evening programme to
+arrange and carry through. He must
+maintain personal touch with the men using
+the hut, so that the ideal leader must be
+half a dozen men rolled into one.</div>
+
+<p>Our greatest difficulty during the war
+has been that of getting a sufficiency of
+workers of the right type. Every male<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span>
+worker is registered with the Director of
+Recruiting, and we are unable to recruit
+new men classified A between the ages of
+18 and 52, or 18 and 45 for service overseas.</p>
+
+<p>Twelve members of the Y.M.C.A. have
+won the Victoria Cross, 3 the D.S.O.,
+33 the M.C., 25 the D.C.M., and 53 the M.M.,
+whilst registered at Headquarters are the
+names of 1223 who have made the supreme
+sacrifice. We think of many whose war
+work for the Y.M.C.A. has earned the title
+of 'Gunga Din,' as, for example, the young
+leader of the New Zealand work in France.
+He looks a boy, but is a genius for organising,
+and the pioneer of the work of the Red
+Triangle in advanced positions. Another
+man who has the instincts of the pioneer is
+the leader of the Australian workers in
+Egypt and Palestine, and yet another, a
+well-known Y.M.C.A. worker who, after
+doing good service in England in the
+early days of the war, went to represent<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span>
+Headquarters in Egypt. Torpedoed <i>en
+route</i> he took up his new work with
+characteristic enthusiasm and made good.
+Hundreds have rendered equally valuable
+service, so that it would be invidious to
+mention names.</p>
+
+<p>In the great retreat, it was the
+D.A.Q.M.G. of the &mdash;&mdash; Corps who asked
+us to open up a Stragglers' Post at
+Westoutre. 'You are the people who can
+cheer up the men,' said he; 'I want you to
+get hold of the stragglers before they
+become deserters.' It was 'Gunga Din'
+he needed, but this time with cocoa-urn
+instead of water-bottle, and it was only an
+old bank to which our workers fixed their
+Red Triangle, but it was just what was
+needed. A bursting shell forced them to
+quit, but half an hour later they had
+opened up again in the village shop, opposite
+the church, and the mayor thanked
+them later on for their successful efforts.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Our officers' hut at Romerin was set on
+fire by a shell; shells were falling fast,
+and the larger hut soon became untenable,
+but the Y.M.C.A. man was running his show
+in the open under a tree, and was as busy
+as ever. The ubiquitous 'Ford' did its
+bit, and its load would sometimes consist
+of the Divisional Secretary himself, one or
+two other workers or Belgian refugees, a
+big caterer's boiler, a tea-urn, together with
+cases of biscuits and cigarettes. Thus
+equipped, it would proceed to some
+advanced dressing-station. Sometimes
+there would only be a sergeant and orderlies
+in charge, heroically doing their best to
+help the wounded, and the mere presence
+of a man like one of our secretaries gave
+them confidence, whilst the steaming hot
+drinks he soon had ready gave new courage
+to the wounded men who thronged the
+C.C.S. A great work of the 'Gunga Din'
+type was done on the Nieppe-Bailleul<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span>
+road during the retreat. What an amazing
+scene it must have been; an endless stream
+of refugees and wounded; units lost;
+batteries firing; men who had been for
+days without food, moving about like
+ghosts and digging themselves in at the
+side of the road. The Huns were only
+about eight hundred yards further along
+the road, and our soldiers fired as they
+walked. For three nights none of our
+workers even thought of going to bed;
+they stood by with cars ready to help where
+and how they were most needed, and gave
+help to soldiers and refugees alike. At
+dressing and casualty clearing stations they
+gave emergency help. At Remy, for
+instance, one of our men was told off to
+undress the wounded and rig them out
+in new pyjamas, whilst another made
+himself useful in cleaning the floors. Hot
+drinks were given out freely in all these
+centres just behind the line.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Following the British victory at Messines
+on June 7, 1917, a Leeds minister serving
+on the staff of the Y.M.C.A. wrote home
+describing the work for the walking
+wounded as he had seen it:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>'It was about three o'clock in the
+morning when the signal to advance was
+given, and the boys went over the
+parapet. About two hours later the
+wounded began to arrive at our hospital
+in ambulance vans. It had been previously
+arranged that only as far as
+possible walking cases&mdash;men slightly
+wounded&mdash;should be dealt with at our
+station, and the expeditious and
+efficient way in which their wounds
+were attended to reflected great credit
+on the medical staff. As soon as they
+left the dressing-room they were passed
+on to our Y.M.C.A., where we supplied
+them with various kinds of refreshments
+free. It was my great privilege<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span>
+to serve the first patient, who had a
+broken arm, with a freshly-made cup
+of tea and a sandwich, and never shall
+I forget his look and words of appreciation.
+Some were too ill to eat anything
+for a time, especially those who
+had been gassed or were suffering from
+shell-shock, but they were very glad
+of a seat on the grass in the shade of our
+tent. Some were so badly wounded
+that they were unable to speak, while
+others were half deaf and dumb as the
+result of shock. It was pathetic to
+see such men scribbling their request
+for a drink on a piece of paper. All
+were loud in their praise of the Y.M.C.A.
+and many were quite overcome when
+they realised that the tea, lemonade,
+cigarettes, and various kinds of eatables
+were provided free. One Scottish New
+Zealander, whose father is a well-known
+seed merchant in Edinburgh, declared<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span>
+that the Y.M.C.A. was the greatest
+thing in the war. In addition to
+attending to the needs of the "inner
+man"&mdash;and some of them we had to
+feed like babies, as both hands were
+wounded&mdash;we wrote letters and field
+cards for them, and tried in every
+possible way to add to their comfort.
+The spirit manifested by the majority
+of them was simply splendid, and
+scarcely ever did they refer to their
+own suffering and hardships.'</p></div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER VII</h2>
+
+<h3>IN THE TRAIL OF THE HUN</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>It has given me great pleasure to learn of the
+development of the Y.M.C.A. work in France and
+England during the last six months. In particular
+I am very glad to hear of the successful growth of
+the experiment begun at Aire.
+
+<p>No one can be long in this country without realising
+the immense value of your organisation, and the
+constant extension of your activities itself testifies
+to the high regard in which it is held by our
+soldiers.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig.</span></p></div>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;">
+<img src="images/i105.jpg" width="600" height="474" alt="THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE SUPPORT TRENCHES" title="" />
+<span class="caption">THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE SUPPORT TRENCHES</span>
+</div>
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class="smcap">The</span> history of the British Empire has been
+written over again, and written in blood,
+in the valleys of the Somme, the Ancre,
+and the Scarpe. Tens of thousands of
+our noblest and best lie buried in these
+valleys or on the tableland of Peronne,
+situated between the insignificant rivers
+that have within the past few months
+earned a world-wide notoriety. No one
+can visit a modern battlefield without<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span>
+realising something of the appalling waste
+of war. Towns and villages have been
+blotted out of existence, or are marked
+to-day by a few unrecognisable ruins.
+Thanks to the efficiency of British organisation,
+excellent roads were quickly established
+right through the stricken district,
+and it was impossible to traverse any of
+them without marvelling at the obstacles
+overcome and the successes gained. The
+road, for instance, from Albert to
+Bapaume, through Pozieres, Le Sars, and
+Warlincourt, passing close by Contalmaison
+and Martincourt, was contested
+almost yard by yard, and the same thing
+may be said of the road that leads along
+the bank of the Ancre from Albert past
+the Leipzig Redoubt, near Thiepval and
+Beaumont Hamel, through Achiet-le-Grand
+to Bapaume, or the one from Peronne
+through Le Transloy.</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
+<img src="images/i106a.jpg" width="400" height="253" alt="&#39;GEORGE WILLIAMS HOUSE&#39; IN THE FRONT TRENCHES" title="" />
+<span class="caption">&#39;GEORGE WILLIAMS HOUSE&#39; IN THE FRONT TRENCHES</span>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
+<img src="images/i106b.jpg" width="400" height="243" alt="A HALF-WAY HOUSE TO THE TRENCHES" title="" />
+<span class="caption">A HALF-WAY HOUSE TO THE TRENCHES</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>It was in December 1916 that I paid<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span>
+my first visit to the valley of the Somme.
+The scene was dreary beyond description.
+Many villages known to us by name as the
+scenes of desperate fighting were a name
+only. Hardly a vestige of a house or
+cottage remained where many had been
+before the war. Here and there one could
+see the entrance to a cellar; the charred
+stump of a strafed tree; the remains of a
+garden; or a bit of a cemetery. Everything
+else was churned up into the most
+appalling mud.</p>
+
+<p>One day I had tea with an Army commander
+who has done great things since
+then, and he showed me a series of photographs&mdash;the
+most interesting I have ever
+seen, which were taken the day before my
+visit, by our airmen, over the German
+lines. For seventeen and a half miles
+back, the enemy, with infinite care and
+patience, had constructed trenches, 'and,'
+said the Commander, 'every time we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span>
+destroy his front line trench he constructs
+another one in the rear.' 'But,' I cried,
+'if this kind of thing goes on, and unless
+the unexpected happens, the war must
+surely continue indefinitely.' His only
+reply was, 'Is it not always the unexpected
+that happens in war?' I was back again
+in Picardy in the summer of 1917, and the
+unexpected had happened. The whole
+of the seventeen and a half miles of
+trenches were in the hands of the British!
+The enemy had retired to the much
+advertised 'Hindenburg Line,' and leaving
+nothing to chance, was tirelessly, ceaselessly
+massing and training his men, getting
+together huge reserves of munitions,
+husbanding his resources in every possible
+way, and preparing, always preparing day
+and night for his next great move. Meanwhile,
+Italy's defences had to be strengthened
+by troops we could ill-afford to spare
+from our Western front, and Russia, in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span>
+loyalty to whom we first entered the war,
+failed us altogether, German intrigue being
+the underlying cause in each case. In his
+great advance in March and April 1918
+he did not achieve all he set out to do by
+any means, but his gains were enormous.
+It makes one sad to think of the territory
+we had temporarily to relinquish to the
+Hun in Picardy, even though the country
+itself was not of any intrinsic value.
+The land is desolate, and the enemy
+ruined every village and hamlet, every
+farm and cottage, before his retreat.
+Ninety-three Red Triangle centres&mdash;huts,
+marquees, cellars, dug-outs, and 'strafed'
+houses had to be abandoned in Picardy
+alone&mdash;most of them destroyed before they
+fell into the hands of the Germans.</p>
+
+<p>During the first visit to the battlefields
+of the Somme in the winter of 1916, the
+outstanding feature of the landscape was
+the mud and the general desolation. In<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span>
+the summer of 1917 the scenes of desolation
+were as great as ever, but there was a
+difference&mdash;the roads were in excellent
+condition and bridges had been replaced.
+There were shell-holes everywhere and the
+countryside was strewn with dud shells;
+barbed wire entanglements; with here and
+there a stranded tank that had had to be
+abandoned in the mud; the remains of
+trenches and dug-outs or the cages in which
+the Huns had collected their British
+prisoners. There were no domestic animals
+to be seen, and no civilians. The whole
+district from Albert to Peronne, to Bapaume
+or to Arras, was one huge cemetery, and
+one saw side by side the elaborate cross
+that marked the burying place of German
+dead, the smaller cross with the tricolour
+on it, that marked the last resting-place of
+the soldier of France, and everywhere for
+miles and miles could be seen the little plain
+brown crosses of wood, that marked the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span>
+spot where lay our own loved dead. We
+climbed to the top of the famous Butte of
+Warlincourt that so often changed hands
+in the course of desperate fighting, and
+there on the top were those little brown
+crosses. We stood at the edge of the vast
+crater of La Boiselle that inaugurated the
+first battle of the Somme and saw in its
+depths several of those little symbols of
+our Christian faith, but looking away
+across the desolation of the battlefield one
+marvelled at the efforts of nature to hide
+up the ravages of war. There were the
+most glorious masses of colour everywhere&mdash;the
+colour given by the wild
+flowers of the battlefields. One felt one
+had never seen more vivid blue than that
+of the acres of cornflowers which rivalled
+the hues of the gentian of the Alps. It
+may have been imagination, but looking
+out from the Butte of Warlincourt over
+miles of poppies, one felt one had never<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span>
+seen such vivid red, and instinctively those
+words came into one's mind:</p>
+
+<div class='poem'>
+'O Cross that liftest up my head,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">I dare not seek to fly from thee;</span><br />
+I lay in dust life's glory dead,<br />
+And from the ground there blossoms red,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Life that shall endless be.'</span><br />
+</div>
+
+<p>The wild flowers of Picardy have bloomed
+over British graves again in the summer of
+1918, though German, not British, eyes
+saw them during the early months, but
+those flowers speak of eternal hope, and
+tell us that if we but do our part, the
+sacrifice of our bravest and best will not
+have been made in vain.</p>
+
+<p>Amid the ruins of Picardy the Y.M.C.A.
+did some of its best work. Lord Derby
+spoke of the Association as 'essential in
+peace time, indispensable in war time,' and
+never was the Association more indispensable
+than during those terrible days
+of the German advance in 1918. Amid<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span>
+the ever-changing scenes of war it has been
+one of the forces working for reconstruction.
+We mourn the loss of huts and Red
+Triangle centres that have cost money, and
+on which labour has been lavished. Not
+much to look at many of these places,
+and yet to those who knew them they
+possessed an indescribable charm and
+fascination. It was only a little marquee,
+for instance, that formed the Headquarters
+of the Red Triangle at Henin in 1917, only
+a couple of padres, one Church of England
+and one a Free Churchman there to
+represent the Y.M.C.A., but the whole
+story is a romance. Whilst we were
+sharing their lunch of bully beef and
+potatoes, bread, biscuits, and coffee, a
+'strafe' began. The British artillery, half
+a mile away, were pouring lead into the
+Hun lines. Fritz soon replied, and things
+became lively. A shell burst near us, but
+our padres took no notice of it, and seemed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span>
+to regard a little incident of that kind
+as a matter of course. Another shell
+burst on the cross-roads we had just
+traversed. It was here we had our first
+glimpse of the Hindenburg Line with
+Crucifix Corner in the foreground. Whilst
+we were still at lunch the Germans began
+to throw over some of their heavy stuff
+in the direction of Monchy, which was not
+far away. The British camp at Henin
+had been heavily bombarded a few days
+before our visit, and the troops quite properly
+had to run like rabbits to their
+burrows. The last to take refuge in the
+dug-outs were our two padres, who with a
+keen and commendable sense of duty had
+waited to gather up the cash before taking
+refuge from the shells. One of the leaders
+gives the following graphic story of his
+experiences in the Retreat:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>'On the first day of the offensive we
+were wakened by terrific drum fire to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span>
+north, but on our own immediate stretch
+of front, the firing was not so severe. There
+was therefore no immediate need for
+evacuation. During that day the hut
+work went on as usual, but few men
+appeared, as everybody was "standing to."
+Liquid nourishment of the Y.M.C.A. type
+was rather at a discount. We finished
+serving at a somewhat late hour, and
+deemed it advisable to sleep in the dug-out,
+as a few shells had begun to sing overhead.
+Early the next morning we were awakened
+by the sound of many men on the move.
+More and still more French troops were
+arriving, and that day we had to speak
+more French than English. Towards evening
+uncomfortable reports began to arrive
+that the Germans had several places
+behind us, some in the immediate rear.
+"Les avions Boche," about which the
+Frenchmen were using "polite" phrases
+all day, were continually overhead, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span>
+having reported the movement of troops
+on the roads, shell-fire began to increase
+in intensity. Decidedly, it was "getting
+warm." Lieutenant-Colonel &mdash;&mdash; of the
+R.A.M.C. and the Medical Staff with whom
+I had had the privilege of messing for some
+time were very forcible in their advice to
+me to evacuate with the orderlies. They
+were living in a shell-proof dug-out,
+whereas we had no possible defence against
+a direct hit from any kind of shell.</p>
+
+<p>'Several batteries of artillery having
+been withdrawn from forward positions,
+and posted near us, were making sleep
+impossible and drawing the enemy's fire.
+It was quite impossible to obtain transport
+of any kind for my stores, so I gave what
+remained to the R.A.M.C. for walking
+wounded cases, of which I had supplied
+several during the day.</p>
+
+<p>'Then we made a "night-flitting," the
+orderlies and myself, and slept a few miles<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span>
+to the S.W. But with every step away
+from the hut I became more and more
+uncomfortable. By daybreak I had decided
+to return and see how things were
+going. The orderlies decided to accompany
+me.</p>
+
+<p>'On the way back we had to take cover
+once for a while, but finally reached the
+hut and carried on for the remainder of
+the day.</p>
+
+<p>'We were called several kinds of lunatics
+for returning by the Medical Staff, who were
+then preparing to leave, and be it confessed
+we felt the truth of their remarks. It was
+quite out of the question to hold on any
+longer without cover save a "tin-hat"
+a-piece, so again we evacuated, this time
+finally.'</p>
+
+<p>It was only when the grey-clad Germans
+were actually in sight that the workers at
+St. Leger left their loved Y.M.C.A. I only
+visited St. Leger once, but that little<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span>
+shanty strangely fascinated me. It was
+not much to look at, just a group of ruined
+farm buildings, and in it 'the swallows
+had found a house' and regardless of our
+presence, yes, regardless of the shells, for
+St. Leger was bombarded every day even
+then, they flew backwards and forwards,
+feeding their young and twittering merrily
+and unconcernedly as if it had been a farm
+building in one of our English counties.
+It must have been with a heavy heart that
+those Y.M.C.A. men turned their backs on
+St. Leger and trudged to Boisleaux-au-Mont,
+where the five splendid huts that
+formed our equipment shortly afterwards
+shared the fate of St. Leger, and were all
+destroyed before the advance of the Huns.</p>
+
+<p>At Boyelles the tent was amid the ruins
+by the roadside, and the enamelled Triangle
+sign was attached to the bottom of the
+trunk of a tree that had been cut down by
+the enemy and was lying in the hedge just<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span>
+as it fell. Achiet-le-Petit Y.M.C.A. was
+in an orchard, the equipment consisting
+of a big marquee and several little shanties
+ingeniously constructed by the workers
+from empty petrol cans and biscuit boxes.
+High up in an elm tree was a sort of crow's
+nest, used by the Germans as an observation
+post during the time of their occupation.
+At Haplincourt the Y.M.C.A. was
+anything but imposing&mdash;an insignificant
+house fitted up as a club room, but in the
+paddock behind it the secretaries had
+erected a platform, and arranged an open-air
+auditorium on a grand scale. A
+hundred yards or so away was a large
+plunge bath, deep enough for a good high
+dive. It had been constructed by the
+Germans when they were in occupation,
+but when we saw it a score of our own
+Tommies were disporting themselves in
+the water and having a high old time.
+Albert was a scene of desolation, with its<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span>
+ruined church as the most conspicuous
+feature. High up on the top of the spire,
+dislodged by German shells, and jutting
+out at right angles to the spire, was the
+famous figure of the Virgin holding in her
+hands the infant Christ. For many months
+the figure had remained in this position, and
+was only finally brought down during the
+enemy's advance in 1918. The Y.M.C.A.
+in Albert was established in one big hut
+and two badly ruined houses. It was on
+the Saturday that St. Leger fell, and the
+Sunday at Albert was a memorable day.
+The town was crowded with an endless
+stream of men, horses, guns, and service
+wagons passing through. Little was sold
+in our canteens, but free refreshments were
+handed out by tired but willing workers
+all day long. Nearly all those workers
+had thrilling stories to tell of narrow
+escapes from death. Albert was evacuated
+on the Sunday night, and the place must<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span>
+have presented somewhat the appearance
+of a shambles. The Boche aeroplanes were
+dropping bombs or firing their machine-guns
+all the time, but still our men kept
+on serving the hot tea and cocoa, biscuits,
+and cigarettes that were so much appreciated
+by officers and men alike, only
+leaving their posts and abandoning their
+hut when ordered to do so by the Military.
+The retreat from Albert must have been
+like an awful nightmare. Some of our men
+in the darkness became entangled in the
+fallen wires, and whilst trying to extricate
+themselves heard the hum of an aeroplane
+just overhead, and a bomb was dropped
+only a few yards in front of them.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;">
+<img src="images/i123.jpg" width="600" height="449" alt="THE Y.M.C.A. IN A RUINED WAREHOUSE. SHELL-HOLE IN FLOOR OF CANTEEN" title="" />
+<span class="caption">THE Y.M.C.A. IN A RUINED WAREHOUSE. SHELL-HOLE IN FLOOR OF CANTEEN</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>At Bapaume we had several centres
+in and closely adjacent to the town.
+Bapaume, like Peronne, was not destroyed
+by enemy shell-fire, but deliberately
+wrecked by the Hun before he was forced
+to evacuate, and the foe we face to-day is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span>
+a past master in the art of destruction.
+Hardly a building of any description
+remained intact in either of these towns
+when the British entered into occupation.
+That very fact made us marvel when,
+standing for the first time in front of the
+big building occupied by the Y.M.C.A. in
+Peronne we noticed that it was practically
+intact. On entering the building we
+marvelled still more, for the first object
+we saw was a fine German piano. Surely
+it was an act of kindness on the part of
+the wily Hun to leave it for our men.
+Was it? When the British occupied
+Peronne a company of troops from the
+west of England were the first to enter that
+house. A Tommy who was musical made
+a bee-line for the piano, but his officer
+restrained him, bidding him first look
+inside. It was well he did so, for three
+powerful bombs were attached to the
+strings of the piano, and had he touched<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span>
+one of the keys concerned, he himself, the
+piano, and the building would have been
+utterly destroyed. In the hut attached
+to the house a boxing match was taking
+place on the evening of our arrival, and
+men had come from outposts miles away
+to take part. Underneath the house was
+a German dug-out of almost incredible
+depth. The original staircase was missing&mdash;the
+Germans having commandeered the
+wood for the construction of the dug-out&mdash;but
+it had been replaced by an ingenious
+Y.M.C.A. secretary, who had searched
+amid the ruins of Peronne until at last he
+had found another staircase, which, with
+infinite pains and labour and not a little
+ingenuity, he had built in to replace the
+original one. The day before our visit the
+old lady who had lived in the house before
+the war paid a visit to her old home. She
+was a refugee, and had trudged miles to
+get back to Peronne. She requested permission<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span>
+to dig in the garden and soon
+unearthed the uniform of her husband who
+fought against the Germans in 1870. She
+had buried it there before the fall of the
+town. Digging again she came across his
+sword and accoutrements, and deeper still,
+her silver spoons and other trinkets that
+she valued. Could anything bring home
+more clearly the horrors of war? If,
+instead of Peronne in Northern France, it
+had been that sweet little town in England
+or Scotland, or that village in Wales or
+Ireland in which you live! If you had
+heard the cry one evening, 'The Huns are
+coming,' and had just half an hour in
+which to rush round your home and gather
+together any things you specially treasured,
+and take them out into your garden and
+bury them, knowing that anything you
+left behind would be either looted and
+sent to Germany, or deliberately destroyed
+for sheer hate! How easily this<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span>
+might have been, but for the mercy of
+God, the mistakes and miscalculations of
+the enemy, and the bravery and self-sacrifice
+of our heroes in blue and khaki,
+yes, and our workers in fustian and print&mdash;for
+England must never forget the debt
+she owes to her munition workers as well
+as to her sailors, soldiers, and airmen.
+They see nothing of the romance of war;
+they know nothing of its excitement, and
+yet apart from their patriotic service the
+best efforts of our fighting men would have
+been in vain.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"><a name="cellar" id="cellar"></a>
+<img src="images/i124.jpg" width="600" height="376" alt="A Y.M.C.A. CELLAR AT YPRES" title="" />
+<span class="caption">A Y.M.C.A. CELLAR AT YPRES</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Never was the Y.M.C.A. more appreciated
+than during the months that preceded
+the great retreat in the spring of
+1918. New Red Triangle huts were springing
+up like mushrooms, especially in the
+Fifth Army area, that part of the line that
+had recently been taken over from the
+French. Supported by the generous gifts
+of friends at home, ably directed by our<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span>
+divisional secretaries and those associated
+with them in the work, and supported and
+encouraged in every way by the Military
+Authorities, the progress made was remarkable.
+Then came the unexpected advance of
+the German hordes and the laborious work
+of months was destroyed in a few hours.
+At Noyon the secretary had to quit in a
+hurry, but returned to the hut later to
+bring away the money belonging to the
+Y.M.C.A. Thrice he returned, and the
+third time found it impossible to get away.
+After remaining in hiding for twenty-four
+hours he at length managed to escape with
+ten thousand francs in his pocket, saved
+for the Association which lost so heavily
+during those terrible days. At Amiens the
+Y.M.C.A. workers hung on for ten days
+after the official canteens had been removed
+because the town had become too hot for
+them. Day and night the 'Joy' hut close
+to the railway station was kept open, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span>
+thronged with officers and men, and the
+service rendered to the troops may be
+gauged from the amount of the takings,
+which ranged between fifteen and twenty-thousand
+francs a day.</p>
+
+<p>Our total loss in the retreat was exceedingly
+heavy&mdash;more than one hundred and
+thirty huts and other centres in Picardy
+and Flanders, and in cash, upwards of
+one hundred and fifty thousand pounds.
+Serious as was that loss it might have been
+very much worse. Eight trucks of stores
+and equipment were stopped in the nick
+of time. The axle of one of our big
+lorries broke within a hundred yards of
+the most heavily shelled area in one of the
+towns bombarded by the enemy, but it
+was got away and, excepting in two cases,
+all the money and notes from tills and
+cash-boxes were removed safely before
+the huts were abandoned&mdash;striking testimony
+to the devotion of those in charge.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span>
+'What I think impressed me most,' wrote
+the organising secretary for France, 'has
+been the undaunted spirit of our workers,
+who, when shelled out of huts, persisted
+in the attempt to return to them under
+very great personal danger.' 'Although we
+have lost everything that we had,' wrote
+one, 'we still have hope within us, and
+are trusting to get back right into the
+thick of things in the very near future.'
+Yet another, writing in the spirit of
+Eastertide, said, 'We believe that our
+work will rise in new freshness and
+power out of its apparent extinction!'
+'There was a singular unanimity of effort
+on the part of the workers who were
+isolated one from the other, and had no
+opportunity of arranging a common policy.
+The sale of such articles as the soldiers
+needed continued in the huts up to the
+last moment possible, and then, when the
+danger of the hut and stores falling into<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span>
+the hands of the enemy became imminent,
+biscuits and cigarettes were handed out as
+largely as possible to men in the neighbourhood
+taking part in the fighting.
+One would have thought that having done
+this the workers would have considered
+their own personal safety and retired,
+but in several cases I found them running
+stunts for walking wounded in the open,
+outside the hut or in its immediate
+neighbourhood, in close touch with the
+medical authorities.</p>
+
+<p>'The confusion of the retreat opened up
+to our workers opportunities of service
+which they gladly utilised. Last night
+was a night of uncertainty. We could
+not go to bed owing to the uncertainty
+of the military position where our headquarters
+were, and so stood on a high hill
+beside an old Trappist monastery, watching
+the village at the foot in flames, and trying
+to ascertain the progress of the fighting<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span>
+through the darkness. Our workers even
+under these circumstances seized an opportunity
+of doing a very fine bit of service.
+A stream of poor refugees were passing,
+people of all conditions and ages, fleeing
+for safety and shelter, and so at 11.30 at
+night at the cross-roads, a table was set
+up with a hot urn of cocoa and supplies of
+biscuits, which were handed out to French
+and Flemish people as they passed....</p>
+
+<p>'I have never seen anything that has
+touched me more than these streams of
+all sorts and conditions of people straggling
+along with their little belongings, infants
+in arms, to old people who had not walked
+a mile for years. It was a great opportunity
+for rendering a truly Christian
+service. The other day we lent one of
+our large lorries for a whole day for the
+purpose of carrying these people in some
+degree of comfort to a place of safety.'</p>
+
+<p>Thus by every device that resourcefulness<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span>
+and experience could suggest the
+workers of the Y.M.C.A. in France ministered
+to the comfort of the men who were
+so bravely sustaining that terrible onslaught.
+The organisation of the Red
+Triangle is the embodied goodwill of the
+British people towards its beloved army.
+An emergency like the one in the spring of
+1918 was just the time when the services
+of the Red Triangle were most sorely
+needed by our soldiers.</p>
+
+<p>Fortunately, all the Y.M.C.A. workers
+got away safely. Sixty from the Fifth
+Army took refuge at Amiens, whilst more
+than eighty from the area of the Third
+Army found sanctuary at Doullens.</p>
+
+<p>A few months later, thanks to the
+arrival of the Americans in France, and
+the brilliant strategy of Foch and Haig;
+thanks above all to the mercy of God, the
+tide turned, and the Huns were once more
+in full retreat. A distinguished war correspondent<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span>
+wrote his impressions of
+Bapaume a day or two after it had again
+been captured by the British. Said he,
+'I prowled about the streets of Bapaume
+through gaping walls of houses, over
+piled wreckage, and found it the same old
+Bapaume as when I had left it, except that
+some of our huts and an officers' club, and
+some Y.M.C.A. tents and shelters have
+been blown to bits like everything else.'
+A ruined town without a Y.M.C.A.!
+Could anything be more desolate?</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER VIII</h2>
+
+<h3>THE BARRAGE AND AFTER</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>The problem of dealing with conditions, at such a
+time, and under existing circumstances, at the rest
+camps has always been a most difficult one; but
+the erection of huts by the Young Men's Christian
+Association has made this far easier.
+
+<p>The extra comfort thereby afforded to the men,
+and the opportunities for reading and writing, have
+been of incalculable service, and I wish to tender
+to your Association, and all those who have assisted,
+my most grateful thanks.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Field-Marshal
+Viscount French.</span></p></div>
+
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class="smcap">It</span> was on the afternoon of July 30, 1917,
+that we reached Bailleul in Flanders.
+Proceeding directly to the Headquarters
+of the Y.M.C.A. we had tea, and then set
+out to visit the huts in the vicinity. It
+was a novel experience, for every hut was
+empty. The reason was not far to find.
+The troops were in their camps formed up
+in marching order, and later in the evening<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span>
+we watched them march out to take part
+in the great offensive. We were told that
+the barrage was timed for 3.50 in the
+morning, and were asked to have our work
+for the walking wounded ready at 5 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span>,
+so we determined to spend the night on the
+top of Kemmel Hill, the highest hill in
+Flanders. It was just after midnight when
+we reached the summit of the hill; and
+we wondered if the barrage had not already
+commenced, so heavy was the firing.
+From our point of vantage we could
+see the whole of the sector, from Armenti&egrave;res
+in the south, across the battlefields
+of Messines and Wytschaete and away
+beyond Ypres in the north. Silently, close
+to us, an observation balloon stole up in
+the darkness, and a few minutes later
+as silently descended. Involuntarily we
+ducked as a monster shell shrieked overhead,
+and some one cried, 'There goes the
+Bailleul Express!' About 3 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> things<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span>
+began to quiet down. Our guns might
+have been knocked out; they were hardly
+replying at all to the enemy's fire. Later
+on we saw a series of signal flashes high up
+across the battlefield, and then at 3.50
+promptly to the moment, the barrage
+began, and there was no possibility of
+mistaking it&mdash;two thousand guns, as we
+learned afterwards, all firing at the same
+time. As one looked at that hell of flame
+and bursting shell, one felt it was impossible
+for any life to continue to exist
+beneath it, and one thought of the boys,
+as steady as if they had been on parade,
+creeping up behind that barrage of fire.
+We had seen them as they left their camp
+the night before, and we saw them when
+they returned&mdash;some of them&mdash;during the
+two days following the barrage; not in
+regiments a thousand strong, with colours
+flying and bands playing, but dribbling
+back one or two at a time&mdash;the walking<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span>
+wounded&mdash;and each one came in to our
+little Y.M.C.A. tents attached to the clearing
+stations&mdash;one was at an island in a
+sea of mud, near Dickebusch huts in
+Flanders. There was a queue inside of
+two or three hundred men. Every man
+in that queue was wounded, and waiting
+to have his wounds attended to; every
+man was hungry until he entered that
+tent; every man plastered from head to
+foot with the most appalling mud, and
+unless one has seen the mud of Flanders or
+of the Somme, it is impossible to imagine
+what it is really like. As I mingled with
+the men in that queue and assisted our
+workers to hand out hot tea, coffee, and
+cocoa, biscuits, bread and butter, chocolate,
+cigarettes or oranges, I thanked God for
+the opportunity He had given to the
+Y.M.C.A., and the thing that impressed
+me more than anything else was the fact
+that one did not hear a single complaint,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span>
+not one word of grousing. And why not?
+Was it because they liked that kind of
+thing? Don't make any mistake about
+it&mdash;no one could possibly like it, but out
+there the men know they are fighting not
+for truth and freedom in the abstract, but
+for their own liberty, and, what is infinitely
+more important to them, for their homes
+and loved ones. They know that what
+the Hun has done for Northern France
+and Flanders is as nothing compared with
+what he would do for the places and the
+people we love if he once got the opportunity
+of wreaking his vengeance on us.
+There is no finer bit of work that the
+Y.M.C.A. is doing to-day than this work
+for the walking wounded, which before any
+great push takes place, is carefully organised
+down to the last detail. Before one of the
+great battles, our men took up their
+positions at thirty-four different centres
+where they were able to minister to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span>
+needs of the wounded, and thus to co-operate
+with the magnificent work that is
+being done under the sign of the Red Cross.
+As in France, so in Italy and in the East,
+at Beersheba and other centres on the lines
+of communication in Palestine, records show
+how efficiently the same type of service is
+being rendered to our brave troops.</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/i141.jpg" width="500" height="372" alt="HUT IN WILDERNESS OF DESTRUCTION. CUTTING THE ICE IN SHELL-HOLES FOR WATER FOR TEA&mdash;WINTER, 1916-17" title="" />
+<span class="caption">HUT IN WILDERNESS OF DESTRUCTION. CUTTING THE ICE IN SHELL-HOLES FOR WATER FOR TEA&mdash;WINTER, 1916-17</span>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"><a name="ruined" id="ruined"></a>
+<img src="images/i142.jpg" width="500" height="356" alt="RUINED HOUSE USED BY Y.M.C.A., PROPPED UP BY TIMBER" title="" />
+<span class="caption">RUINED HOUSE USED BY Y.M.C.A., PROPPED UP BY TIMBER</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>To return to the barrage. It is always
+interesting to note the effect a scene of
+that kind has on people of different
+temperaments. We had been sitting round
+a huge shell-hole near the top of Kemmel
+Hill feeling, it must be confessed, a trifle
+'fed-up' with things. We were all tired,
+and had had a very heavy day's work.
+It was an uncomfortable night, to say the
+least of it, with drizzling rain, and very
+cold for the time of year. At the first
+sound of the drum-fire of the barrage
+set up by the British guns, we sprang to our
+feet, wild with excitement. A distinguished<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span>
+padre from the Midlands was lost in admiration
+for the work of the munitioners
+whose labours made possible this great
+strafing of the Hun. The leader of the
+party, a colonial from far-off Australia,
+simply danced with excitement which he
+made no attempt to suppress, contenting
+himself with ejaculating from time to
+time expressions to the effect that that
+was the most dramatic moment of his life.
+An unemotional Professor from one of our
+great universities stood with clenched
+fists, and was overheard to say, 'Give 'em
+hell, boys!' Another padre in the
+company began to quote Browning, the
+quotation referring to the signal flashes
+to which reference has already been made:</p>
+
+<div class='poem'>
+'From sky to sky. Sudden there went,<br />
+Like horror and astonishment,<br />
+A fierce vindictive scribble of red,<br />
+Which came across, as if one said,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">. . . "There&mdash;</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 7em;">"Burn it!"'</span><br />
+</div>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>How often it happens that in the
+greatest moments of one's life, it is the
+trivial thing that appeals most strongly to
+one's imagination. So in this case. The
+thing never to be forgotten was connected
+with the early dawn. I can see even now
+that long grey streak on the horizon across
+the battlefield, as the daylight came. A
+thrush from a bush close to where we were
+standing began to pour out its song of praise
+and thanksgiving, heedless of falling shells
+and the roar of guns. There was something
+unspeakably pathetic in that song on the
+battlefield, yes, and prophetic of the great
+day that is coming in spite of all reverses; the
+day of victory and peace, peace purchased
+at the price of struggle, and of blood.</p>
+
+<p>As one watched the barrage from
+Kemmel the onslaught seemed to be
+irresistible. It seemed impossible for the
+German hordes to hold our men back.
+Neither could they have held them, but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span>
+what the Hun could not do, the rain did
+for him. It just teemed down, and in a
+few hours Flanders was churned up into
+a swamp of mud. It was impossible to
+bring the big guns up and the whole
+advance was stayed. One thought how
+often the same thing had happened before,
+and wondered, only wondered, if we at
+home were supporting the boys at the
+Front as they had a right to expect us to
+support them? It is so easy at a time
+like this to put one's trust merely in
+'reeking tube and iron shard,' and to
+leave God out of our calculations. After
+all in this great struggle we are not fighting
+merely against 'flesh and blood,' but
+against 'principalities and powers, against
+spiritual wickedness in high places,' and
+even to-day 'More things are wrought
+by prayer than this world dreams of.'
+It was that great soldier, Sir William
+Robertson, who said, 'Let us never forget<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span>
+in all that we do that the measure of our
+ultimate success will be governed largely,
+if not mainly, by the extent to which we
+put our religious convictions into our
+actions, and hold fast, firmly and fearlessly,
+to the faith of our forefathers.' Had the
+Germans beaten us two years ago every
+one would have known the reason why&mdash;they
+had more men, bigger guns, and
+more of them, more aeroplanes, and an
+infinitely better supply of munitions of
+war, but by the summer of 1917 we were
+superior to them in every particular, and yet
+victory tarried. Why? Can it be that God
+was waiting for His people to seek His aid?</p>
+
+<p>With Russia out of the war, we were
+once again to stand with our backs to the
+wall&mdash;the position in which the British
+are always seen at their best&mdash;and the
+National crisis came as one more challenge
+to the Nation to turn to the God of our
+fathers.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER IX</h2>
+
+<h3>'LES PARENTS BLESS&Eacute;ES'</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>The Y.M.C.A.? Why, they could no more do
+without the Y.M.C.A. than they could do without
+munitions at the Front? I have seen it in operation.&mdash;<span class="smcap">The
+Right Hon. Will Crooks, M.P.</span></div>
+
+
+<div class='unindent'>'<span class="smcap">A Great</span> Mother Hen,' so wrote one who
+for the first time saw the work of the
+Y.M.C.A. for the relatives of dangerously
+wounded men. This work is carried on in
+London and a number of provincial
+centres, but it is seen at its best in France,
+for there it is on a much larger scale.
+If a man is dangerously wounded and
+lying in one of the hospitals on the other
+side of the Channel, a message is sent to his
+people at home containing the requisite
+permission to visit him, and telling them,
+moreover, that from the moment they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span>
+reach France the Y.M.C.A. will take care
+of them. Red Triangle motors meet every
+boat as it reaches a French port; automatically
+the relatives of wounded, or
+'Les Parents Bless&eacute;es' as the French call
+them, are handed over to our care, and
+we motor them to their destination&mdash;assisted
+sometimes by the Red Cross. As
+this may mean a run of eighty or a hundred
+miles, and in war time may mean a whole
+day, or possibly two days on the French
+railways, the motor run is in itself a great
+boon. During the whole of the time they
+are in France, the relatives are entertained
+as the guests of the Red Triangle in the
+special hostels that have been established
+for the purpose in the principal bases.
+Many of them have never been away from
+their own homes before; they know no
+language but their own, and a journey
+of the kind would have its terrors at any
+time, but to all the ordinary difficulties<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span>
+has now to be added the fact that they
+are consumed with anxiety on account
+of those who are dearer than life itself.
+It means everything to them that the
+Y.M.C.A. as a 'Great Mother Hen' takes
+them under its protection, soothes and
+protects them, so that in the darkest
+moments of their lives they are not dealt
+with by any officials who have to get
+through so many cases in a given time,
+but by sympathetic friends, actuated only
+by the love of God, and of country. One
+of the most beautiful of these hostels is
+'Les Iris.' It is hidden away in the
+depths of a wood near the sea, and in the
+springtime the nights are full of the melody
+of the nightingales. This hostel is reserved
+largely for the use of the relatives of
+dangerously wounded officers. The lady
+who presides over another of the hostels
+has been called the Florence Nightingale
+of the Red Triangle, and indeed that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span>
+would be a suitable name for any of these
+ladies who take the relatives to their
+hearts, and do everything possible to
+comfort and cheer them and make them
+feel at home. As we write, a letter from
+one of our guests lies before us. We quote
+from it because it is typical of thousands
+of letters received from grateful friends:&mdash;</div>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>'Many thanks for the photo of my
+son's grave received this morning.
+How very kind you Y.M.C.A. people
+are. I little thought last November
+when I was begging (Hut Week in
+Brighton) that I should reap personal
+benefit from the Y.M.C.A. The kindness
+and hospitality extended to my
+husband and I when we came to France
+nearly three months ago, we shall never
+forget. It is not in our power to help
+with money except in a small way,
+but we tell all we can, and help in every
+way in our power.'</p></div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>During a recent visit to France we had
+the privilege of being shown over one of
+the British hospitals, which, like all our
+hospitals, was wonderfully efficient. Everything
+that could be done to alleviate
+suffering was done. In one ward every
+man was seriously wounded, and side by
+side were two beds, one occupied by a
+young Canadian and the other by a young
+Britisher. The latter had his mother with
+him, who was one of our guests. The
+Canadian watched them together for some
+time in silence, but followed them with
+his eyes as a cat might a mouse. Suddenly,
+without any warning, he flung himself
+over on to his side and burst out crying.
+Questioned as to what was the matter, he
+replied, 'Nothing.' 'Then what makes
+you cry? Is the pain worse?' 'No,
+thanks, the pain is better.' 'Then what
+makes you cry like that?' Drying his
+eyes, the boy replied, 'It's all very well<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span>
+for him, he's got his mother with him.
+My mother is more than six thousand
+miles away!' Is it not worth any effort
+and any cost to help the loved ones of
+these men who have made such great
+sacrifices for us? The whole of this work
+for 'Les Parents Bless&eacute;es' is full of pathos.
+On one occasion we reached a big hospital
+centre just as another Association car
+arrived from a big base port, bringing
+three English women to see their husbands.
+The Y.M.C.A. leader took them to the
+wards they were seeking. At the first,
+the sister in charge came to speak to one
+of our guests and said, 'I am very sorry,
+but am afraid your husband won't know
+you. He has been terribly ill, and all sorts
+of complications have set in, but you had
+better come in and see him.' Twenty
+minutes later we saw her again, and she
+told us that for ten minutes she sat by
+her husband's bedside, but he did not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span>
+know her. Then stooping over him, she
+whispered, 'You remember little Lizzie
+and little Willie at home, don't you?'
+For one second he gave her that look of
+love and recognition that made the long
+journey from home worth while.</p>
+
+<p>Passing on to another ward we sent in a
+message, and the sister came to greet our
+guest, and said, 'I am glad to say your
+husband is much better. I'll tell him you
+are here.' When she <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'same'">came</ins> back she said
+she had asked the invalid, 'What would
+you like best in all the world?' Without
+a moment's hesitation, he replied, 'To
+go back to Blighty, Sister.' 'Blighty'&mdash;how
+many of those who use it realise the
+meaning of the word? It comes from the
+Indian 'Vilayhti' and means 'The home
+across the sea.' 'Blighty!' said the Sister;
+'you know that's impossible. What
+would you like next best?' 'To see my
+wife,' was the prompt reply. 'And what<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span>
+would you say if I told you your wife was
+waiting outside to see you?' queried the
+Sister, as she moved from his bedside and
+opened the door. Yes, to these people
+many thousands of them, the Red Triangle
+has indeed been as a Great Mother Hen at
+a time when they most needed its care.
+We are all very much like big children,
+and to all of us there are times when we
+need some one to take us by the hand and
+speak words of consolation and good
+cheer.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER X</h2>
+
+<h3>CELLARS AND DUG-OUTS ON THE WESTERN FRONT</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>My son, who is somewhere in France, tells me what
+a great comfort your Y.M.C.A. has been to him
+from the time he started his training at &mdash;&mdash; and
+all through his stopping-places almost up to the
+trenches.</div>
+
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class="smcap">Unless</span> one has seen for oneself the ravages
+of war, it is impossible to conceive the
+horror and desolation of a place like Ypres.
+Before the war it was one of the most
+beautiful cities in Europe, to-day it is
+nothing more than a heap of ruins. It
+is enough to make even the most unemotional
+of men cry, to stand in that
+once beautiful Cloth Hall Square and see
+how complete is the destruction&mdash;not one
+house, not a single room left intact&mdash;everything
+destroyed beyond recognition. And<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span>
+what of the Y.M.C.A. in Ypres? There
+we found the Red Triangle standing erect
+amid the ruins, and following the hand
+that pointed down we came to a little
+cellar Y.M.C.A.&mdash;only a cellar and yet it
+had been a source of helpfulness and
+inspiration to tens of thousands of our
+brave men. It was wonderfully fitted up,
+contained a small circulating library, piano,
+and everything needed for the canteen
+side of things. Not only that, it was a
+centre to work from. Between the cellar
+and the enemy were nine dug-outs at
+advanced stations. As these were all
+evacuated by order of the Military during
+the German offensive in April 1918, there
+can be no objection to their location being
+indicated. The first consisted of a ruined
+house and a Nissen hut at the Asylum;
+the second was at 'Salvation Corner,' and
+the third at Dead End, on the Canal bank.
+There was a Y.M.C.A. at Wells Cross<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span>
+Roads, another at St. Jean and Wiel, and
+a sixth at Potyze Ch&acirc;teau. The seventh
+had a homely ring about it, for it was
+situated at 'Oxford Circus,' the eighth
+was at St. Julien, the ninth at Lille Gate
+(Ypres), and the tenth was the cellar
+Y.M.C.A. at the corner of Lille Road
+referred to above. For many months it
+was the centre of the social life of the
+stricken town, but in August 1917 it
+received a direct hit from an enemy shell,
+and was knocked in. This dug-out work
+is intensely interesting, though naturally
+it has its limitations. Large meetings are,
+of course, impossible; sometimes even the
+singing of a hymn would be sufficient to
+attract the attention of Fritz, but the man
+who is resourceful and courageous, and who
+can see an opportunity for Christian
+service in meeting the common everyday
+needs of men, will find endless opportunities
+of putting in a word for the Master&mdash;and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span>
+the sordid dug-out under shell-fire, can
+easily be transformed into a temple to
+His praise, an inquiry-room where resolutions
+are made that change the lives of
+men, and help the soldier to realise that he
+is called to be a crusader.</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/i159.jpg" width="500" height="374" alt="CANADIAN Y.M.C.A. DUG-OUT IN A MINE CRATER ON VIMY RIDGE, 1917" title="" />
+<span class="caption">CANADIAN Y.M.C.A. DUG-OUT IN A MINE CRATER ON VIMY RIDGE, 1917</span>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"><a name="canada" id="canada"></a>
+<img src="images/i160.jpg" width="400" height="303" alt="A CANADIAN Y.M.C.A. DUG-OUT NEAR VIMY RIDGE" title="" />
+<span class="caption">A CANADIAN Y.M.C.A. DUG-OUT NEAR VIMY RIDGE</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>In the Red Triangle dug-outs of the
+Ypres salient, from three to four thousand
+bloaters were supplied to the troops
+week by week; 1500 kilos of apples, and
+more than 100,000 eggs! It was a miracle
+how these latter were collected in the
+villages behind the line. Corps provided
+a lorry and two drivers for five months to
+bring them into Ypres, and also assisted
+us with thirty orderlies. It was that
+timely help that made our work possible.
+It would be difficult to overestimate the
+boon to the troops of this variety to their
+diet. Iron rations will keep body and
+soul together, but it is the little extra
+that helps so much in keeping up the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span>
+health and spirits of the men. They would
+follow the egg lorry for a mile and gladly
+pay the threepence each that the eggs cost.
+In February 1918, the turnover from the
+Red Triangle centres round Ypres amounted
+to 245,000 francs, whilst in March it had
+risen to 260,000. For many weeks in this
+salient we gave away from five to six thousand
+gallons of hot drinks each week. All
+honour to the band of Y.M.C.A. leaders
+who kept the Red Triangle flag flying under
+these difficult conditions. For six weeks
+one of our leaders was unable to leave his
+cellar home, owing to the incessant shelling
+and bombing of the immediate vicinity.
+These were men who 'counted not their own
+lives dear unto them,' but were ready to
+take any risk and to put up with any personal
+inconvenience that they might serve
+the country they loved&mdash;yes, and they too
+endured 'as seeing Him Who is invisible.'</p>
+
+<p>The King, who is the patron of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span>
+Y.M.C.A., and very keenly interested in the
+work, visited our tiny centre at Messines.
+The dug-out at Wytschaete was knocked
+out, and the Red Triangle cellar at Meroc,
+just behind Loos, destroyed by a direct
+hit. The latter was approached by a long
+communication trench, and was fitted up
+in the ordinary way&mdash;a few tables and
+chairs, reading and writing materials, games,
+pictures on the walls, and, of course, the
+inevitable and always appreciated piano.
+A few days before we were there a dud
+shell from one of the German 'heavies'
+fell only two or three yards in front of the
+divisional secretary's car. The cellar was
+immediately under a ruined <i>brasserie</i>, and
+in the grounds of the latter was a solitary
+German grave. The story goes that in
+the early days of the war enemy patrols
+passed through Meroc, and a shot alleged
+to have been fired from a window of the
+<i>brasserie</i> found its billet in one of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span>
+Huns. In revenge, the Germans killed
+every man, woman, and child in the
+<i>brasserie</i>. In striking contrast was the
+story told us by the matron of one of our
+British hospitals: 'Every one in this ward
+is desperately wounded, and too ill to
+travel. All in that row,' said she, pointing,
+'are Germans. Yesterday a man occupying
+one of those beds lay dying, and could
+not make his head comfortable. I went
+into the next ward, and said to the Tommies
+"There's a German dying, will one of you
+lend him your pillow?" Without a
+moment's hesitation,' said she, 'every one
+of those dangerously wounded Britishers
+whipped out his pillow to help his dying
+enemy.' That is the spirit of our men,
+and that accounts, quite as much as their
+valour, for the fact that they have won the
+respect even of an enemy trained from
+infancy to regard the British soldier as an
+object of scorn and derision.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER XI</h2>
+
+<h3>CAMEOS FROM FRANCE</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>The work of this Young Men's Christian Association
+has sunk so deep into the minds and into the
+lives of our fellow countrymen that its work in the
+future can never be diminished, and must be extended.
+And it is going to do more to my mind,
+than simply minister to the wants of the men in
+camp; it is going to be a bond between this country
+and the Great Englands beyond the sea.&mdash;<span class="smcap">The Rt.
+Hon. the Earl of Derby, K.G., G.C.V.O.</span></div>
+
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class="smcap">A striking</span> feature of the war work of the
+Y.M.C.A. has been the promptness with
+which a new situation has been seized and
+a new opening entered. There has been
+an utter absence of red tape, and freedom
+of action has been given to all accredited
+representatives of the Association. The
+Red Triangle has always been first in the
+field, and has been likened to a tank in its
+knack of overcoming apparently insuperable<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span>
+obstacles. The day after the British
+troops first entered Bapaume a Y.M.C.A.
+man appeared leading a packhorse loaded
+up with cigarettes, biscuits, and dolly
+cakes, which he distributed amongst the
+troops. He had got a foothold for the
+Association, and that foothold was retained
+until Bapaume was evacuated.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>In the British offensive in the early days
+of August 1918 a noted war correspondent
+at the Front wrote:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>'In one part of the line three hours
+after the troops reached their final
+objective they were eating a hot breakfast
+as part of the programme of the day.
+The familiar, ever-welcome sign of the
+"Y.M.C.A." blossomed on a roofless
+French caf&eacute; six miles within the
+crumpled German line, before the
+tanks had finished chasing the 11th
+Corps staff out of Framerville and down<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span>
+the Peronne road. Food, and even books
+and papers, were set out under the Red
+Triangle for tired and hungry fighting
+men as they trooped into the rickety
+building to eat and be refreshed in a
+room carpeted with German papers.'</p></div>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>What thrilling memories the name of
+Arras will always conjure up in the minds
+of Y.M.C.A. workers who served in that
+city of ruins! One wrote home the day
+after a strong attack by the British on
+the enemy lines. He wrote the letter from
+a dug-out which only the day before was
+occupied by the Huns, in which he was
+carrying on for the Y.M.C.A. So precipitate
+was their flight that he partook of the repast
+served up by German cooks for German
+officers. At one time the rival trenches
+were, in places, less than ten yards apart!
+It was here that Sir Douglas Haig personally
+complimented the Association on the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span>
+work its representatives were doing on the
+field of battle.</p>
+
+<p>The most memorable motor run we ever
+had was from Souastre to Arras in 1916.
+The hut was closed when we reached
+Souastre in the morning, the leader having
+received a letter from the Town Major
+politely requesting him to close it from
+7.30 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span> as it was expected that the Huns
+would strafe the village at 8 <span class="smcap">a.m.</span>, and again
+at 4.30, and so it happened. This seemed
+strange, as the village had not been strafed
+of late. How could the British have known
+when Fritz would fire again? It seemed uncanny,
+until a strange unwritten reciprocal
+working arrangement between friend and
+foe was explained, which means in effect
+that Fritz refrains from bombing or bombarding
+'A&mdash;&mdash;' three or four miles behind
+the British lines if Tommy leaves village
+'B&mdash;&mdash;' behind his lines alone, and <i>vice
+versa</i>. As both villages are used as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span>
+billets for the rival armies, both have been
+glad at times to honour this understanding.
+The run from Souastre to the railhead at
+Saulty was uneventful. Night was closing
+in as we left for Arras and there was no
+moon. For twenty kilos or more we had
+to travel with lights extinguished. We
+were less than a mile from the enemy
+trenches, which ran parallel to the road
+we were traversing. 'Verey' lights or
+star-shells sent up by the enemy continually
+made everything as light as day for the
+few seconds they were in the air. There
+were mysterious noises from the gun
+emplacements that run along the roadside,
+and mysterious shapes loomed up ahead
+of us from time to time as we overhauled
+and passed transport wagons and the like.
+At last we reached our destination, and
+it was the writer's first visit to a town of
+considerable size that had been wrecked
+by bombardment. There were barricades<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span>
+in the streets, shell-holes and ruins everywhere.
+We motored through the famous
+Grande Place and passed through street
+after street in that city of the dead, until,
+turning a corner, we entered a narrow street
+near the ruined cathedral, and hearing a
+piano playing rag-time, it was obvious
+that we were near the Y.M.C.A. The
+memory of that old ch&acirc;teau in the narrow
+street will always remain with us as we
+saw it then&mdash;the entrance hall, where free
+hot drinks were being dispensed; the
+canteen crammed with British soldiers,
+including many 'Bantams,' who were then
+stationed at Arras; the little concert-room,
+with possibly a hundred men gathered
+round a piano singing choruses and snatches
+of songs or listening to the rag-time,
+accompanying it at times by whistling the
+refrain or stamping on the floor. Another
+crowd upstairs had been entertained to a
+lantern lecture, and the day's programme<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span>
+was being concluded with family prayers.
+As we lay awake that night we heard many
+familiar noises that sounded strange there&mdash;a
+cat call, the cry of a baby, whilst ever
+and anon a shell would go shrieking over
+the town. In the morning we visited the
+ruined cathedral, which was a sight to
+make men or angels weep, but even there
+one saw erect amid the ruins, at the
+highest point, the Cross, the emblem of our
+Christian faith, and one knew that though
+it might be by way of the Cross, yet truth
+and freedom would triumph in the end.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>A well-known war correspondent writing
+from British Headquarters in France to
+the <i>Daily Mail</i>, on August 13, 1918, told
+the story of a village under shell-fire and
+still within reach of machine-gun bullets,
+in which was a German notice-board
+pointing to an incinerator, and wrote:&mdash;'I
+hear from an officer who visited the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span>
+spot again a day later that another notice,
+"This way to the Y.M.C.A." was added.
+A dashing cavalry officer, very much of
+the old school, possessing a voice that
+would carry two miles, begged me with
+great earnestness to do him one service,
+"Would I mention the Y.M.C.A.? It had
+provided his men with hot coffee before
+riding out."' That is the kind of service
+the Red Triangle has the privilege of
+rendering to our fighting men in the course
+of practically every battle.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>The Bois Carr&eacute; in 1916 was a very
+unhealthy spot. At the edge of a wood in
+a tiny natural amphitheatre the Y.M.C.A.
+had one of its outposts. An orderly was
+usually in charge, and day and night he
+kept up a good supply of hot drinks for
+free distribution to the troops. There
+they could buy biscuits, cigarettes, soap,
+and other necessaries, or receive free of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span>
+charge the ever-welcome writing-paper
+and materials. The supervising secretary
+visiting the dug-out one day in the course
+of his rounds found it had been blown in
+by a big shell. The orderly was terribly
+wounded, part of his side having been
+blown away, but smiling amid his agony,
+he said, 'The money's safe here, sir!'
+Careless of himself, the brave fellow's first
+consideration was to safeguard the money
+in the Y.M.C.A. till.</p>
+
+<p>We have vivid recollections of our visit
+to the Bois Carr&eacute; in 1916. Late in the
+evening we reached Dickebusch. The
+Y.M.C.A. was there in the main street of
+the little Belgian village, and immediately
+behind it was the ruined church. It was
+only a small strafed building in a ruined
+street when the Red Triangle first made
+its appearance in Dickebusch, but the
+secretary held that to be the most convenient
+type of Y.M.C.A. building, 'for,'<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span>
+said he, 'if it becomes too small, all you
+have to do is to knock a hole through the
+wall on either side, and take in additional
+houses.' This was exactly what we had
+done and, unattractive as it was, the place
+drew crowds of men. At the Dickebusch
+Y.M.C.A. we were provided with shrapnel
+and gas helmets and instructed in the use
+of the latter. A two-mile trudge across
+a duck-walk over 'b&mdash;&mdash;y meadow'
+brought us to the famous Ridgewood Dug-outs.
+It was here that the Canadians lost
+their guns in the early days of the war,
+and afterwards so gloriously regained
+them. We entered the wood at midnight.
+A huge rat crossed our path, and as we
+entered the first of the Y.M.C.A. dug-outs
+where free cocoa was being dispensed in
+empty jam tins, we remembered a yarn
+told us the day before by one of our
+workers. He had come to Ridgewood as
+a special speaker, and after the evening<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span>
+meeting lay down on the floor of the dug-out
+to sleep, but as he was beginning to
+feel drowsy, a huge rat ran over his legs,
+and later one passed across his face. With
+an electric flash-lamp he scared them
+away, but soon getting used to it they came
+on 'in close formation.' He lit a candle,
+and a few minutes later the rat ran away
+with the candle&mdash;so he said! From the
+Ridgewood we went on to the Bois Carr&eacute;.
+Shells were screaming overhead all the
+time, but it was not a long walk though it
+provided many thrills. For a couple of
+hundred yards we were on open ground,
+and within easy reach of the Hun snipers.
+Only two of us were allowed to pass at a
+time, and my guide and I had to keep
+fifty yards apart, and when a 'Verey'
+light went up, had to stand absolutely
+still until it fell to earth, and its light was
+extinguished. Weird things those star
+shells! They shoot up to a good height<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span>
+like rockets, burst into brilliant light,
+poise in mid-air and gradually shimmer
+down and out. A few minutes brought us
+to the shelter of a ruined <i>brasserie</i>, and
+from its further side we entered the
+communication trenches, and thus passed
+to the Bois Carr&eacute;. Standing back to
+visualise the scene, the orderly caught my
+arm and pulled me into the shelter of the
+dug-out&mdash;a second later came the patter
+of machine bullets on the sand-bags where
+we had stood not ten seconds before.
+There was something fascinating about
+that little dug-out Y.M.C.A., with its
+caterer's boiler, urns and stores, and it is
+sad to think that since then it has been
+destroyed by shell-fire, even though other
+dug-outs have been opened to take its
+place.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
+<img src="images/i177a.jpg" width="400" height="271" alt="A GREAT BOON TO BRITISH TOMMY&mdash;A Y.M.C.A. WELL UNDER SHELL-FIRE" title="" />
+<span class="caption">A GREAT BOON TO BRITISH TOMMY&mdash;A Y.M.C.A. WELL UNDER SHELL-FIRE</span>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"><a name="cambridge" id="cambridge"></a>
+<img src="images/i177.jpg" width="400" height="286" alt="THE CAMBRIDGE DUG-OUT" title="" />
+<span class="caption">THE CAMBRIDGE DUG-OUT</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>A year later we revisited that old
+<i>brasserie</i>. There was little of it left.
+The central hall remained, and the Red<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span>
+Triangle was on it, marking it out as a centre
+for walking wounded. A dressing station
+had been rigged up in the cellar underneath.
+A distinguished preacher serving
+with the Y.M.C.A. conducted a memorable
+Watch-night service in the Ridgewood.
+Two or three hundred men gathered round
+and listened with marked attention. A
+shell burst quite close during the prayer,
+and every man instinctively glanced up
+to see the effect on the padre. He carried
+on exactly as if nothing had happened, and
+won his way to every heart.</p>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;">
+<img src="images/i178.jpg" width="600" height="393" alt="A REFUGE FOR THE WALKING WOUNDED" title="" />
+<span class="caption">A REFUGE FOR THE WALKING WOUNDED</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER XII</h2>
+
+<h3>STORIES OF 'LE TRIANGLE ROUGE'</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>It is with very great pleasure I send a small
+contribution (3s.) to the Y.M.C.A. funds, and only
+wish it could match my inclination. Few things
+have brought so much comfort to the parents at
+home as the knowledge of the splendid work done
+by your organisation. As one boy puts it, 'When
+we get inside the Y.M.C.A. hut, we feel as if we are
+home again.'</div>
+
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class='smcap'>At</span> the close of a Y.M.C.A. Conference held
+in the H&ocirc;tel McMahon in Paris, a French
+lady came timidly forward with a lovely
+bouquet of red roses, and in a pretty little
+speech presented them as a thankoffering
+for the war work of the Y.M.C.A. It was
+the gift of a mother who had four sons
+serving with the Army. Those flowers
+have long since faded, but the kind thought
+that prompted them will always remain a
+gracious memory.</div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>A soldier home on leave brought an interesting
+souvenir of the first 'Threapwood'
+hut, which did such good work in the
+Ploegsteert Woods, but was ultimately
+destroyed by shell-fire&mdash;a 2 franc and a
+50 centimes piece which had become
+welded together in the heat of the conflagration.
+Another Tommy saw a fierce
+fight take place between British and
+Germans, actually inside the hut at Neuve
+&Eacute;glise. The incident that seemed to have
+appealed most strongly to his imagination
+was the fact that the pictures were still
+hanging on the walls. It is interesting to
+notice the curious freaks of dud shells.
+Outside the hut at Tilloy we saw one which
+had pierced its way through the trunk of a
+tree without exploding&mdash;the nose of the
+shell protruded at the other side of the
+trunk, the shell itself remaining firmly
+embedded in the tree.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>An Australian officer one day sauntered
+into the 'Crystal Palace,' an important
+Y.M.C.A. centre in Havre. He was interested,
+and well he might be. It is a huge
+building, and swarms of men assemble there
+in the evenings. The Australian's interest
+took a practical form. Before leaving he
+handed two one-pound notes to the leader,
+expressing regret that he could not make
+it more, and adding, 'I think you Y.M.C.A.
+people will make a religious man of me
+before the war is over.' 'What do you
+mean?' said the secretary. 'Well,' said
+he, 'I have never had any use for religion,
+but at the battle of &mdash;&mdash; I felt down and
+out. I didn't care much if the Boche killed
+me. I had had nothing to eat for days&mdash;when
+suddenly a Y.M.C.A. man appeared,
+heaven knows where he came from, but
+he was there right enough, and he handed
+me a good hot drink, a packet of biscuits,
+and some cigarettes. Yes,' said he, 'I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span>
+believe you Y.M.C.A. men will make a
+religious man of me before you have
+finished.'</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>In war-time people often forget their
+differences, and in Paris one of our splendid
+British soldiers, who was a Roman Catholic,
+lay badly wounded and terribly ill. He
+wanted to confess, but there was no English
+priest near. Ultimately a French priest
+confessed and absolved him through an
+American Y.M.C.A. lady&mdash;a Protestant&mdash;who
+acted as interpreter.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>In the early days of the war a valued
+worker on Salisbury Plain was the grandson
+of a famous Cornish revivalist. He was
+an ordained man and a very strong
+Protestant. He went out to France later
+on as a chaplain of the United Board.
+Returning home on furlough, he called at
+Headquarters and told his experiences on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span>
+the battlefield. 'You will be surprised,'
+said he, 'when I tell you that my greatest
+friend in Flanders was a Roman Catholic
+padre. He was one of the best men I ever
+knew, and we had an excellent working
+arrangement. On the battlefield if I came
+across any of his men, I would hand them
+on to him, and he would pass my men on
+to me. If he were not at hand, I would try
+my best to help the dying Roman Catholic
+soldier as I thought my friend would have
+helped him had he been there, and <i>vice
+versa</i>. I shall never forget,' said he, 'my
+last night in Flanders and our affectionate
+farewell. You know how strong a
+Protestant I have always been, and my
+convictions have never been stronger than
+they are to-day, but see this,'&mdash;and he
+unbuttoned his tunic and brought out a
+Crucifix which was hanging from his neck&mdash;'this
+was the parting gift of my Roman
+Catholic friend, and as long as I live I shall<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span>
+keep it as one of my most treasured
+possessions.'</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>As a rule there is not much romance in
+the story of a department that concerns
+itself with nothing but trading. But the
+story of the growth and development of
+the trading department of the Red Triangle
+is a romance. All along we have discouraged
+trading for trading's sake in our huts,
+but in a crisis like the one brought about
+by the war, it is not for each individual
+or organisation to pick and choose, but to
+do what is needed by the State, and on that
+principle we have had to develop the
+trading side of our work enormously.
+Home and overseas, the department has
+been brilliantly led by men animated with
+the highest ideals of Christian service,
+who have been ready to take any risks, and
+whenever necessary to work day and
+night. Their task has been colossal and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span>
+they have done magnificently. During
+the six months ending 31st May 1915, our
+turnover in France amounted to &pound;32,594,
+whilst three years later the six months
+turnover had risen to &pound;680,000. It was
+thrilling work during the German advance
+in March 1918, chasing our ever-moving
+centres in the Somme area, and keeping
+up their supplies or maintaining touch with
+Amiens during these terrible days, when
+for a whole week more than &pound;600 daily was
+taken in the little 'Joy' hut outside the
+Central Station. That meant day and
+night work at our Base Stores in France,
+and thanks to the cordial co-operation of the
+A.M.F.O. and the H.Q.L. of C. we were
+able to send forward 200 trucks from one
+port alone, containing 45,000 cases, or 1,500
+tons of food-stuffs, smokes, and ingredients
+for hot drinks&mdash;tea, coffee, and cocoa.
+From December 1914 to the middle of
+May 1918&mdash;1,350,000 cases were handled<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span>
+by our stores in France, representing the
+double handling of 50,500 tons of goods.
+During the retreat the Y.M.C.A. motor
+lorries became mobile centres of operation.
+They were filled up at the nearest stores
+available, and often travelled from eighty
+to ninety miles to a cross roads or convenient
+point where men going in and
+coming out of the line were provided
+with the necessary supplies. For the six
+months ending November 30, 1917, our
+free gifts to the troops in France amounted
+to &pound;157,000. This figure does not include
+the cost of huts and equipment, nor yet
+the general expenditure on the work&mdash;but
+it embraces the cost of the hostels for the
+relatives of wounded, and free food and
+drink for the walking wounded and for the
+men serving in advanced positions.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>A distinguished officer of the Danish
+Army called at the headquarters of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span>
+British Y.M.C.A. after a visit to France,
+to acquaint himself with the history of
+our war work:&mdash;'One day I stood on
+Messines Ridge,' said he, 'and all around
+me was devastation caused by war, shells
+were to be seen bursting all around, accompanied
+by the deafening roar of the big
+guns. Overhead amidst the din could be
+heard the whirr of the engines of the
+German and Allied fighting machines.
+I felt thrilled to think I was in the midst
+of the greatest battle of history. Stepping
+aside a few yards I was surprised to find
+a dug-out with the Red Triangle sign. I
+could only exclaim, "What, these people
+here!"'</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>One of the funniest sights we saw in
+France was that of a tiny British corporal
+marching behind ten stalwart German
+prisoners, escorting them back to their
+quarters after they had finished orderly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span>
+duty in one of our tents. The humour
+of the situation evidently appealed to
+him, for he winked as he passed us&mdash;quite
+an unsoldierly thing to do!</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>Tommy has a knack of making himself
+comfortable, though his surroundings very
+often do not naturally suggest comfort.
+It is surprising what a snug bed and living
+room combined can be made out of a discarded
+hen-house! A barn occupied by
+men of the Horse Guards Blue was
+ingeniously rigged up by its temporary
+tenants. One wall was missing and was
+made up with sacking&mdash;on the other side
+of this flimsy partition were the horses.
+The harness was hung round the walls, and
+four stakes driven into the ground for each
+bed. The wire that had bound hay bales
+had been ingeniously woven into wire
+mattresses stretched from stake to stake;
+over it was, stretched the sacking&mdash;also<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span>
+from hay bales&mdash;and over that again was
+a good thick layer of straw. There is
+never anything to be gained by grumbling,
+but everything by taking things cheerfully
+as they come and making the best of one's
+circumstances.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>A Y.M.C.A. hut is a poor substitute for
+home, but our aim is to make every
+Y.M.C.A. as much like home as it is possible
+for it to be. It is surprising how much
+can be done by pictures, decorations and
+flowers, to give the home touch. A canary
+singing over the counter; a cat on the
+hearth; a bunch of primroses or forget-me-nots;
+a smile or a word of welcome;
+a woman's voice; a piano&mdash;family prayers
+at the close of the day&mdash;these are some of
+the things that count, and are numbered
+amongst the greatest assets of the Red
+Triangle.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>It is strange how often scenes and sounds
+of war and peace are intermingled. It is
+a common sight to see men and women
+going unconcernedly about their work,
+and children playing in towns that are
+habitually shelled or bombed. Stranger
+still is it to note the habits of the wild
+birds, constructing their nest amid scenes
+of war and in localities subject to constant
+bombardment. The Y.M.C.A. hut in
+Ploegsteert Wood was destroyed during a
+three hours' bombardment in May 1916,
+but whenever there came a few seconds'
+pause in the booming of the guns, the
+nightingales sang as unconcernedly as in
+the piping times of peace. We once
+heard, near Hersin, a sort of duet between
+a cuckoo and a big gun; the bird punctuating
+with its call the thunder of the guns,
+and, as stated elsewhere, whilst the barrage
+was in full swing the thrushes on Kemmel,
+only a few hundred yards behind the guns,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span>
+sang as sweetly and merrily as in the lanes
+and gardens of England. In the course of a
+brief visit to the American front in France
+we called at a little Y.M.C.A. shanty,
+badly strafed, within a mile or so of the
+enemy. Through the open window from
+which all glass had long since vanished,
+a swallow entered, and, perching on a
+wire stretched across the room, carolled
+joyously its <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'simpl'">simple</ins> little song&mdash;a message
+truly of peace and eternal hope!</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>The 'Walthamstow' hut at Remy had
+to be temporarily abandoned during the
+German offensive. The leader in charge
+transferred operations to a dug-out across
+the way, which adjoined a clearing station.
+The inevitable caterer's boiler enabled him
+to keep up a constant supply of hot tea
+and coffee for the wounded. An Australian
+terribly mutilated was brought in. A
+happy smile, a few cheery words, and a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span>
+cup of steaming hot cocoa made the
+Australian feel he had met a friend&mdash;and
+speaking slowly, in a voice that was
+scarcely louder than a whisper, he said,
+'I wonder why I am allowed to suffer
+like this,' 'I know why,' replied the
+Y.M.C.A. man; 'you are suffering like this
+so that two women I love&mdash;my mother and
+my sister&mdash;may live in peace and safety
+in the north of London. If it were not for
+the sacrifices you and thousands of other
+boys are making out here, that would be
+impossible.' The soldier lad was quiet
+for some time, and then whispered to his
+new-found friend&mdash;'I'm glad to go on
+suffering!'</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>The same secretary tells an interesting
+story of one of the bitter fights round
+Passchendaele. The wounded were being
+brought in on stretchers, and he was on
+the spot with hot drinks for the boys.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span>
+The guns were quiet for a moment and
+a voice was heard singing clearly and
+distinctly:</p>
+
+<div class='poem'>
+'Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 4em;">Lead Thou me on.</span><br />
+The night is dark, and I am far from home;<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 4em;">Lead Thou me on!</span><br />
+Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see<br />
+The distant scene; one step enough for me.'<br />
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/i195.jpg" width="500" height="296" alt="Y.M.C.A. MOTOR KITCHEN BEHIND THE LINES" title="" />
+<span class="caption">Y.M.C.A. MOTOR KITCHEN BEHIND THE LINES</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>The singer was a private, badly wounded
+and being carried in on a stretcher. The
+subsequent verses were drowned in the
+roar of battle, but those standing round
+could see from the movement of the
+wounded man's lips that he was still
+singing. Thus it is possible for a man
+to find his Saviour near him even amid the
+horror and noise of war.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>One day in 1917 we stood outside a little
+Y.M.C.A. at Erquinghem, lost during the
+German advance in the following spring,
+and standing there we heard 'Grandmother'<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span>
+speak. 'Grandmother,' it should be explained,
+was a mighty howitzer. It was
+concealed under an improvised shed carefully
+camouflaged, and was brought out
+on rails, in a horizontal position. As
+we watched, it was brought to the vertical
+and out shot a tongue of flame. The
+projectile was so huge we could watch its
+flight for miles until it disappeared from
+view in the distance. Listening intently
+we heard the explosion in the enemy's
+lines. Many a Y.M.C.A. on the Western
+Front is situated right amid the guns, and
+when they are fired one knows it&mdash;'Grandmother'
+speaking, seems to shake
+the very foundations of the earth.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;">
+<img src="images/i196.jpg" width="600" height="383" alt="INDIAN TROOPS AT THE SIGN OF THE RED TRIANGLE" title="" />
+<span class="caption">INDIAN TROOPS AT THE SIGN OF THE RED TRIANGLE</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER XIII</h2>
+
+<h3>THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE EAST</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>The Y.M.C.A. is doing excellent work&mdash;its efforts
+are appreciated immensely by all ranks in this force.
+Experience of Y.M.C.A. work in the Army has long
+since convinced me how invaluable its services are
+to us, both in peace and war.&mdash;<span class="smcap">The Late Lieut.-General
+Sir Stanley Maude.</span></div>
+
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class='smcap'>The</span> Macedonian call 'Come over and help
+us' has been repeated in our own days,
+and has come from near and far East.
+The Red Triangle has been quick to respond
+to the call, and a few incidents of its work
+are recorded here, though the story itself
+must be told after the war. The Chief
+Executive officer of the Indian National
+Council is himself an Indian, and not only
+has he, with the assistance of his Council,
+been responsible for the great work of the
+Red Triangle in India, but also for the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span>
+extensive programme of work the Association
+has undertaken for Indian troops in
+East Africa, Mesopotamia, and Europe.
+In addition to work for British troops in
+India, the Y.M.C.A. has established work
+for Indian troops in a number of cantonments,
+where service parallel to that undertaken
+for British troops is carried on, with
+the exception that no religious work is
+done, unless in the case of Christian
+Sepoys.</div>
+
+<p>The number of branches with British
+troops on August 1, 1917, was 43, worked
+by 40 European and American and 9
+Indian secretaries, and 1 honorary lady
+secretary. With Indian troops there were
+8 branches, worked by 1 European and 8
+Indian secretaries. These figures do not
+include the temporary work undertaken
+by the Army Y.M.C.A. with the Waziristan
+Field Force, which terminated during
+August 1917, and which included 4 British<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span>
+and 4 Indian branches, with 3 European
+and 2 Indian secretaries. There was also
+1 European secretary at Headquarters on
+August 1, 1917, for Army work in India;
+and in addition secretaries engaged in
+civilian Y.M.C.A. work in several stations
+gave part of their time to Army work, as
+well as many voluntary workers.</p>
+
+<p>In Burma a large barrack-room, made of
+wood and bamboo with a grass-thatched
+roof, houses the Association, which works
+amongst the men of the newly formed
+Burmese regiments. The whole building
+is on piles, and stands about six feet off
+the ground, thus preventing snakes and
+other unwelcome guests from coming inside.
+The regiments comprise not only
+Burmans but Karens, Chinese, and
+Arakanese. Most of the men are from the
+deep jungle, and very few of them can read
+or write. The gramophone interests them
+enormously, and they look inside it to see<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span>
+who is producing the sound, and will sit
+round in a circle listening to it for hours.
+Picture papers interest them, but usually
+they prefer holding the pictures upside
+down. The better educated men write a
+good deal on the free notepaper provided
+by the Y.M.C.A. Quartettes are sung by
+Karen and Chinese Christians. At the far
+end of the building is a huge image of the
+Buddha which was there before we came,
+and is used by some of the boys as a sort
+of chapel for private devotions. The boys
+have to take their choice between Christianity
+and Buddhism, and as we have three
+exceptionally good lamps there is much
+more light at the Y.M.C.A. end of the hall,
+and we have the better attendance in
+numbers at all events.</p>
+
+<p>Egypt, handicapped at first through lack
+of money, has also done magnificently.
+There is no more important centre of
+Association activity in the world than the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span>
+Esbekia Gardens in Cairo. Ever since the
+early days of the war, night after night,
+thousands of khaki-clad warriors have
+congregated in these lovely gardens, which
+under other auspices might easily have
+been one of the danger spots of Cairo,
+instead of a kind of modern 'City of
+Refuge' from the temptations of the city.
+The Anzac hostel is another striking
+feature of the work in Cairo. In June 1917
+no fewer than 6893 soldiers slept in it,
+and that was not by any means a record
+month. The money for the purchase of
+this hostel as the permanent property of
+the Y.M.C.A. has been subscribed by
+members of the Baltic, but the discovery
+of the existence of a third mortgage has
+delayed the completion of the purchase.
+At Alexandria, Khartoum, Port Soudan,
+on both sides of the canal and far into the
+Sinai Peninsula, the Association outposts
+have been busy. A Red Triangle hut in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span>
+desert was destroyed by a bomb dropped
+from a hostile aeroplane, but when the
+smoke subsided, the centre pole was still
+standing and the Association flag flying.
+The huts at Kantara are amongst the
+finest in the world, and neither here nor
+anywhere else has it been necessary to put
+up a notice intimating that the Y.M.C.A.
+is 'open to all,' Tommy knows it, and
+regards the Red Triangle as his own peculiar
+possession. One cannot conceive of any
+place on earth where it is more needed
+than in one of these desert camps, where
+there is nothing to do, nowhere to go, and
+nothing to see but endless stretches of
+monotonous and dreary sand. Under such
+circumstances the Red Triangle is Tommy's
+tuck shop; his church&mdash;with the chaplain
+as the parson; his post-office, concert
+hall, social room, school, and home. This
+is true of every fighting front, and that is
+why the Association has won for itself<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span>
+a lasting place in the affections of the
+manhood of the Empire.</p>
+
+<p>A young soldier writing home the day
+after his arrival in Mesopotamia, said the
+first thing he struck on landing was the
+welcome sign of the Red Triangle. 'And,'
+said he, 'if we are ordered next to the
+North Pole, I am sure we shall find it
+there!' The Y.M.C.A. secretary for
+Mesopotamia tells of a visit he paid to a
+centre on the way to Bagdad. It was a
+big bare marquee, crammed with men,
+with very little furniture in it&mdash;the difficulties
+of transport being so great in those
+days&mdash;just half a dozen tables and a few
+chairs, a heap of books, and a number of
+games. There were six inches of dust all
+over the floor, and the temperature was
+120 degrees in the shade, yet one thing
+that attracted the men to the Y.M.C.A.
+marquee was that it enabled them to
+escape the heat of their own bell tents.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span>
+Through the kindness of Sir Alfred Yarrow
+a Red Triangle motor launch has since
+then been provided for use on the Tigris,
+and has greatly simplified transport. The
+central Y.M.C.A. at Bagdad is one of the
+best of our war buildings, and is situated
+on the banks of the Tigris. An Association
+centre has been established on the reputed
+site of the Garden of Eden.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>The story of the Red Triangle in Palestine
+is an epic in itself. For months the Association
+occupied dug-outs along the Palestine
+front, and in those days one secretary
+devoted the whole of his time to making
+personal purchases for officers and men,
+who could not themselves get away to any
+centre of civilisation to make purchases
+on their own account. Gaza was the first
+centre occupied in the Holy Land; Beersheba,
+Jaffa, and Jerusalem being occupied
+later. At Jaffa the former German<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span>
+Consulate was fitted up as a Y.M.C.A., and
+the Red Triangle as a matter of course has
+made its appearance on a big building in
+Jerusalem.</p>
+
+<p>Malta was a very important centre in
+the early days of the war, and the Y.M.C.A.
+flourished in its numerous hospital camps.
+In Macedonia the work has been difficult,
+but greatly appreciated in Salonica itself,
+as well as on the Varda and the Struma.
+The need has been urgent, and every effort
+has been made to meet that need. Transport
+difficulties have led to inevitable
+delays in the delivery of stores and equipment,
+but there are more than forty
+centres now, including five for Serbian
+soldiers.</p>
+
+<p>The Y.M.C.A. had its part in the ill-fated
+expedition to the Dardanelles. Mudros,
+Imbros, and Tenedos were centres of
+importance in those days, and the Red
+Triangle was at work in each island.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span>
+The urgent need of the troops was for soft
+drinks, and those ordinary canteen supplies
+that give variety to the soldiers' menu, and
+make the official rations palatable. The
+official canteens were powerless to meet the
+demand. We were anxious to help, but
+transport was the difficulty. At last,
+through the kindness of Lord Nunburnholme,
+we were enabled to charter the
+s.s. <i>Nero</i> of the Wilson Line, and despatch
+it with a cargo of canteen supplies to the
+value of eleven thousand pounds to Mudros.
+A few days later the Peninsula was
+evacuated, but whilst they were there the
+men availed themselves to the full of the
+opportunity of buying supplementary food
+at British prices. When the <i>Nero</i> reached
+Mudros, Greek venders were selling our
+Tommies tinned fruit at twelve shillings
+a tin, and other prices were correspondingly
+high.</p>
+
+<p>In the centre of an official photograph<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span>
+of Anzac showing the Bay, the camp, and
+the surrounding sandhills, are to be seen
+the letters 'Y.M.C.A.' They appear on a
+tiny marquee and close to it a big dug-out,
+measuring 30 by 19 feet, in which the
+Red Triangle carried through its programme
+of friendliness and good cheer, always
+under shell-fire. One night a fragment of
+a Turkish shell, weighing twelve and a half
+pounds, found its way through the roof
+of that dug-out. At Cape Helles there
+were three tiny tents fastened end on end.
+Had they been larger they could scarcely
+have escaped the attention of 'Asiatic
+Annie,' the big Turkish gun that dominated
+the position. As it was, the Officer Commanding
+the advanced base at Lancashire
+Landing wrote to Headquarters to say
+how much the men appreciated those tents,
+and explained that the previous day an
+eight-inch high explosive shell from a
+Turkish gun had burst in the centre of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span>
+middle tent and completely destroyed it.
+'Fortunately,' said he, 'it didn't damage
+the piano, and still more fortunately,' he
+added, 'it didn't harm the gramophone.'
+That was curious, and we thought of some
+of the gramophones we had known, and
+felt it would have been no disaster if a
+shell had destroyed the lot! This gramophone
+was different, however, for it had
+only just been wound up when the shell
+burst, but regardless of the bustle and
+confusion caused by the explosion, it kept
+on playing until it had finished the last
+note of the tune! What a splendid object
+lesson for the Allies, to stick to the job
+they have on hand to the finish, or in
+other words, till victory crowns their
+efforts. Many months after the incident
+here recorded the Irish Y.M.C.A. was
+invited to open up at Rathdrum. The
+secretary responsible interviewed the O.C.,
+and learning that he was a Catholic,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span>
+asked politely if he knew the work of the
+Y.M.C.A. 'Indeed I do,' was the reply.
+'I was at Cape Helles when a shell burst
+in your tent. I was the officer in charge,
+and it was my duty to remove casualties.
+I went up to the tents fearing the worst,
+and shall never forget the smiling face of
+the Y.M.C.A. man behind the counter. It
+won me over completely.'</p>
+
+<p>A distinguished officer wrote:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>'Your work has been of inestimable
+value to the troops, filling a gap which
+it is impossible for the Military
+Authorities to provide for. "Always
+first up, always working hard, and
+always welcome&mdash;the Red Triangle will
+always be gratefully remembered by
+the soldiers in the Great War."'</p></div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER XIV</h2>
+
+<h3>SIDE LINES OF THE RED TRIANGLE</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>The Y.M.C.A. has fashioned a girdle of mercy and
+loving-kindness round the world which will stand
+to their credit as long as the memory of this war
+exists.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Lord Curzon of Kedleston.</span></div>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"><a name="shakedown" id="shakedown"></a>
+<img src="images/i213a.jpg" width="400" height="309" alt="A SHAKEDOWN IN A LONDON HUT" title="" />
+<span class="caption">A SHAKEDOWN IN A LONDON HUT</span>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"><a name="relatives" id="relatives"></a>
+<img src="images/i213b.jpg" width="400" height="250" alt="RELATIVES OF THE DANGEROUSLY WOUNDED ARE LOOKED AFTER BY THE Y.M.C.A. IN FRANCE" title="" />
+<span class="caption">RELATIVES OF THE DANGEROUSLY WOUNDED ARE LOOKED AFTER BY THE Y.M.C.A. IN FRANCE</span>
+</div>
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class='smcap'>There</span> are numerous side-lines to this
+work, that are important enough in themselves,
+the significance of which is scarcely
+realised by the general public, or even by
+those who are supporting the movement.
+Take, for example, the 'Snapshots from
+Home' movement, which represented the
+combined voluntary work of the photographers
+of the United Kingdom, organised
+under the Red Triangle. Upwards of
+650,000 snapshots were sent out to soldiers
+and sailors on active service, each one
+bearing a message of love and a reminder<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span>
+of home. Sir Evelyn Wood, V.C., was one
+of the first to recognise the significance of
+the letter-writing that is done on such a
+large scale in the Y.M.C.A. tents. The
+veteran Field-Marshal pointed out that the
+benefit was two-fold: first, it occupied the
+time of the men; and, secondly, it kept
+them in touch with their homes, both
+matters of first importance. 'That's what
+my Dad always puts on his letters to
+Mummy,' said a little girl, pointing to the
+Red Triangle on the notepaper, when on a
+visit to the Crystal Palace. Fifteen to
+twenty million pieces of stationery are
+distributed free of charge to the troops
+monthly by the Y.M.C.A., and in four
+years the total issued amounted to upwards
+of nine hundred million pieces. Workers
+are often called upon to write letters for
+the men, and the latter make all sorts of
+mistakes with their correspondence.
+Sometimes they stamp their letters but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span>
+forget to address them, often they address
+them but forget the stamps. One lad was
+greatly excited and wanted the secretary
+in charge of the post-office to rescue two
+letters he had posted earlier in the afternoon.
+When asked why he wanted them
+back he blushed like a schoolgirl and
+stammered out, 'I've written two letters&mdash;one
+to my mother and the other to my
+sweetheart&mdash;and I've put them in the
+wrong envelopes!' The letters were not
+rescued, for more than five thousand had
+been posted before he discovered his
+mistake, and one wonders what happened!</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"><a name="motor" id="motor"></a>
+<img src="images/i214.jpg" width="600" height="399" alt="Y.M.C.A. NIGHT MOTOR TRANSPORT" title="" />
+<span class="caption">Y.M.C.A. NIGHT MOTOR TRANSPORT</span>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>In Paris the Association has established
+a central inquiry bureau under the H&ocirc;tel
+&Eacute;douard VII. off the Grand Boulevard.
+Two daily excursions are arranged around
+Paris, and two each week to Versailles.
+Representatives of the Red Triangle meet
+all the principal trains, day and night.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span>
+The H&ocirc;tel Florida is now run under the
+Association for British troops, whilst the
+American Y.M.C.A. has its Headquarters
+for France in the city, and has taken over
+several large hotels and other buildings.</p>
+
+<p>There is not the romance about the work
+of the Red Triangle in the munition areas,
+that there is in what it is doing for our
+fighting men, but there can be no doubt
+as to its importance. The munition workers
+as a class are as patriotic as any other
+class, but their work is drab, monotonous,
+and strenuous. Little has been done
+officially to bring home to the man who
+makes the shell the relationship of his
+work to the man who fires it; or of the
+woman who works on the aeroplane to the
+man who is to fly in it, and yet the one
+can do nothing without the other. Things
+have changed for the better, but earlier
+in the war the output of munitions was
+positively hindered by the inadequacy of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span>
+the canteen facilities available to the
+munition workers. The Y.M.C.A. was the
+first organisation to attempt to meet this
+need on anything like a large scale, and
+eventually the work grew to considerable
+dimensions. Our work in the munition
+areas has been essentially a ladies' movement,
+and has largely consisted of canteen
+work. Other features are being increasingly
+added, music and singing have been
+organised successfully, lectures have been
+greatly appreciated, and several big athletic
+features introduced. Sporting events, also
+cricket and football leagues for munition
+workers, have been well supported. It is
+intensely interesting to see these people
+at work, and no other proof of British
+organising power and ability are necessary
+than a visit to some of the great works,
+many of which were not built for the
+purpose of manufacturing munitions of
+war, and others improvised since the commencement<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span>
+of hostilities. At one place in
+which a canteen was formally opened by
+Princess Helena Victoria&mdash;who has taken
+the keenest interest in the development of
+our munitions department&mdash;from ordinary
+shipbuilding before the war great changes
+had taken place: a Super-Dreadnought
+was approaching completion; several
+T.B.D.'s were on the stocks, and some of
+the latest type of submarines were being
+built; aeroplanes were being turned out
+at an incredible rate; shells made by the
+thousand; rigid air-ships were under construction;
+and, perhaps as wonderful as
+anything, artificial feet were being made
+in the same workshops.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>Incidentally might be mentioned here,
+the work the Association is doing for
+officers. There are four large hostels in
+London for the accommodation of officers,
+and one for officer-cadets. The young<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span>
+officer is often not blessed with too much
+of this world's goods, and hotel life is
+expensive, and not always too comfortable.
+The success of these hostels has demonstrated
+the need. At Havre, Calais, St.
+Omer, &Eacute;taples, and many centres up the
+line, as well as in home camps, such as
+Ripon, we have the pleasure of doing something
+to serve the officer, and in many
+English camps we have opened huts for the
+exclusive use of officer-cadets. Gidea Park,
+Berkhampstead, and Denham were amongst
+the first and most successful of these
+centres. The interned officers in Switzerland
+and Holland are largely catered for
+by the Y.M.C.A.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>It has been a pleasure to co-operate from
+time to time with the work of the R.A.M.C.
+and the Red Cross. In huts, in hospitals, and
+convalescent camps, in caring for the relatives
+of wounded, in work for the walking<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span>
+wounded, and in many other ways the Red
+Cross and the Red Triangle have worked
+closely together. An officer of the R.A.M.C.
+(T.), has written the following interesting
+description of the work of the Y.M.C.A.
+for the walking wounded:&mdash;'The O.C. the
+Divisional Walking Wounded Collecting
+Post was frankly worried as he sat in his
+tiny sandbagged hut with the D.A.D.M.S.,
+and talked over all the problems which
+faced him in view of the "stunt" due to
+come off at dawn a few days later. "I've
+got plenty of dressings, and everything
+of that sort," he said, "and, of course, I
+can get plenty more brought up by returning
+ambulance cars. But there is the
+question of food&mdash;there's the rub. The
+numbers of wounded vary so greatly, and
+it's not so easy to lay in a huge reserve of
+grub as it is of dressings. Of course, I've
+done my best, but I'm rather worried."
+"If that is all your worry we'll soon put<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span>
+that right," answered the optimist of the
+staff. "We'll get the Y.M.C.A. chap on
+the job." "What can he do?" "What
+can he not do rather? You wait and
+see. Come along and we'll call on
+him now."</p>
+
+<p>'In a little shed of corrugated iron by the
+side of a shell-swept road they found him.
+With his coat off and his sleeves rolled up,
+he was pushing across the counter steaming
+mugs of cocoa and piles of buns to the
+crowd of hungry and clamouring Tommies
+who besieged his premises. He was not a
+young man. Not the strongest-hearted of
+Medical Boards would have passed him
+for service. To put it briefly, he had no
+right in the world to be where he was, in
+one of the nastiest corners of that particularly
+nasty place, Flanders. But there he
+was, roughing it with the rest of them, and
+to judge from his smiling countenance,
+thoroughly enjoying every particle of his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span>
+experience. "Hello, Major!" he called out
+cheerfully on seeing his two officer visitors.
+"Anything I can do for you to-day?"
+"Rather! A whole lot. Can we have a
+talk in your own place&mdash;away from the
+crowd?" The Y.M.C.A. man led the way
+to the six feet square hole in the ground
+which he called his billet, and there the
+medical staff officer explained his needs.
+"There's a stunt on in a few days," he said.
+"You may have guessed that. What can
+you do to help us? You know the
+pressure under which the R.A.M.C. will be
+working. It'll be a big job dressing all
+the casualties there are likely to be; but
+we'll manage that bit. What we want
+is a hand in the feeding of them. You
+understand?" The face of the secretary
+glowed with excitement. "I'll do any
+mortal thing I can," he answered eagerly.
+"There'll be nothing doing here once the
+show starts, so I'll shut down, and bring<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span>
+my whole stock over to your dressing
+station, and my staff too. We can feed
+several hundred if you'll let us." "What
+about the cost of the grub?" "Not a
+word about cost, sir! You're welcome
+to it free, gratis, and for nothing, with
+all the pleasure in the world." "Thanks
+awfully," said the D.A.D.M.S. "That's
+just what I wanted you to offer, and I
+thought you would; your folks have
+helped us so often before." "Jolly good
+job," mused the Y.M.C.A. man, "that I
+have kept hidden those extra cases of
+chocolates and sweet biscuits. I thought
+there might be something of this sort
+coming off."</p>
+
+<p>'Ere the grey dawn of a certain morning
+brought the nerve-racking inferno of
+barrage and counter-barrage, the entire
+stock of the canteen was installed in the
+larger of the two huts which formed the
+collecting post. Boxes of biscuits, chocolates,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span>
+and cigarettes with the lids knocked
+off, stood ranged along the wall, ready for
+the tired and hungry guests who would soon
+appear. Outside, in two huge cauldrons,
+gallons of strong cocoa were brewing
+merrily. Little was spoken by the men
+standing around, as they waited, nerves a
+trifle on edge, for the breaking of the
+storm. Suddenly from somewhere in the
+rear came the hollow boom of a "heavy,"
+the artillery signal, and in an instant every
+battery in the area had hurled its first
+salvo of the barrage. The air was full of
+noise, the rolling roar of the guns at
+"drum fire," the hissing and screaming of
+flying shells, the echoes of far-away explosions.
+The ground trembled as if an
+earthquake had come. The battle had
+begun.</p>
+
+<p>'The O.C. looked in at the door of the hut.
+"Everything ready?" he asked. "Ready
+and waiting," answered the Y.M.C.A. man,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span>
+and very soon in twos and threes the
+wounded began to dribble in, and shortly
+a steady stream of battered humanity was
+straggling down the road, to halt at the
+welcome sight of the hut with the Red Cross
+flag by its door. How some of them
+limped over every weary step of the way
+was beyond understanding. With shattered
+limbs and mangled flesh they came,
+worn, hungry, thirsty, in agony, some
+stumbling alone, some helped along by less
+grievously injured comrades. In a pitiful
+throng they gathered around the dressing
+station.</p>
+
+<p>'The quick eyes of the R.A.M.C. sergeant
+picked out the worst cases, and these
+were hurried into the hut where the
+medical officers plied their sorrowful trade.
+The others sat down and waited their turn
+with the stolid patience of the British
+soldier when he is wounded, and among
+them worked an Angel of Mercy, an elderly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span>
+angel clad in a flannel shirt, and a pair
+of mud-stained khaki trousers. Amid the
+poor jetsam of the fight went the Y.M.C.A.
+man with his mugs of cocoa and his biscuits,
+his chocolate and his cigarettes, as much a
+minister of healing as was the surgeon with
+his dressings and anodynes. All the men
+were bitterly cold after their long night of
+waiting in the old front trench, or were
+dead beat with the nervous strain of the
+action and the pain of their wounds. All
+were hungry. A few no longer cared
+greatly what more might happen to them,
+for they had reached the limit of endurance,
+as surely as they had reached the
+limit of suffering. But even to those last
+the warm drink and the food and, perhaps
+more than anything else, the soothing
+nicotine, brought back life and hope in place
+of apathy and despair. 'God bless you,
+sir,' murmured a man here and there.
+But the greater part could find no words<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span>
+to speak the gratitude which their eyes
+told forth so clearly.'</p>
+
+<p>This little story is not the tale of one
+actual incident. It is only the stereotype
+of scenes that have been acted and reacted
+often and often at the Front. Time
+and time again has the Red Triangle come
+to the aid of the Red Cross, placing its
+workers and its stores unreservedly at the
+disposal of the Royal Army Medical Corps.
+When the wounded have been pouring into
+the dressing stations in hundreds, the
+Y.M.C.A. workers have taken over the
+responsibility of feeding them, and have
+halved the cares of the overwrought
+R.A.M.C. This they have done not once
+but unnumbered times, and what gratitude
+they have earned from their guests! The
+wounded man can scarcely realise what he
+owes to the surgeon who tends his injuries;
+but he does appreciate his debt to the man
+who feeds him and gives him the 'fag'<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span>
+for which he has been craving. The cocoa
+and cigarettes of the Y.M.C.A. do not
+figure among the medicaments of the
+Pharmacop&nbsp;ia, yet many a 'walking
+wounded' will swear to you that they
+have saved his life&mdash;as perhaps they
+have.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER XV</h2>
+
+<h3>THE RED TRIANGLE AND THE WHITE ENSIGN</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>Surely the Almighty God does not intend this war
+to be just a hideous fracas, a bloody, drunken orgy.
+There must be purpose in it all; improvement must
+be born out of it. In what direction? France has
+already shown us the way, and has risen out of her
+ruined cities with a revival of religion that is most
+wonderful. England still remains to be dug out of
+the stupor of self-satisfaction and complacency which
+the great and flourishing condition has steeped her
+in. And until she can be stirred out of this condition,
+until a religious revival takes place at home,
+just so long will the war continue. When she can
+look on the future with humbler eyes and a prayer
+on her lips, then we can begin to count the days
+towards the end.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Admiral Sir David Beatty,
+K.C.B., M.V.O., D.S.O., K.C.V.O.</span></div>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"><a name="dugouts" id="dugouts"></a>
+<img src="images/i231.jpg" width="600" height="385" alt="Y.M.C.A. IN THE FRONT-LINE DUG-OUTS ON THE PALESTINE FRONT" title="" />
+<span class="caption">Y.M.C.A. IN THE FRONT-LINE DUG-OUTS ON THE PALESTINE FRONT</span>
+</div>
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class="smcap">This</span> chapter is written in a 'sleeper' at
+the close of a busy day in the North. The
+day has been made a memorable one by a
+visit to the <i>Queen Elizabeth</i>, as she lay
+at her moorings in one of our great naval<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span>
+bases. She is one of the greatest instruments
+of war in the world, and it was a
+revelation to enter one of the gun turrets of
+the super-dreadnought, to look through the
+periscope, or see the ingenious mechanism
+that moved those mighty guns, and lifts
+into position the huge projectile that is
+capable of delivering death and destruction
+to an enemy many miles away. It was
+more than interesting to visit the wireless
+rooms, where ceaseless watch is kept by
+day and night, and to see the wonderful
+orderliness of everything, and to note that
+every one on board was ready, and their
+only fear that the German Fleet might
+never be tempted out again. The visit to
+the <i>Queen Elizabeth</i> left one thinking of the
+service the Red Triangle has been able to
+render to the White Ensign. During the
+war there are not as many opportunities
+for work amongst naval men as in peace
+time, but there is all the more need that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span>
+when the men are ashore everything that
+is possible should be done for them. The
+Scottish National Council have up-to-date
+well-equipped hostels and recreation-rooms
+in several naval centres, and those at
+Edinburgh and Glasgow are thronged with
+bluejackets. South of the Border there
+are many fine hostels and recreation-rooms
+for sailors, and in scores of centres in
+England, Wales, and Ireland the Red
+Triangle is catering successfully for the
+needs of our bluejackets. The biggest
+crowd of all is to be found in the quarters
+occupied by the Y.M.C.A. at the Crystal
+Palace, where thousands of men every day
+use the Y.M.C.A. as their club, and find in it
+their home. We shall never know all we
+owe to our splendid Navy, and that debt
+can never be fully paid. At the close of the
+war we are planning to erect permanent
+hostels and institutes for sailors in several
+naval bases at home and in some of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span>
+great foreign stations. Much appreciated
+war work for sailors is being carried on now
+at Brindisi and Taranto, for the men of
+the drifters employed on minesweeping
+in the Mediterranean, also at Malta,
+Mudros, and other centres overseas.</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"><a name="canteen" id="canteen"></a>
+<img src="images/i232.jpg" width="500" height="361" alt="Y.M.C.A. DUG-OUT AND CANTEEN ON PALESTINE FRONT" title="" />
+<span class="caption">Y.M.C.A. DUG-OUT AND CANTEEN ON PALESTINE FRONT</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>A demand for a Y.M.C.A. on a battleship
+came from the men of H.M.S. <i>Conqueror</i>,
+and it has been found most helpful.</p>
+
+<p>Many isolated naval stations round the
+British coast are supplied with cabinets,
+each one containing a gramophone, library,
+a supply of writing materials, and games.
+For obvious reasons it would be imprudent
+whilst the war is on to indicate the centres
+by name in which the Red Triangle is
+serving the men of the Navy, but there will
+be a great story to tell when the war is
+over.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER XVI</h2>
+
+<h3>THE RELIGION OF THE RED TRIANGLE</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>The work of the Y.M.C.A. is, to my mind, one of the
+outstanding features of this war. Their efforts,
+along with other agencies working for the highest
+welfare of the Army, have shown a true catholic
+spirit, and made it easier for our soldiers to live a
+noble, true and clean life. May God's blessing
+follow their increasing influence.&mdash;<span class="smcap">The Chaplain-General
+to the Forces.</span>
+
+<p>The Y.M.C.A. has been one of the really great
+things which have come into their own in this
+world crisis. It has been a Hindenburg Line of
+the Christian faith.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Dr. Michael Sadler, Vice-Chancellor
+of Leeds University.</span></p></div>
+
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class="smcap">The</span> Y.M.C.A. is not in camp as a rival to
+the ordinary Church organisations, nor yet
+to supplant or in any conceivable way to
+undermine the influence of the chaplains.
+Its large and commodious huts and tents
+have been used in thousands of camps for
+the official Church Parade services, and in
+many cases there has been no other suitable<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span>
+room available. We have counted it a
+privilege on Sunday mornings to place our
+equipment unreservedly at the disposal of
+all the official chaplains who desired to use
+it. We have welcomed the opportunity
+of assisting the great and important work
+the chaplains are doing for the men of His
+Majesty's Forces, for the Y.M.C.A. is itself
+a wing of the great Christian army, and has
+sometimes been described as the Church
+in action. Apart from the support in men
+and money it has received from members
+of the Churches, the war work of the Red
+Triangle would have been impossible. The
+Y.M.C.A. is not a church, and will never
+become one. It administers no sacraments,
+its membership is confined to one sex; it
+discourages in all its branches the holding
+of meetings that clash with those of the
+Churches, and in every possible way each
+member unattached is encouraged to join
+the Church of his choice.</div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>In the course of a striking letter to <i>The
+Challenge</i> of July 12, 1918, a correspondent
+said:&mdash;'We turn, for an example, to the
+Y.M.C.A. Conceal the unpleasant truth
+how we may, the outstanding religious
+performance of this war in the eyes of the
+public at large has not been the daily
+services in Church&mdash;not even the Holy
+Communion&mdash;but the work done in the
+Y.M.C.A. huts. It is along those lines
+that we must travel if we are to win the
+world. For the medi&aelig;vally-minded, for
+the intellectually timid, there is always
+Rome. But it is not by those that the new
+England will be built, and it is the new
+England we must save for Christ.'</p>
+
+<p>Another writer to the same Anglican
+journal said it had been stated that 'after
+the war there would be a holy Roman
+Church and a holy Y.M.C.A., but no more
+Church of England.' The fact of the
+matter is the Y.M.C.A. is not making the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span>
+work of the Churches unnecessary, but
+rather it is giving the ordinary man a new
+conception of what Christianity really is,
+and is thus helping to interpret the churches
+to the masses, and is acting as a bridge or
+a communication trench between the
+organised forces of Christianity in the front
+line, so to speak, and the great masses away
+back in reserve, on which they desire to
+draw. Some people have spoken sneeringly
+of 'canteen religion'; the soldier never
+does&mdash;and why should he? There is
+nothing new about it, for it is as old as the
+early days of Christianity, only the gospel
+of the 'cup of cold water' has been adapted
+to the needs of modern warfare, so that
+the man in the firing-line knows it from
+experience as the gospel of the 'cup of hot
+coffee.' Straggling back to a clearing
+station, wounded, plastered with mud,
+and racked with pain, the most eloquent
+of sermons would not help him, but a hot<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span>
+drink, a few biscuits or even a cigarette,
+if given in the name of the Master may put
+new heart and life into him, and give him
+fresh courage for the way. The Churches
+realise this, and have given us of their
+best as far as helpers are concerned.</p>
+
+<p>We have a vivid recollection of visiting
+the big Y.M.C.A. hut in the Cavalry Camp
+at Rouen in 1915. It was the ordinary
+week-night service, and more than six
+hundred men were present. A famous
+Scottish preacher had conducted the service,
+and at the close we chatted with him for a
+few minutes in the quiet room. 'Before I
+came out to France,' said he, 'I knew you
+had a great opportunity. Now I know
+that the greatest spiritual opportunity in
+history rests on your shoulders&mdash;is with
+the Y.M.C.A.' And yet there is a way
+of doing spiritual work that would make
+all spiritual work in camp absolutely
+impossible. We remember visiting a big<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span>
+hut one day&mdash;it did not sport the Red
+Triangle, but was beautifully furnished.
+Over the door was a bold device 'A Home
+from Home! All Welcome!' On entering,
+the first thing one saw was the text
+'Behold your sins will find you out!'
+And a few yards further on 'The wages
+of sin is death.' 'No smoking!' was
+another notice, and yet another, 'This
+hut will be closed every evening from seven
+to eight for a gospel service.' Religion
+to appeal to the soldier must be natural
+and not forced, and must be free from
+controversy and unreality. The British
+soldier hates a sham, and instinctively
+classes the hypocrite with the Hun. He
+may not understand our Shibboleths; he
+has no use for our controversies, but he
+can and does understand the Life of the
+Master, when he sees the beauty of that
+Life reflected in some humble follower of
+His, who day by day is risking his life at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span>
+the Front, that he may supply a cup of
+cocoa to a wounded soldier, or who is
+slaving behind a Y.M.C.A. refreshment
+counter at home, and doing uncongenial
+work for the love of Christ.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>When it was decided to send the Indian
+troops to France, the Y.M.C.A. offered its services
+to the Indian Government. The offer
+was refused. At last, however, permission
+was given to supply recreation marquees for
+the use of the Indian Army in France, but
+only on condition that there should be no
+proselytising, no preaching, no prayers, no
+hymn singing, no Testaments or Bibles
+given, and no tracts. The Y.M.C.A.
+accepted the conditions, and though some
+of its friends felt it meant lowering the
+flag, it has loyally kept its promise, and
+most people realise to-day that this was
+one of the greatest pieces of Christian
+strategy of our times. A visit to one of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span>
+Red Triangle huts or tents in an Indian
+camp is a revelation. You hear the
+Mohammedan call to prayer, see the tiny
+mosque, and realise in how many and
+varied ways it is possible for the Y.M.C.A.
+to be of service to these brave men of
+another faith. A professor reported at
+one of the big base camps as a worker.
+He had come to lecture to the troops, and
+when asked by the leader as to his subjects
+replied, 'Sanscrit and Arabic.' The
+leader wondered how on earth he could
+make use of a man as a lecturer to
+British Tommies, who only lectured on
+those two obscure and difficult topics.
+The professor found his niche, however,
+teaching the Mohammedan priest to read
+his Koran&mdash;the leader commenting&mdash;'The
+more he knows it, the less he will
+trust it.'</p>
+
+<p>It is interesting to note how well these
+Indian heroes get on with our own Tommies.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span>
+They play their games and sometimes sing
+their songs. When 'Tipperary' was all
+the rage, the Indians had their own version
+of the chorus, which they sang with great
+enthusiasm. It ran thus:</p>
+
+<div class='poem'>
+'Bura dur hai Tipperary,<br />
+Bura dur hai kouch ho,<br />
+Bura dur hai Tipperary,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Sukipas powncheniko,</span><br />
+Ram, ram, Piccadilly,<br />
+Salam Leicester Square.<br />
+Bura, bura dur hai Tipperary,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Likem dil hoa pus ghai.'</span><br />
+</div>
+
+<p>On one occasion the secretary of an
+important base said he had arranged a
+new stunt for us that evening&mdash;the formal
+opening of a hut in the Indian Cavalry
+Hospital Camp. We arrived to find the
+hut crowded, and a great banquet arranged
+in our honour. Nothing need be said as to
+the banquet or its disastrous results as far as
+we are concerned! The Indians enjoyed
+it, and that was the important thing.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span>
+Before the banquet we had the privilege
+of greeting the men and welcoming them
+to the Y.M.C.A., and after we had finished,
+the leading Mohammedan in the camp
+mounted the platform and gave a great
+oration in honour of the Christian Association.
+He was followed by the leading
+Brahmin, and he in turn by the senior
+Sheik, all speaking in most cordial terms of
+the Y.M.C.A. In the midst of the orations,
+a stately Indian advanced solemnly and
+placed a garland of flowers round my neck.
+Thrice this garlanding process was repeated
+on different occasions&mdash;lovely roses and
+sweet peas&mdash;and it was a great and much
+appreciated honour, though it made one
+feel a trifle foolish at the time. After the
+banquet we proceeded to the adjoining
+recreation tent, and it was an inspiration to
+see it crammed from end to end with men
+of many religions and different races, all
+happy and contented and all usefully<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span>
+employed. On the platform a 'budginee'
+or Indian concert was proceeding; a
+crowd of men at the tables were learning
+to write; another crowd receiving a lesson
+in English; a large group looking at
+pictures and illustrated magazines, whilst
+others were playing games or listening
+enraptured to the strains of the Indian
+records on the gramophone. The C.O.
+who took us round, said that when the
+men came to France not one of them could
+even sign his name to his pay book, they
+all had to do it by means of thumb-prints.
+'To-day,' said he, 'every man can sign
+his name, and many can write an intelligent
+letter, and they have learned everything in
+the Y.M.C.A.' A few days previously an
+Indian of some rank stood with folded
+arms, his back against the wall, in that very
+tent. He said nothing, but took in everything,
+and when the marquee closed for
+the night and the dusky hero warriors<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span>
+retired to their tents, he spoke to the Indian
+secretary in charge. 'I have watched you
+men,' said he; 'you are not paid by the
+Government, you come when you like and
+you go when you like. There is only one
+religion in the world that would send its
+servants to do what you are doing&mdash;to
+serve and not to proselytise. When this
+war is over and we return to India, I want
+you to send one of your men to my village.
+My people are all Hindus, but they will
+do what I tell them. I have been watching
+you carefully, and I have come to the conclusion
+that Christianity will fit the East
+as it can never fit the West.' One of the
+lessons of the Red Triangle is that you can
+never win men by antagonising them, or
+by speaking disrespectfully of the things
+they hold dear. Love must ever be the conqueror,
+and the love of all loves is the love
+of God revealed in His Son, Jesus Christ.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>Our Jewish friends were surprised and
+delighted in the dark days at the close of
+1914, to find that the doors of the Y.M.C.A.
+were thrown widely open to their padres,
+who could gather in soldiers of their
+community to worship God in their own
+way in the huts of the Red Triangle. They
+have not been slow to show their appreciation&mdash;several
+Y.M.C.A. huts have been
+given officially by Jews; one well-known
+and much used hostel bears the name
+'Jewish Y.M.C.A.,' and Jewish padres will
+go to any trouble or inconvenience to help
+our work at home or overseas. No Red
+Triangle hut can be used for proselytising
+by Catholic, Protestant, Moslem, or Jew&mdash;that
+goes without saying&mdash;but any official
+chaplain is welcome to the use of our huts
+for instructing his own people in their own
+faith.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"><a name="basra" id="basra"></a>
+<img src="images/i249.jpg" width="500" height="336" alt="THE Y.M.C.A. AT BASRA, MESOPOTAMIA" title="" />
+<span class="caption">THE Y.M.C.A. AT BASRA, MESOPOTAMIA</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>A striking article recently appeared in a
+Catholic journal, from which we cull the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span>
+following paragraphs, expressing as they
+do another point of view:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>'"R.C.," "C. of E.," "Y.M.C.A."&mdash;these
+three are the religions of the Front. The drum-head
+service, whilst nominally "C. of E.," is, of
+course, more a military parade than a religious
+function. It is not without a certain amount
+of picturesque Army ceremonial, but to the
+Catholic soldier, as a Catholic, the spectacle is an
+uninteresting one. The Y.M.C.A., too, I think,
+would not claim to be a religion. It is perhaps
+a religious institution; a kind of spiritual ration-dump.
+Its huts, even during a cinema show,
+and at the counters where they sell Woodbines
+and chocolates, have a Christianised atmosphere.
+No soldier fears to be thought "too good" through
+attending a Y.M.C.A. service. That is, perhaps,
+where its undoubtedly great influence comes in.
+It gives the impression, one supposes, to these
+soldiers that here they have what the P.S.A.
+fraternity call "a man's religion for man." It
+caters for the frequent English soul which (perhaps
+in the Charity of God) finds a path to Heaven
+in the singing of second-rate hymns on Sunday
+evening; in the constant repetition of "Abide
+with me," and "O God, our help in ages past."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span>
+It is difficult to say if the influence of the Y.M.C.A.
+is much responsible for the remarkably even, and
+considering all things, somewhat high moral code
+of the Army out here. Rather, perhaps (Deo
+gratias), it is an English heritage from the past.
+Most emphatically one cannot help being struck
+by the excellent moral lives that many of these
+men live, when all things are considered. Of
+course, to a large extent, there is the lack of
+occasions of sin. Drunkenness, most possibly,
+is rare because the authorities have greatly
+restricted, and wisely, the hours of drinking, and
+the beer, etc., available, even if taken in large
+quantities, is rarely intoxicating. Frankly, it
+appears that the good influence of the Y.M.C.A.
+is derived from the temporal comforts and conveniences
+it offers to the much-tried B.E.F. men.
+I stood outside a Y.M.C.A. building one night,
+in the worst of weather, weather as foul as it can
+be in France in war time. Three rain-sodden
+Canadian infantrymen trudged along towards
+the place, and their ears caught the sound of
+some execrable piano-strumming. "Holy Hell,"
+said one, "there's some music there; come on!"
+That is the story, in epitome, of the Y.M.C.A.
+In the mercy of God, it is a good one."</p></div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"><a name="central" id="central"></a>
+<img src="images/i250.jpg" width="600" height="373" alt="THE CENTRAL Y.M.C.A., BAGHDAD" title="" />
+<span class="caption">THE CENTRAL Y.M.C.A., BAGHDAD</span>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span></p><hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>A young soldier sent to an English paper
+the following interesting account of a
+Communion Service held in one of our huts
+at the Front:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>'The following Tuesday, just as our company
+was going "up the line" to the trenches, a
+Communion service was held in the rest-room of
+the Y.M.C.A. hut. I attended it along with
+nine other men, and the service was conducted
+by a well-known Scottish Y.M.C.A. worker, who
+at the time was acting as the leader of the hut.
+In that little room we ten men in khaki were
+verily in the presence of the Unseen. I never
+realised Christ to be so near as when we handled
+the elements. For myself I can truly say that,
+in the grey dawn of the following morning, I went
+up to meet the enemy with a strange peace, and
+a deep assurance in my soul that, come what
+might, I need fear no evil, knowing that He was
+with me&mdash;and so it proved to be. Our time in the
+trenches was the most exciting I have yet experienced,
+but He kept near, and so "all's well."'</p></div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER XVII</h2>
+
+<h3>STORIES OF THE INVERTED TRIANGLE</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>I am sending you a pound note, the first I ever
+received, as I am a poor old woman not able to
+work. To maintain my home I used to take in washing,
+but now I cannot even do my own, but the
+other Sunday, when I shook hands with one that I
+used to wash for, he put that bit of paper in my
+hand, but said nothing, so I received it as part
+payment for work done over seven years ago, and
+when I looked at it, I thanked God, and said I
+would give it to some good cause, and I think I
+cannot do better than help you to get shelter for
+the soldiers. God bless 'em.</div>
+
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class='smcap'>More</span> than five hundred thousand men have
+signed the War Roll pledge of allegiance
+to our Lord Jesus Christ, which has now
+been formally adopted by the Churches,
+and which reads as follows:</div>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>'I hereby pledge my allegiance to
+the Lord Jesus Christ, as my Saviour
+and King, and by God's help will fight<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span>
+His battles for the Victory of His
+Kingdom.'</p></div>
+
+<p>Many have no doubt forgotten their
+promise, but for many it has meant the
+beginning of a new life, and to thousands
+of parents the knowledge that the boy,
+who was their all, signed this declaration
+before making the supreme sacrifice, has
+brought untold comfort.</p>
+
+<p>Wherever practicable a Quiet Room for
+prayer and Bible study is included in our
+camp outfit, also a book-stall for Testaments,
+pledge cards, and religious literature.
+Millions of Testaments and gospel portions
+have been distributed free of charge, and
+realising the difficulty of obtaining gospel
+booklets or tracts that appeal to men, a
+new one from the pen of the General
+Secretary was issued each of the first
+thirty weeks of the war. The approved
+plan has been to have family prayers, no
+matter how brief, as far as practicable in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span>
+every hut, every night, and if this feature
+of the programme is not popular, the fault
+is usually to be found in the one who
+leads.</p>
+
+<p>A casual observer, after visiting a
+Y.M.C.A. hut, sometimes comes to the
+conclusion that the Association is doing a
+great social work, but is not much as a
+religious force. It is not difficult to understand
+that point of view. He has seen
+two or three hundred men clamouring at
+the refreshment counter for coffee, buns
+or cigarettes; the billiard tables have been
+fully occupied; hundreds of soldiers were
+writing letters at the tables provided for
+the purpose, and hundreds joining in some
+rowdy chorus, or heartily laughing at a
+humorous song or funny sketch. Where
+then does the spiritual work of the Red
+Triangle come in? The best answer is to
+quote what has actually happened.</p>
+
+<p>To the south-west of Salisbury Plain<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span>
+there was before the war a tiny village.
+To-day it is the centre of a big camp,
+which, incidentally, contains several
+Y.M.C.A. huts. The leader of No. 4 was
+talking to the Church of England padre
+one morning. They were warm friends
+and the chaplain was frank in his remarks:
+'I think you are overdoing it,' said he,
+'by having prayers in the hut every night.
+Surely it would be better,' he added, 'if you
+concentrated on one evening of the week
+instead.' 'I have thought and prayed
+about it,' replied the leader, 'and it is a
+matter of principle with me. These dear
+boys are all going to the Front next week,
+and no matter what the programme of the
+day, I feel we ought to finish at night with
+a public acknowledgment of God.' 'Very
+good,' replied the padre, 'if that is your
+conviction, carry on! Take prayers yourself
+this evening.' And he did. He was
+no orator; he was not a college man,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span>
+neither was he ordained. It was a simple
+little service, and did not take more than
+ten or fifteen minutes from start to finish.
+There was an opening hymn, one of the
+old familiar ones, that took the lads away
+back to the homes of their childhood. A
+short passage of scripture was read, followed
+by a few straight but sympathetic words of
+exhortation and a brief closing prayer.
+That was all, and the same thing, no
+doubt, took place in hundreds of centres
+the same night. Prayers over and the
+'King' sung, the leader came down from
+the platform, where a young private greeted
+him and shook his hand till it hurt saying,
+'I want to thank you for giving me a new
+vision of a God I once knew.' Walking
+towards the centre of the hall, a young
+subaltern greeted him saying, 'I want to
+thank you for that little service; it has
+been no end of a help to me, and I should
+like to give you this for your work,' so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span>
+saying he handed him an envelope, and
+looking inside he found a letter from the
+lieutenant's mother, containing thirty
+shillings in postal orders to be spent by
+him in camp. The service had helped him,
+and that was his thankoffering. The hut
+cleared, the men retired for the night to
+their sleeping quarters. A solitary soldier
+lingered by the doorway as if he wanted
+some one to speak to him. 'Good-night,
+my lad,' said the leader, 'can I do anything
+for you?' Instead of replying the soldier
+burst out crying, and later said, 'If you will
+you can save me from a great crime!'
+'Save you from a crime&mdash;whatever do
+you mean?' And then the trooper told
+his story. There was nothing uncommon
+about it. He and his brother had made
+love to the same girl, their mother had
+intervened, 'and,' he said, 'I have written
+to my mother this evening a letter that no
+boy should write to his mother, and after<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span>
+attending your service to-night, I feel I
+would give all I've got to take back that
+letter!' The letter was found and destroyed,
+and the soldier rejoiced in what
+he regarded as a great deliverance. This
+is no story of an orthodox revival, but of
+the kind of thing that may be taking place
+hundreds of times any week.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>In the early days the famous &mdash;&mdash;
+Division assembled in one of the great
+camps near Winchester. Regiments and
+units were there from India, South Africa&mdash;from
+all parts of the world. Rain came
+down in torrents and the mud was appalling.
+The huge Red Triangle tents were
+crowded from morning till night and the
+devoted workers, all too few in number,
+had neither time nor strength for religious
+work in the ordinary acceptance of the
+term. They could have limited their
+canteen work, and closed the refreshment<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span>
+counter excepting for a few hours daily.
+That would have been the easier plan,
+and would have given them the opportunity
+of devoting themselves to concerts
+and meetings in the evenings. The alternative
+would have been to spend and be
+spent in serving the material needs of the
+men, trusting that God would use the
+atmosphere of the place and the personal
+contact of the workers to influence the
+men, and thus make up for their inability
+to do much in the meeting line. They
+chose the latter plan, and the leader
+retiring for the night would throw himself
+on his bed and sometimes fall asleep
+without undressing. At times suffering
+from the reaction, he would ask himself
+the question, 'Is it worth while? Am I
+doing the right thing?' The answer came
+the night before the men left for the Front.
+It had been a record day, every moment
+had been crowded, and they had sold out.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span>
+The majority had retired for the night, a
+few remained to tidy up the tents. This
+task accomplished, a group of soldiers
+gathered round the leader, and the talk
+soon turned quite naturally to some of the
+deepest problems of life. Presently a stalwart
+young Gordon Highlander told of his
+home in far away Scotland, of his farewell
+to his dear old mother before he went out
+to India, and of the promise he made her&mdash;the
+promise he had not kept&mdash;to read his
+Bible every day, to lead a pure clean life, and
+to keep clear of drink. The atmosphere
+of that crowded Y.M.C.A. tent had brought
+it all back to him and, unknown to the
+staff, he had renewed his vows to God and
+his mother. In making this confession
+he was overcome by emotion, and throwing
+his arms round the leader's neck he sobbed
+out the story of his repentance. There is
+no more moving sight than the anguish of
+a strong man, probably no sight that gives<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span>
+more joy in Heaven than the tears that tell
+of the return of the one that had been lost.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>A young Canadian officer who had lost
+a leg and an arm wrote to me before sailing
+to Montreal from Bristol in May 1918, and
+this is what he said:&mdash;'I would like to tell
+you how much we have appreciated the
+Y.M.C.A. I came over with the first batch
+of Canadians; we were drafted to Larkhill,
+Salisbury Plain. After leaving my home&mdash;a
+godly home&mdash;I fell into the hands of
+very ungodly people and sank very, very
+deep in. I was lying on the roadside much
+the worse for drink. I was down and
+couldn't get up; comrades and every one
+seemed to have left me. I saw one of
+your cars rush by. When it had passed
+about a hundred yards, out jumped a
+Y.M.C.A. man. He came back to me and
+said, "Come along my friend, I will take
+you to your hut." I looked at him and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span>
+said, "I've sunk too low for a man like
+you to touch me." He helped me up,
+took me to my hut, and said, "This is my
+work in the Y.M.C.A., to help the helpless.
+Come in and have a cup of tea with me
+to-morrow." Shamefaced, I went the next
+day. He was there to greet me; he talked
+and prayed with me, but I saw no light
+until one night in the trenches, I thought
+I heard this man praying, and I heard it
+again and again, and had no rest till I
+laid my sins at the foot of the Cross.
+Although I am going home with a leg and
+an arm off, I have a clean heart washed in
+the Blood of the Lamb. I have visited
+many huts, but that was the only man who
+spoke to me personally about my sinful
+condition. Your leaders can do much if
+they will. God bless the work and the
+workers. I will enclose this leader's card so
+that you can let him know his prayers followed
+me up to the trenches. God bless him!'<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Cecil Thompson, the leader referred to,
+never saw this letter. Long before it was
+written he had 'gone west,' had passed to
+his reward, one of the Red Triangle martyrs
+of Salisbury Plain. But he 'shall in no
+wise lose his reward,' for it is work like
+this that pays, and the spirit of Cecil
+Thompson lives on in the lives of those
+who have been won, not by his eloquence,
+but by the personal contact of a man who
+had yielded himself to become a channel
+for the Divine blessing.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>The greatest romance of the Red Triangle
+is the romance of its religious work. War
+always seems to have one of two effects
+upon the lives of those who participate in
+it&mdash;either it hardens a man and makes
+him callous, or else it purifies and ennobles
+him. The Chaplains, the Churches, the
+Y.M.C.A., the Church Army, the C.E.T.S.,
+the Salvation Army, and countless other<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span>
+organisations and individuals are always
+at work, trying to counteract the power of
+the downward pull. It was our youngest
+General, the late Brig.-Gen. R. B. Bradford,
+V.C., M.C., who addressed to his men in
+France, shortly before his death, the
+following stirring words:&mdash;'I am going to
+ask you to put your implicit trust and
+confidence in me, to look upon me not only
+as your Brigadier, but as your friend. By
+the help of God I will try and lead you to
+the best of my ability, and remember your
+interests are my interests. As you all
+know, a few days from now we are going to
+attack; your powers of endurance are going
+to be tested. They must not fail you.
+Above all, pray; more things are wrought
+by prayer than this world dreams of. It
+is God alone who can give us the victory,
+and bring us through this battle safely.'</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>It is said that General Smuts' attention<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span>
+was drawn to Herbert Schmalz's picture,
+'The Silent Witness,' in the Royal Academy.
+It showed the interior of a French church,
+and many wearied and wounded French
+soldiers huddled together on the floor.
+A soldier with a wounded arm was awakened
+by the pain, and raising himself on
+his unwounded arm saw the figure of the
+Christ, the silent witness of his suffering
+and agony. Looking long and earnestly
+at the picture, it is said the famous Boer
+General quietly remarked, 'Many a man
+has seen that vision in this war.'</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
+<img src="images/i267a.jpg" width="400" height="268" alt="THE RED TRIANGLE IN JERUSALEM" title="" />
+<span class="caption">THE RED TRIANGLE IN JERUSALEM</span>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
+<img src="images/i267b.jpg" width="400" height="280" alt="THE HEXHAM ABBEY HUT, SCHEVENINGEN, HOLLAND" title="" />
+<span class="caption">THE HEXHAM ABBEY HUT, <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'SCHEVINGEN'">SCHEVENINGEN</ins>, HOLLAND</span>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>When visiting Bailleul in 1917 the
+following story was told me by a distinguished
+padre serving with the Y.M.C.A.
+It concerned a casualty clearing station
+on the outskirts of the town. A gentleman
+ranker was brought in terribly wounded.
+His shoulder had been shattered by
+shrapnel and gas gangrene had set in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span>
+A constant and welcome visitor was the
+senior chaplain. One day he called, and
+said cheerily, 'Well, old fellow, how goes
+it to-day?' 'Thanks, padre,' was the
+reply, 'the pain is not quite so bad to-day,
+but, padre,' he added earnestly, stroking
+his wounded arm, 'I wish you would
+persuade them to take this away.' 'Don't
+talk like that,' said the chaplain; 'you'll
+want to use that old arm for many a year
+to come!' 'No, padre,' he replied with
+conviction, 'I shall never use it again;
+I'm going west!' A moment later he
+was seized with a frightful paroxysm of
+pain, and with a torrent of oaths shrieked
+out, 'Why the b&mdash;&mdash; h&mdash;&mdash; can't they take
+this arm away!' He fell back exhausted,
+but an instant later sat bolt upright and
+with arms held out looked intently towards
+the roof of the hut. His face became
+radiant, and there was no trace of pain.
+In an ecstatic voice he cried out, 'Jesus!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span>
+Jesus! Jesus!' and fell back dead.
+Thank God that's possible, and even in
+the hour of death, the blasphemer may
+receive forgiveness and the knowledge of
+salvation, for</p>
+
+<div class='poem'>
+'The ways of men are narrow,<br />
+But the gates of Heaven are wide.'<br /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
+<img src="images/i268a.jpg" width="400" height="244" alt="SALONICA: WINTER ON THE DOIRAN FRONT, SHOWING Y.M.C.A. TENT" title="" />
+<span class="caption">SALONICA: WINTER ON THE DOIRAN FRONT, SHOWING Y.M.C.A. TENT</span>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"><a name="welcome" id="welcome"></a>
+<img src="images/i268b.jpg" width="400" height="297" alt="A WELCOME Y.M.C.A. IN THE TRENCHES" title="" />
+<span class="caption">A WELCOME Y.M.C.A. IN THE TRENCHES</span>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>A lady worker in the Isle of Wight felt
+unaccountably drawn to a young soldier
+who had vowed he would never enter the
+Y.M.C.A. again, because he objected to
+evening prayers. Little by little she won
+his confidence, until the night before he
+left for France with a draft, he came in to
+say good-bye, and told her she was the first
+person to speak to him about sacred things,
+adding&mdash;'I may do some day, but at
+present I cannot see things as you do.' He
+went to France, followed by her prayers,
+and in due course took part in the famous
+attack on Cambrai. Nothing was heard<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span>
+of him for weeks, and his friends were
+forced to the conclusion that he was
+numbered amongst the dead. Time passed
+by, until one morning the lady of the Red
+Triangle received a letter from him, written
+from a German prisoner of war camp.
+It was a commonplace letter and told of
+the great fight, of his capture and internment,
+and so forth, but the concluding
+words were the ones she wanted&mdash;'You
+will be glad to know I can see things as
+you do now.'</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>We were speaking at the opening of a
+hut near Portsmouth. At the close of the
+ceremony a dear little old widow lady,
+sitting in the front row, told us of her
+own boy. He was a young officer serving
+in France, and was called out late one
+night to help repel a sudden attack by the
+enemy. Shot down by machine-gun fire,
+a brother officer stooped to help him, but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span>
+he cried, 'Lead on, lead forward, I go to
+my God!'</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>A day later another Y.M.C.A. lady in
+one of the hospital huts told us the story
+of her nephew. He, too, was a young
+officer, and was called out to assist in
+repelling a sudden attack by the Huns.
+Our men had scarcely reached No Man's
+Land when the enemy turned on their
+dreadful gas. One of the first to be overcome
+by its fumes was the sergeant of his
+platoon. Regardless of the risk he ran,
+that young officer stuck to his disabled
+sergeant until help arrived. Not realising
+that he had himself become affected by
+the noxious fumes, he tried to stagger to
+his feet, but fell backwards into a shell-hole,
+and in falling broke his neck. The
+sad news was conveyed to his people in the
+North of England, and the night they
+received it his father and mother sat alone<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span>
+in the quiet of their home. Presently the
+mother spoke&mdash;'I feel,' said she, 'that the
+only thing that would console me in my
+loss would be to know that the man for
+whom my boy died was a good man.'
+It was only a week later that the sergeant
+for whom the young officer died, came to
+that home, and when he came he was
+hopelessly intoxicated. The parents quickly
+ascertained that it was not the case of
+a man having been overcome by sudden
+temptation; they could have forgiven that,
+but he was an utter waster, about as bad
+as a man could be. When he had left the
+house those two sat once again in the
+silence of their home, and it was the
+mother who spoke, slowly and quietly,
+'It almost breaks my heart to know my
+boy gave his precious life for a worthless
+life like that.' And yet, what of the
+young officer himself? Did he know the
+type of man it was for whom he was about<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span>
+to make the supreme sacrifice? Of course,
+he knew; he was in his own platoon, and
+yet, knowing, he willingly gave his life
+in an attempt to save him. One cannot
+recall this story without thinking of those
+wonderful words: 'For scarcely for a
+righteous man will one die: yet per-adventure
+for a good man some would even
+dare to die, but God commendeth His
+Love towards us, in that, while we were
+yet sinners, Christ died for us.'</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>In a far away corner of the Harfleur
+Valley the Y.M.C.A. has one of its finest
+equipments. The leader was a great man
+in every sense of the word, and every
+night he organised a sing-song for the
+troops, which invariably went with a
+swing. He seemed to know by instinct
+when to strike right in, and what to say. A
+night came, however, when he seemed to
+have struck a bad patch, for no one would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span>
+play, sing, or recite. The story is told
+here almost word for word, as it was first
+told me by a leading worker home from
+France, who drew a graphic word picture
+of the hut leader pleading from the platform
+for help which never came. The huge
+hut was crammed with men, and looking
+at the crowd standing at the back he
+noticed a movement amongst them. A
+trooper detaching himself from the crowd
+slowly elbowed his way to the front. It
+was easy to tell by his unsteady steps that
+he was under the influence of drink.
+Mounting the platform, he turned first
+to the audience and then to the Y.M.C.A.
+leader, and cried in a voice that every one
+could hear: 'What's the matter, Boss?
+Won't any one oblige you? Never mind,
+padre, if nobody will help you, I will!
+What would you like me to do? I can
+play, or I can sing, or I can recite&mdash;or I can
+pray!' For a moment the secretary did<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span>
+not know what to reply. He was a man
+of experience, but had never been placed
+in a predicament like that before. To
+his horror he saw the poor drunken trooper
+stumble to the edge of the platform and
+with hands outstretched called for prayer,
+and there followed one of the strangest
+prayers ever heard in public as the drunkard
+cried out, 'Everlasting God! Everlasting
+God! Everlasting God&mdash;&mdash;!' He could
+get no further, but broke down and sobbed
+like a child, and in his agony cried out,
+'I had a good mother once; I've been a
+damned fool. May God forgive me!'
+Could God possibly hear and answer a
+prayer like that? Of course He could,
+and He did! Possibly He would rather
+have even a prayer like that, than the
+meaningless prayers with which we sometimes
+mock Him, and if any man ever
+gave evidence of his conversion to God
+it was that trooper. He stayed only four<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span>
+days longer in that reinforcement camp
+in the Harfleur Valley, but if he could help
+it, never for a moment would he let our
+leader out of his sight, and in a hundred
+ways he helped him with his work. He
+would go methodically and frequently
+round the hut, gather up the dirty mugs,
+bring them back to the counter and help
+to wash them. He would go down on his
+hands and knees under the tables, pick
+up scraps of paper and cigarette ends and
+help clean up the floor. Four days later
+he was sent with a detachment up the line;
+three days later still, with his company,
+he was ordered 'over the top,' and literally
+he went into the 'Valley of the Shadow
+of Death,' but he did not go alone, for
+'there went with him One the form of
+Whom was like unto the form of the Son
+of God!'</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;">
+<img src="images/i277.jpg" width="600" height="393" alt="Y.M.C.A. FOR INTERNED PRISONERS OF WAR, LEYSIN, SWITZERLAND" title="" />
+<span class="caption">Y.M.C.A. FOR INTERNED PRISONERS OF WAR, LEYSIN, SWITZERLAND</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>The Y.M.C.A. is a Christian Association,
+the Red Triangle a Christian emblem, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span>
+for that very reason the freedom of the
+Association is given to every enlisted man.
+Protestant and Catholic, Anglican, Free-Churchman,
+Jew, Hindoo, Mohammedan&mdash;men
+of any religion, every religion, and no
+religion at all, are equally welcomed beneath
+its roof, and no man will ever hear
+unkind or disrespectful things said from
+a Y.M.C.A. platform concerning the faith
+he holds dear. At the same time we can
+never forget that the greatest need of every
+man, amongst the millions we serve in our
+huts, is that he should have a Friend who
+will never fail him nor forsake him, who
+will stand shoulder to shoulder with him
+in his fierce fight with temptation in camp
+or city, will be with him in the trenches, in
+the firing line, as he goes over the parapet,
+or even into the dread 'Valley of the
+Shadow,' and there is only One Who can
+thus meet every need of every man, and
+that One is the strong Son of God, the Lord<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span>
+Jesus Christ, the best Friend, the truest
+Comrade we can have.</p>
+
+<p>We often fall far short of our aim, alas!
+but the primary aim of the Y.M.C.A. always
+has been, and is, to lead men to a saving
+knowledge of that Friend.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span></p>
+<h2>CHAPTER XVIII</h2>
+
+<h3>THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE RECONSTRUCTION</h3>
+
+<div class='blockquot'>The Y.M.C.A. has a very thorough understanding
+of men, and with that sympathy which has characterised
+its work throughout has brought to the
+National Employment Exchange system an element
+which has humanised the movement.
+
+<p>The state of the Labour Market and the condition
+of trade after the lapse of the period of reconstruction
+following the war will be so favourable that the
+physically fit man will experience little difficulty in
+securing employment, but even if that is so we shall,
+for a long time, have with us the disabled man, who,
+without assistance and guidance, cannot be suitably
+placed in industry. We must see an extension of
+the good-will and sympathy evinced by the
+Y.M.C.A. movement amongst every class in the
+community.</p>
+
+<p>The Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Labour
+are getting up a special department to deal with the
+discharged soldier. What the Y.M.C.A. contributes
+to this problem is character.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Mr. G. H.
+Roberts, M.P., Minister of Labour.</span></p></div>
+
+
+<div class='unindent'><span class="smcap">The</span> question is often asked 'What is going
+to be done with the Y.M.C.A. huts after
+the war?' It is never easy to prophesy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span>
+with any degree of certainty, but there
+can be little doubt that, properly handled,
+these huts will be at least as useful after
+the war as they are now. Their furniture,
+which comprises hundreds of billiard tables,
+thousands of chairs, tables, stoves, ranges,
+and so forth, is well fitted for doing good
+service after the war. One of these huts
+planted down in the centre of some rural
+community and staffed by voluntary
+workers, who have purchased their experience
+by downright hard service during
+the war, should be an inestimable boon.
+It would break the monotony of country
+life; or, being set down in an industrial
+district of a big town or city, would help
+in congenial ways to relieve the tedium
+of the drab life of the workers.</div>
+
+<p>The immediate problem is that of the
+discharged man. Incidentally his presence
+in our midst is even now helping us to gain
+that practical acquaintance with his needs<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span>
+that will be invaluable in dealing with the
+greater problem of demobilisation. Thousands
+of men are discharged from the Navy
+and Army every week. Many of these for
+months, it may be for years to come, will
+not be able to do a good day's work, no
+matter how willing they may be, and it is
+up to us to help them. No one who has
+seen the conditions under which they have
+been living in Picardy or in Flanders can
+wonder at this, and they will need sympathy
+and encouragement on the part of their
+employers. The Y.M.C.A. can supply the
+human touch that may be of the greatest
+possible service to the Ministries of
+Labour, Pensions, and Reconstruction, and
+although the State itself must take responsibility
+for the future of those who
+return broken from the war and for their
+dependents, there will still be ample room
+for voluntary effort without any taint of
+charity.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>A number of experiments are being tried,
+all designed to point the way to future
+efforts if such experiments prove successful.
+The Red Triangle Farm Colony at Kinson
+in Dorset has been fitted up as a sanatorium
+for the benefit of men discharged from the
+Navy and Army who need sanatorium
+treatment because they are suffering from,
+or threatened with, consumption, and
+whilst the men are undergoing treatment
+they are trained in poultry-farming, horticulture,
+and other outdoor pursuits on
+plans cordially approved by the authorities.</p>
+
+<p>A Red Triangle Poultry Farm in Surrey
+is also run entirely for the benefit of discharged
+men, and a somewhat larger
+venture is under way in Suffolk with a
+two hundred acre farm and extensive fruit
+gardens. At Portsmouth and other centres
+hostel accommodation is provided for men
+who, on leaving the Navy or Army, go
+through a course of training for civil life.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span>
+Experimental workshops in London are
+proving a great success, discharged soldiers
+being trained in carpentry, joinery, picture-framing,
+and the repairing of pianos.</p>
+
+<p>A series of exhibitions dealing with the
+work of ex-soldiers has been successfully
+inaugurated, and Red Triangle employment
+bureaux have already secured situations
+for more than twenty thousand
+discharged men.</p>
+
+<p>The biggest opportunity for the Red
+Triangle will come with the declaration of
+peace. 'After the war' for tens of thousands
+of men has commenced already,
+and not only during the war, but in the
+reconstruction we shall need the help of
+every worker who is prepared heart and
+soul to work out the full programme of
+the Red Triangle for Britain's sake and
+for the sake of the Kingdom of God.</p>
+
+
+<div class='copyright'><br /><br /><br />
+Printed in Great Britain by T. and A. <span class="smcap">Constable</span>, Printers to His Majesty<br />
+at the Edinburgh University Press<br />
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<div class='tnote'><h3>Transcriber's Notes:</h3>
+
+<p>So that paragraphs could flow uninterrupted, illustrations were relocated to positions between
+paragraphs.</p>
+<p>Obvious punctuation errors repaired.</p>
+
+<p>The remaining corrections made are indicated by dotted lines under the corrections. Scroll the mouse over the word and the original text will <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'apprear'">appear</ins>.</p></div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Romance of the Red Triangle, by 
+Arthur Keysall Yapp
+
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+Project Gutenberg's The Romance of the Red Triangle, by Arthur Keysall Yapp
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Romance of the Red Triangle
+       The story of the coming of the red triangle and the service
+       rendered by the Y.M.C.A. to the sailors and soldiers of
+       the British Empire
+
+Author: Arthur Keysall Yapp
+
+Illustrator: W. P. Starmer
+             Edgar Wright
+
+Release Date: June 27, 2010 [EBook #32998]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ROMANCE OF THE RED TRIANGLE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Emmy and the Online Distributed Proofreading
+Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from
+images generously made available by The Internet
+Archive/American Libraries.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+THE ROMANCE OF THE RED TRIANGLE
+
+
+[Illustration: Y.M.C.A. AND GERMAN OBSERVATION STATION IN THE TREES AT
+ACHIET-LE-PETIT]
+
+
+
+
+THE ROMANCE OF THE RED TRIANGLE
+
+          THE STORY OF THE COMING OF THE
+          RED TRIANGLE AND THE SERVICE
+          RENDERED BY THE Y.M.C.A. TO THE
+          SAILORS AND SOLDIERS OF THE
+          BRITISH EMPIRE
+
+BY
+
+SIR ARTHUR K. YAPP, K.B.E.
+
+          Illustrations by
+          W. P. STARMER, EDGAR WRIGHT
+          AND OTHER ARTISTS
+
+
+          HODDER AND STOUGHTON
+          LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO
+
+
+
+
+_DEDICATION_
+
+
+          _THIS book is affectionately dedicated to Y.M.C.A.
+          leaders and workers at home and abroad in grateful
+          appreciation of their faithful and loyal service.
+          Much of this work has been done out of sight, and
+          endless difficulties have had to be surmounted.
+          Names have not been mentioned in the book, but
+          the writer would like to express his personal
+          gratitude and appreciation to every one._
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+      CHAPTER I                                     PAGE
+      THE COMING OF THE RED TRIANGLE                   1
+
+      CHAPTER II
+      BLAZING THE TRAIL WITH THE RED TRIANGLE         19
+
+      CHAPTER III
+      FLOTSAM AND JETSAM                              33
+
+      CHAPTER IV
+      THE ROMANCE OF FINANCE                          39
+
+      CHAPTER V
+      THE LADIES OF THE RED TRIANGLE                  63
+
+      CHAPTER VI
+      'GUNGA DIN' OF THE RED TRIANGLE                 71
+
+      CHAPTER VII
+      IN THE TRAIL OF THE HUN                         80
+
+      CHAPTER VIII
+      THE BARRAGE AND AFTER                          108
+
+      CHAPTER IX
+      'LES PARENTS DES BLESSEES'                      118
+
+      CHAPTER X
+      CELLARS AND DUG-OUTS ON THE WESTERN FRONT      126
+
+      CHAPTER XI
+      CAMEOS FROM FRANCE                             133
+
+      CHAPTER XII
+      STORIES OF 'LE TRIANGLE ROUGE'                 146
+
+      CHAPTER XIII
+      THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE EAST                   162
+
+      CHAPTER XIV
+      SIDE LINES OF THE RED TRIANGLE                 175
+
+      CHAPTER XV
+      THE RED TRIANGLE AND THE WHITE ENSIGN          191
+
+      CHAPTER XVI
+      THE RELIGION OF THE RED TRIANGLE               195
+
+      CHAPTER XVII
+      STORIES OF THE INVERTED TRIANGLE               211
+
+      CHAPTER XVIII
+      THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE RECONSTRUCTION         236
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+  Y.M.C.A. and German observation station in the
+      trees at Achiet-le-Petit                       _Frontispiece_
+
+                                                           PAGE
+
+  Hut in the grounds of the ruins of the
+      Hotel-de-Ville at Arras                               16
+
+  One of many Y.M.C.A. huts built under shell-fire          17
+
+  The first Y.M.C.A. over the German trenches on
+      the Somme battlefield                                 32
+
+  The Y.M.C.A. in the orchard at Albert                     33
+
+  A refuge for the refugees                                 48
+
+  Y.M.C.A. marquee in the shell-swept Somme area            49
+
+  Y.M.C.A. in a ruined parish hall in Flanders, June,
+      1916                                                  64
+
+  Bapaume-Cambrai road, with trees all cut down by
+      the Germans                                           65
+
+  The Red Triangle in the support trenches                  80
+
+  'George Williams House' in the front trenches             81
+
+  A half-way house to the trenches                          81
+
+  The Y.M.C.A. in a ruined warehouse. Shell-hole in
+      floor of canteen                                      96
+
+  A Y.M.C.A. cellar at Ypres                                97
+
+  Hut in wilderness of destruction. Cutting the
+      ice in shell-holes for water for tea--winter,
+      1916-17                                              112
+
+  Ruined house used by Y.M.C.A., propped up by timber      113
+
+  Canadian Y.M.C.A. dug-out in a mine crater on Vimy
+      Ridge, 1917                                          128
+
+  A Canadian Y.M.C.A. dug-out near Vimy Ridge              129
+
+  A great boon to British Tommy--a Y.M.C.A. well under
+      shell-fire                                           144
+
+  The Cambridge dug-out                                    144
+
+  A refuge for the walking wounded                         145
+
+  Y.M.C.A. motor kitchen behind the lines                  160
+
+  Indian troops at the sign of the Red Triangle            161
+
+  A shakedown in a London hut                              176
+
+  Relatives of the dangerously wounded are looked
+      after by the Y.M.C.A. in France                      176
+
+  Y.M.C.A. night motor transport                           177
+
+  Y.M.C.A. in the front-line dug-outs on the
+      Palestine Front                                      192
+
+  Y.M.C.A. dug-out and canteen on Palestine Front          193
+
+  The Y.M.C.A. at Basra, Mesopotamia                       208
+
+  The Central Y.M.C.A., Baghdad                            209
+
+  The Red Triangle in Jerusalem                            224
+
+  The Hexham Abbey hut, Scheveningen, Holland              224
+
+  Salonica: winter on the Doiran Front, showing
+      Y.M.C.A. tent                                        225
+
+  A welcome Y.M.C.A. in the trenches                       225
+
+  Y.M.C.A. for interned prisoners of war, Leysin,
+      Switzerland                                         232
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+THE COMING OF THE RED TRIANGLE
+
+          His Majesty congratulates the Association on the
+          successful results of its war work, which has done
+          everything conducive to the comfort and well-being
+          of the armies, supplying the special and peculiar
+          needs of men drawn from countries so different and
+          distant. It has worked in a practical, economical
+          and unostentatious manner, with consummate
+          knowledge of those with whom it has to deal. At
+          the same time the Association, by its spirit of
+          discipline, has earned the respect and approbation
+          of the military authorities.--HIS MAJESTY THE
+          KING.
+
+
+IT was in the summer of 1901, in the old volunteer days, that the
+Y.M.C.A. for the first time had its recreation tents at Conway in North
+Wales. The Lancashire Fusiliers were in camp, and the men had thronged
+the marquee all day, turning up in great force for the service that
+Sunday evening. It seemed as if they would never tire of singing the old
+familiar hymns, and when the time came for the address the attention of
+every man was riveted from start to finish. At length the tent cleared,
+and the men retired for the night. Now and then the chorus of a hymn
+could be heard coming from a bell tent, but soon the 'Last Post'
+sounded, and a few minutes later the plaintive notes of the bugle gave
+the signal for 'Lights Out.' Thereupon two of the Y.M.C.A. leaders,
+leaving the camp behind, walked up and down the sands of Morfa. It was a
+perfect night; not a sound was to be heard except the gentle ripple of
+the waves, three or four hundred yards away. The moon was near the full;
+everything seemed almost as light as day, and the bold outline of the
+Conway Mountain stood in clear relief against the sky. 'I wonder what
+all this means,' said one of the two, referring to the impressive
+service of the evening and to the crowds that had thronged the tents all
+day. 'I have been wondering,' said he, 'if there is a great European
+war looming in the distance, and if God is preparing the Y.M.C.A. for
+some great work it is destined to perform then.' How often have those
+words come back since the beginning of the war! God was indeed preparing
+the Association for a work infinitely bigger than any of its leaders
+knew or even dared to hope. In those days H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught
+became Patron of our Military Camp Department, and he has ever since
+been a warm friend.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+How far distant now seem those early days of August 1914. For weeks
+there had been rumours of war, but all arrangements had been completed
+for the work of the Y.M.C.A. in the Territorial camps to proceed as
+usual during the August holidays. Then came the order for mobilisation,
+and on August the 4th a council of war was held at Headquarters,
+attended by Association leaders from all parts of the country. Many of
+the districts were in financial difficulties, owing to the sudden break
+up of the summer camps, and the only possible policy was the one agreed
+upon at the meeting--a common programme and a common purse. No one knew
+where the men, or the money, were to come from, but it was decided to go
+right ahead, and from that resolve there could be no turning back. It is
+still true that 'He that saveth his life shall lose it, and he that
+loseth his life shall find it.' In that great crisis, had the leaders of
+the Y.M.C.A. stopped to consider first the immediate or future interests
+of the Association, then the Association would have gone under, and
+deservedly so. Britain was in danger, and her interests had to be
+considered first.
+
+What stirring days those were! We think of one tiny village to the
+south-west of Salisbury Plain, with a normal population of two or three
+hundred. Within a few days of the opening of hostilities, thirty-four
+thousand men were dumped down in the immediate vicinity. They had no
+tents, no uniforms, no rifles, nowhere to go, and nothing to do, for the
+simple reason that England did not desire war and had not prepared for
+it. The General in command had known the Y.M.C.A. in India, and came to
+London to ask our help, which was gladly given. Huge recreation tents
+were opened there, and all over the country. North, South, East, and
+West, Britain was suddenly transformed into one armed camp, and the
+Y.M.C.A. was never more needed than it was in those early days. Some of
+the centres were very small, others very large. At the Y.M.C.A. in the
+White City, for instance, it was no uncommon thing to see four or five
+thousand men gathered together in the great hall. At the Crystal Palace,
+too, and in many of the camps, the work was carried out on a very large
+scale, whilst in other centres a farm building, a private house, or a
+tiny tent met the need.
+
+Thanks to the loyal co-operation and energy of Association leaders and
+workers, two hundred and fifty of these centres were established within
+ten days. They were dotted down all over the country, and every week
+that passed by showed an increase in strength and in the number of
+centres, until the sign of the Red Triangle was to be found in more than
+two thousand centres in all parts of the United Kingdom, in every part
+of the Empire, on every battle-front, and in some places where the
+Allied flags do not yet fly. The hands of the Military in those days
+were so full up with other things that they had little time to devote to
+the recreation of the troops, and our help was warmly welcomed. We have
+acted throughout in close co-operation with the Military, and we should
+like to add our tribute of praise to the efficiency of the Military
+machine, as we have come in touch with it. Much has been said during the
+war as to the marvels of German organisation, and possibly not too much.
+At the same time there is quite as much to be said in praise of British
+organisation. Germany wanted a war whilst we did not. Germany prepared
+for war, tirelessly, ceaselessly; with her eye on the goal--world-wide
+dominion--she brought all her organising ability to bear on the
+preparation for the war she was determined to force on humanity.
+Britain, on the other hand, has had to improvise her war organisation
+since war has been actually forced on her. A run round the great base
+camps in France will show how wonderfully complete is that
+organisation--transport, supply, commissariat. Of course there have been
+mistakes, but singularly few under the circumstances. Many people are
+very critical of the War Office, but those who know most of the
+difficulties that have been overcome and the successes achieved, will be
+the least inclined to join hands with the critics.
+
+It is like a nightmare to think of that first winter of the war, with
+its gales, rain and mud, and it was when the weather was at its worst
+that the men of the first Canadian Contingent were encamped on Salisbury
+Plain. It is difficult to conceive what they would have done, but for
+the timely help of the Red Triangle. The roads were almost impassable,
+and the mud in the vicinity of the camps appalling, but the Canadians
+stuck it, and so did our leaders and workers. The tents were crowded to
+their utmost capacity, but it was soon found that no tent could weather
+the gales of Salisbury Plain in winter. That discovery led to the
+evolution of the Y.M.C.A. hut. Wooden frames covered with canvas were
+tried first of all, but they, too, were incapable of withstanding the
+fury of the gales, and something much stronger had to be provided.
+
+It meant a great deal to the country during that first winter of the war
+that the men were happy and contented, because they had their leisure
+hours pleasantly occupied, and because the most popular place in camp
+was almost without exception the one that bore the sign of the Red
+Triangle. And what did they find at the sign of the Red Triangle? They
+found there an open house, a warm welcome, a place of recreation and
+enjoyment, where they could meet their friends on terms thoroughly
+cordial and unofficial. Coffee and buns were always a great attraction,
+and as for music--the piano was hardly ever silent. Tommy Atkins loves a
+good tune and loves a crowd; the quiet place does not so much appeal to
+him. At the Y.M.C.A. he found diversion for his hours of leisure;
+opportunity for study if he cared for it; libraries, classes, and
+lectures. There, too, he found an expression of religious life that
+appealed to him, the inspiration that comes from religion without the
+controversy and sectarian bitterness which, alas! too often accompany
+it, a religion to work by and a religion that can do things. Before the
+war nobody had heard of our mystic sign, but within a few weeks letters
+bearing it had found their way into hundreds of thousands of homes,
+bringing joy and consolation wherever they went. That, in brief, is the
+story of the coming of the Red Triangle. And what is its significance?
+As the emblem of the war work of the Y.M.C.A. it has not been chosen by
+chance, but because it exactly typifies the movement it represents. The
+threefold needs of men are its concern, and its programme is adapted to
+meet the needs of body, mind, and spirit, whilst its colour symbolises
+sacrifice. In an old book of signs and wonders called _Mysterium
+Magnum_ the inverted triangle appears as a symbol of the divine spirit,
+and in the third year of the war a famous Belgian painter asked
+'Qu'est-ce-que c'est--cet Y.M.C.A.?' and without waiting for an answer
+went on to say that the Red Triangle meant emblematically--'Spirit
+informing and penetrating matter,' which was, he supposed, the function
+of the Y.M.C.A. 'The Y.M.C.A. is attempting the impossible,' said one of
+its critics; 'it is building on the apex of the triangle.' Thank God it
+is. Yes! and thank God it has achieved the impossible. If any one had
+dared to foretell four years ago, a tithe of what has already been
+accomplished, no one would have believed it. The secret of the inverted
+triangle is that it is upheld by invisible hands, and it is the full
+programme of the Red Triangle that appeals so irresistibly to the men.
+If we were merely out to run a canteen, others could perhaps have done
+the canteen work as well, or nearly as well, as the Y.M.C.A. Others
+could run lectures for the troops, and others cater for their spiritual
+needs, but it has been left to the Y.M.C.A. to formulate the appeal to
+the whole man--Body, Mind, and Spirit--and the appeal to every man,
+irrespective of creed or party. Every man is equally welcome in the
+Y.M.C.A.--Protestant, Romanist, Anglican, Free-churchman, Jew,
+Mohammedan, Buddhist, Hindoo, or Brahmin--the men of every religion and
+no religion, and yet the religious note is ever dominant, though no
+man's religion will ever be attacked from a Y.M.C.A. platform.
+
+The story of the Red Triangle is, indeed, one of the great romances of
+the war. Its work has never been regarded as an end in itself, but
+rather as auxiliary to that of other organisations. It is auxiliary to
+the Church, and its doors have been thrown wide open to the Padres of
+all denominations. Protestants, Catholics, Jews--even Mohammedans--have
+worshipped God in their own way within the hospitable walls of the
+Association. It has been auxiliary to the official medical services of
+the Army, the R.A.M.C., and the Red Cross--in hospitals and convalescent
+camps, and with the walking wounded at the clearing stations at the
+Front. It has arranged concerts and entertainments by the thousand for
+patients and nurses; has looked after the friends of dangerously wounded
+men, and has often handed over its huts to be used as emergency
+hospitals; while in hosts of other ways which can never be recorded, it
+has been able to render vitally important service. It has been auxiliary
+to the Military machine at every turn of the war. In the midst of the
+camp though not of it, its secretaries and workers conform to military
+rules and are subject to discipline, although they are themselves
+civilians. In this way the Association has provided the human touch, and
+officers and men alike have appreciated the fact that there is one place
+in camp where discipline through being temporarily relaxed, has been
+permanently strengthened.
+
+The Romance of the Red Triangle, like the story of the first crusade,
+has been the romance of the pioneer. The Y.M.C.A. was first in the
+field, though now there are many other organised societies and private
+individuals doing similar work on the lines which it thought out and
+proved to be practicable. Indeed, the whole story of the Y.M.C.A. has
+been full of adventurous episodes of romance, not merely during the war,
+but long before it, commencing seventy years ago, when George Williams
+came as a boy from Somerset to London, and as one of a band of twelve
+intrepid young men, founded the first branch of a movement destined to
+spread to all corners of the world. It is only during these years of war
+that the Society has fully come into its own, and received universal
+recognition, but we do not forget that to those pioneers of the early
+Victorian days and to the Y.M.C.A. leaders, who during the years before
+the war hammered out a policy for work amongst soldiers in the Volunteer
+and Territorial camps, the widespread movement of to-day is largely due.
+
+To know what the Army thinks of the Y.M.C.A., one need only note, on the
+one hand, the facilities given to the Association by officers in high
+command; and on the other, how the N.C.O.'s and men--officers and
+officer-cadets too--make use of the huts.
+
+[Illustration: HUT IN THE GROUNDS OF THE RUINS OF THE HOTEL-DE-VILLE AT
+ARRAS]
+
+Prior to one of our great advances in 1917, the district to be attacked
+was reconstructed behind the line in a large map carefully worked out
+on the ground, every road and path being clearly marked. Every trench,
+redoubt, and dug-out; every hedge and ditch was recorded, and every gun
+emplacement shown. 'Reserved for the Y.M.C.A.' was written over a vacant
+plot near the centre of the map.
+
+In France 'Le Triangle Rouge' is often called 'Les Ygrecs' (The Y's),
+and the Red Triangle will pass the Association worker almost anywhere.
+It sounds odd in the reserve trenches, amidst the roar of guns and the
+scream of shells, to hear the sentry's challenge as we have heard it,
+'Halt! who goes there?' 'Y.M.C.A.' 'Pass, Y.M., all's well!'
+
+[Illustration: ONE OF MANY Y.M.C.A. HUTS BUILT UNDER SHELL-FIRE]
+
+One of our workers in the valley of the Somme in 1917 was left behind,
+as the troops advanced to follow up the line of the great German
+retreat. For weeks he shared his Y.M.C.A. shanty with the rats, and
+late one evening went for a two miles walk. A sentry challenged him, and
+evidently regarded him with suspicion. After he had convinced the guard
+of his identity, it was explained to him that three German prisoners
+were at large, and one of them was known to be wearing a Y.M.C.A.
+uniform. When he awoke that night in his rat-infested shanty it seemed
+to him that if the three Huns chanced to know of his whereabouts, it
+would not be a difficult thing for them to possess themselves of yet
+another Y.M.C.A. uniform!
+
+In the early days of the war it was agreed that no request for the help
+of the Association, which on investigation proved a definite need to
+exist, should be refused, and God honoured the faith of those who dared
+to make the resolve. The way the movement has grown and is growing still
+is nothing short of a romance, and the following pages tell the story of
+service rendered under the sign of the Red Triangle to the men of His
+Majesty's Forces, irrespective of class, creed, or party, in England and
+north of the Border, in Wales and Ireland, on every battle-front and in
+every base; amongst men of every colour and creed who are serving under
+our great Flag--the Flag that stands for Freedom.
+
+Possibly the greatest romance of all will be that dealing with the work
+of the Red Triangle after the war. Who knows?
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+BLAZING THE TRAIL WITH THE RED TRIANGLE
+
+          Few organisations have done so much in caring for
+          the comfort and well-being of our soldiers as your
+          Associations. They have given invaluable help to
+          the Army, and have immeasurably lightened the
+          hardships which have to be endured by our troops.
+          In recognising the excellent work that has already
+          been done, I should like to wish you success in
+          that which you still propose to undertake. I
+          consider that your plans for after the war are not
+          the least important of your activities.--THE RIGHT
+          HON. DAVID LLOYD GEORGE, M.P.
+
+
+THE Red Triangle is often to be found in unexpected places. 'A
+wonderful, friendly old octopus, this Y.M.C.A.' was the way an
+Australian put it, and it was not at all a bad description of the
+ubiquitous Red Triangle. Tommy recognises it to-day as his club, his
+meeting house, his home from home. It is his, and he knows it! It
+touches him at every point and in almost every place. The recruit finds
+it at his depot, near his billet, and in the training camp where he
+learns to be a soldier; indeed, it is part of the training, and an
+important part, too. Passing through London or a great provincial city,
+he can stay the night in one of the Y.M.C.A. hostels; he meets it again
+at the English ports before he embarks for one of the fighting fronts;
+it is there to greet him on the other side, not only at the ports of
+entry and in the base camps, but on the lines of communication in
+France, Italy, Egypt, Palestine, Mesopotamia, and right up the line, in
+cellar or dug-out as well as in rest-camp and at railhead. If he should
+have the misfortune to be wounded he may expect to find the Association
+at the casualty clearing station or in the hospital, and later on in the
+convalescent camp, or, if invalided out of the army, it will still stick
+to him and befriend him at a time when he is likely to need a friend.
+If he is numbered amongst the missing and finds himself in a prisoner of
+war camp in Germany, even then he may not be beyond the outreach of the
+Association. There is at least one redeeming feature to the prisoner of
+war camp in Ruhleben in Germany, for right in the heart of it there is a
+little brown hut with the Red Triangle and the letters 'Y.M.C.A.' on the
+roof--one of several in Germany erected with American Y.M.C.A. money, at
+a time when America was a neutral state, and run entirely by British
+prisoners of war for the benefit of their fellow-Britishers, who also
+have the misfortune to be prisoners of war.
+
+It is little we can do for these brave lads who are wearing their hearts
+out longing to hear the voices of those they love in the Homeland, but
+the Y.M.C.A. does what it can.
+
+This girdle of loving-kindness is completed in the Internment Camps of
+Switzerland--at Muerren, Leysin, Interlaken, Meiringen, and Seeburg, and
+in those of Holland at Scheveningen, Rotterdam, The Hague, and
+Groningen. None need our help more than the officers and men of those
+internment camps. It was one of the latter who said he would rather be
+in Germany than in the internment camp in Switzerland, for in Germany,
+said he, one has, at any rate, the excitement of trying to escape; but
+now, working hand-in-hand with the British Red Cross, the Red Triangle
+provides recreation and employment for the long hours of leisure, and
+there can be no doubt as to the appreciation of those it seeks to serve.
+
+A worker at Cambridge went to a neighbouring village to arrange a flag
+day on behalf of our war fund. He was advised to get in touch with the
+post-mistress, who was keenly interested in the movement. 'Of course, I
+am interested,' she said when he saw her, 'and if you will come into my
+sitting-room I will show you why.' There on the wall in a little room at
+the back of the post-office was what she called her Roll of Honour--the
+photographs of twelve lads from her Bible class, all serving with His
+Majesty's Forces. 'Eleven out of the twelve,' said she, 'write me almost
+every week, and tell me what a boon the Y.M.C.A. is to them. That is why
+I am ready to do all I can to help you with your Flag Day.' The sequel
+was interesting. Half an hour later No. 12 called to see her. 'How
+strange,' she cried; 'I was just talking about you, and saying you were
+the only one of the boys who never wrote expressing appreciation of the
+Y.M.C.A.' 'That is easily explained,' was the reply. 'I have been at sea
+since the early days of the war, and have had no opportunity of getting
+ashore and using the Y.M.C.A. until three months ago, when I was sent to
+Egypt and stationed at the Mena camp. There I used the Association hut
+within sight of the great pyramid, and I appreciate the work as much as
+anyone to-day.'
+
+A young soldier who was formerly a Y.M.C.A. worker wrote from
+France:--'We came upon the Prussian Guard about ten days ago, and for
+five days and nights we fought hand to hand like demons, but in the end
+we gained our objective. You talk of the work of the Y.M.C.A. at home as
+splendid. I know it is, but here the Y.M.C.A.'s are more. In this place,
+famous for its wonderful bell tower, the Y.M.C.A. is in full swing,
+although only yesterday it was shelled heavily and shrapnel was falling
+pretty thick along the road. Cheero!' Another young soldier wrote from
+Malta, and gave his experience of the Y.M.C.A. 'The Association is the
+finest thing that was ever instituted without doubt. The Army has
+blessed the fact many a time. I have served in France and a few other
+countries, and am in a position to know.'
+
+In the early days of the war Y.M.C.A. secretaries learned to adapt all
+kinds of premises, no matter how primitive, to meet the needs of the
+troops. A cow-house amid the trenches of the East Coast; a pigsty in the
+south-west of England, neither of them much to look at, but doing good
+service and helping to blaze the trail; a dug-out at Anzac and three
+tiny marquees at Cape Helles; a cellar at Meroc, just behind the British
+lines in the neighbourhood of Loos; a chateau formerly the residence of
+the lord of the manor at Mazingarbe, and a palatial but ruined Technical
+Institute at Armentieres. It was fixed up in a convent at Aire--the
+first Y.M.C.A. to be opened in a forward position in France, and inside
+a ruined hospice at Ypres; in a Trappist monastery on the Mont des Cats;
+in the most southern city in the world at Invercargill; above the clouds
+with the British troops in Italy; inside some of the German prisoner of
+war camps in Germany; in the old German Consulate at Jaffa, in the heart
+of the Holy City, and on the Palestine lines of communication at Gaza
+and Beersheba. 'The Jolly Farmer' near Aldershot, and the more notorious
+'Bolger's' public house in Sackville Street, Dublin, made their
+appearance early in the war under the sign of the Red Triangle, whilst
+Ciro's, the once famous night club in the heart of London, and the
+mansions of Viscount Wimborne and Lord Brassey have also been thrown
+open for the service of the Association.
+
+The trail of the Red Triangle was first blazed in the United Kingdom,
+and since then it has become familiar on every fighting front, and in
+all sorts of queer and unexpected places: in the jungle of India; on the
+banks of the Tigris, the Euphrates, and the Nile; amid the swamps of
+East Africa; along the valley of the Jordan; in the Egyptian desert; in
+the great training camps of North America; in Australasia and South
+Africa, as well as in the plains of Flanders and Picardy; in the valleys
+of the Somme, the Marne, the Meuse, and the Aisne. It is to be found on
+the Varda and the Struma, and we have seen for ourselves how that trail
+has been welcomed by men of many nationalities--Britons from the
+Homeland and from the outposts of Empire, from Canada, Newfoundland,
+Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa; Indians, Chinese, Cape Boys
+and Kaffirs, Frenchmen, Portuguese, and Belgians, and wherever the
+trail of the Red Triangle goes it stands for reconstruction even amid
+the horrors and desolation of war.
+
+An officer cadet who had spent two years in France, said he had noticed
+a great change in the attitude of the men. 'In the early days of the
+war,' said he, 'men on arriving in new billets at the Front would say,
+"Is there no Y.M.C.A. in the village?" Later on they took it for granted
+that the Red Triangle was there and asked, "Where is the Y.M.C.A.?" Now
+they always say, "Where is it?" and every one knows to what they refer.'
+It brings comfort, hope, good cheer, and inspiration with it. An English
+boy writing home from Egypt to his people in the Midlands, said that the
+Y.M.C.A. was to him as 'a bit of Heaven in a world that was otherwise
+all hell.' A visitor to the Association at Kantara expressed his
+surprise at finding such a splendid Y.M.C.A. building in that Egyptian
+centre, fitted up even with hot and cold baths!
+
+A sum of L400 was taken in a single day over the refreshment counter in
+one of the Y.M.C.A. marquees in the heart of the Sinai Peninsula, and it
+will give an idea of the immense amount of work involved to the staff of
+the Association, when it is remembered that all stores had to be
+conveyed from the railhead to the Y.M.C.A. on the backs of camels.
+
+A British soldier writing from the 'Adam and Eve' hut in Mesopotamia
+said, 'I should like to comment upon the wonderful work the Y.M.C.A. is
+doing here among the troops. In almost every large camp there is a
+Y.M.C.A. hut, a veritable haven in the desert, not only for canteen, but
+religious work also. I attended a service in the hut, and it made a good
+impression on me. We sang the good old hymns, and I am sure we all felt
+refreshed.'
+
+As might be expected, the Dominions have done their full share of
+pioneering, and have blazed the trail in many different directions. The
+Canadians have done a great work at Shorncliffe, Sandling, Bramshott,
+and Witley; in the Forestry camps at home and right up the line in
+France. The Australians on Salisbury Plain, at Weymouth, and in many
+other home centres have served their troops splendidly; whilst in
+France, Egypt, the Dardanelles, and Palestine their pioneering work has
+been great. The New Zealanders at Sling Plantation, Hornchurch, and
+other centres at home, have done equally well, and their pioneering work
+overseas has been most efficient. The South Africans have done valuable
+work in the Military Expedition to Swakopmund and in East Africa. India
+has made a great contribution to the Empire work of the Red Triangle,
+first of all by catering for the needs of British troops quartered in
+India itself, and also in Mesopotamia and East Africa, where the work
+has been directed from India, as has that for the Indian troops in
+France. Passing reference should also be made here to the great
+programme of work undertaken and planned by the Y.M.C.A.'s of the United
+States. In the United Kingdom, in France, Russia and Italy, as well as
+in North America, they have projected work on an enormous scale, in
+fact, all the Allied countries are closely co-operating in the work of
+the Red Triangle. It has been the privilege of the British Associations
+to provide huts for the exclusive use of Belgian, Serbian, and
+Portuguese troops, and to cater for the needs of American and Colonial
+soldiers in hundreds of centres. In London, for instance, special
+facilities have been given to New Zealanders at the Shakespeare hut; we
+were able to procure for the Canadian Y.M.C.A. the magnificent Tivoli
+site on which their fine hostel now stands, and to hand over the group
+of huts to the Americans which formed the nucleus of the Eagle Hut. The
+Australians rented and furnished the Aldwych Theatre on their own
+account. The New Zealand Y.M.C.A.'s made a handsome contribution towards
+the cost of the Shakespeare Hut, and the whole of the cost of the Eagle
+and Beaver Huts has been borne by the American and Canadian Y.M.C.A.'s,
+respectively. The American and Colonial Associations have taken over a
+number of British huts in camps, and in some cases have enlarged them.
+
+[Illustration: THE FIRST Y.M.C.A. OVER THE GERMAN TRENCHES ON THE SOMME
+BATTLEFIELD]
+
+[Illustration: THE Y.M.C.A. IN THE ORCHARD AT ALBERT]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+FLOTSAM AND JETSAM
+
+          In my opinion nothing can exceed the value of the
+          work which has been and is being done for H.M.
+          Forces by the Y.M.C.A. I offer my best wishes for
+          continued success.--THE RIGHT HON. H. H. ASQUITH,
+          K.C., M.P.
+
+
+THE Romance of the Red Triangle is a twenty-four hours a day romance,
+for many of its centres never close their doors. When we are comfortably
+sleeping at night and in the early hours of the morning, Y.M.C.A.
+workers are hard at work on motor patrol conveying leave men from
+station to station or hut to hut, and others are on foot meeting the men
+and guiding them to their destination. Alighting from the Edinburgh
+train at Leeds very early one morning, it was raining and a young
+Scottish trooper stepped down to the platform from the adjoining
+compartment. We knew we were all right, a room having been retained for
+us at the Station Hotel; but what of him? Had he anywhere to go? He
+evidently had no plans, but at that moment a gentleman in civilian
+attire stepped up to him, and without patronising, and in the most
+natural way possible said to him, 'Have you long to wait? Have you
+anywhere to go?' The lad replied that he had several hours to wait for
+his connection and had nowhere to go. 'Well, come along with me, and I
+will see you all right at the Y.M.C.A.' People who do this work or
+devote themselves, night after night, to that of the motor patrols don't
+often get their photos into the papers, but they are rendering national
+service of a high order without fee or reward, and in almost every case,
+at the end of a hard day's work.
+
+The International Hospitality League of the Y.M.C.A. is doing similar
+work on a very large scale, and in its kiosks and inquiry rooms, not
+only in London, but in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and many of our large
+provincial centres hundreds of thousands of inquiries are being received
+and answered day by day, whilst the street patrol workers have been able
+to help very many who have welcomed their assistance.
+
+We know of no more moving sight than one of the great Triage huts in
+France when leave is on. We think of our last visit to one such. Three
+hundred men were sleeping there that night, and 'Uncle Joe,' the
+Y.M.C.A. leader, went round the bunks last thing to see them safely
+tucked in. As we stood in the main hall we thought we understood what
+was said of our Lord that 'when He saw the multitude He was filled with
+compassion.' Scores of men were gathered around the piano, singing
+rowdy choruses of the kind loved by our Tommies. The coffee queue
+extended the whole length of the room, and the men had to buy their
+tickets from Uncle Joe, who had a few words with each in homely
+Lancashire dialect, whilst further along the counter a titled lady was
+serving coffee as fast as she could pour it out. There were crowds round
+the tables, reading or feeding. We noticed at one table a group of men,
+one of whom was cutting up a long French loaf, another had just opened a
+tin of sardines which he was sharing round, whilst a third was helping
+his comrades from a tin of pears. All were on their way home on leave,
+or returning to the Front, and all were merry and happy as British
+Tommies almost invariably are.
+
+Sometimes in a London hut, or it may be in the Y.M.C.A. in Paris, you
+will come across one of these Tommies who is down and out. He has been
+on leave and has spent or lost all his money, and is down on his luck.
+It is to the Y.M.C.A. he turns. A little act of kindness, under such
+circumstances, has often changed a man's whole outlook on life. Nearly
+the whole of the service in the Y.M.C.A. hostels is rendered
+voluntarily, and many workers who have home or business ties welcome
+this opportunity of doing war service that really counts. There is a
+tendency in some quarters to speak disparagingly of the voluntary
+worker, but those who know, realise the enormous value of such service.
+No paid workers could have been more zealous or more efficient than
+those who have served voluntarily under the Red Triangle. The old
+brewery in Earl Street was the first building in London to be adapted
+for sleeping purposes, but the 'Euston' was the first Y.M.C.A. hostel
+to be built. One of the largest is the Shakespeare Hut which was built
+on the site of the proposed National Shakespeare Memorial Theatre,
+kindly loaned for the purpose. The huge building by London Bridge was
+lent by the city of London. Many of the huts occupy central and
+important sites, as for instance, the station huts at King's Cross,
+Victoria, and Waterloo,--and the station hut often means the last touch
+of home before men go overseas, and that makes the work and the
+personality of the workers all the more important.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+THE ROMANCE OF FINANCE
+
+          This work has been admirably done both at home and
+          at the Front. Its spiritual and material value to
+          the men lies beyond all reckoning, and the
+          services of its personnel are deeply appreciated
+          by the men themselves.--THE RIGHT HON. A. J.
+          BALFOUR, O.M., M.P.
+
+
+ON August 4, 1914, our plan for war work was ready, but the 'sinews of
+war' were lacking. Little could be done without money. In our extremity
+we laid the whole position before one of our most generous leaders and
+supporters, and told him of the opportunity we saw facing the Y.M.C.A.
+'If we are to seize the opportunity,' we said, 'it is absolutely
+necessary we should secure immediately twenty-five thousand pounds!' He
+looked up and smiled indulgently--'Twenty-five thousand pounds!' he
+cried; 'you couldn't possibly raise three thousand pounds at a time like
+this; the thing's impossible!' 'Impossible or not,' was the reply, 'it
+must be done. We mustn't even stop to think of the future of the
+Y.M.C.A. Everything is at stake, and even if we have to sell every
+building and every stick of furniture we possess we must go forward
+now!' That very day a large number of telegrams and letters were sent
+out from Headquarters to friends all over the country--the first war
+emergency appeal of the Red Triangle--and within a few days the whole of
+the twenty-five thousand pounds had been raised, and we were appealing
+for another fifty thousand pounds, until at the time of writing, in
+August 1918, the war fund has reached the total of nearly two and a half
+millions sterling. That is a small sum compared with the amounts raised
+for Y.M.C.A. war work in the United States. Their first appeal brought
+in five million pounds, the second more than twelve millions, and their
+appeal a year later, in October 1918, is for twenty millions sterling.
+Our American friends gave us a hundred thousand pounds from the amount
+raised by their second war work appeal, a generous and much appreciated
+gift. People who know little of the facts are sometimes inclined to
+criticise what they regard as the huge war expenditure of the British
+Y.M.C.A.'s, but a moment's reflection will make it clear that it has
+been little short of a miracle of finance to carry out such an enormous
+programme of work at a total cost of only about one-third of the cost to
+Britain alone of a single day of war. We have always been short of
+money, have always had a big overdraft at the bank, and that largely
+because we have had to finance a huge business concern without capital.
+Our war fund has been secured partly as a result of skilful
+advertising, partly through personal solicitation and in response to
+postal appeals. Flag Days and Hut Weeks also proved valuable agencies
+for raising money. The full-page Y.M.C.A. advertisements in _The Times_
+and other papers were something quite new in religious and social work
+advertising, though the method has since been widely adopted by other
+organisations.
+
+Many touching stories are told concerning gifts to the war fund, gifts,
+many of which have not been secured as a result of cleverly drawn
+advertisements, but because the contributors have been touched directly
+or indirectly by the work itself. A boy wrote home from Flanders, 'Tell
+Dad if he has any money to spare to give it to the Y.M.C.A. as a
+thankoffering for what they are doing for us chaps out here.' One of our
+centres had been nearly destroyed by a Zeppelin bomb. It was rebuilt
+and the day came for the reopening. A lady was present and expressed
+herself thus: 'I wanted to be here to-day, if only to thank you for what
+your Association has done for my boy. When the war broke out,' said she,
+'he went to the Crystal Palace for his training, and found the Y.M.C.A.
+there an inestimable boon. He was sent to Blandford to complete his
+training, and the Y.M.C.A. was there. He was drafted out to Gallipoli,
+and to his amazement he found the Y.M.C.A. on the Peninsula. He was
+wounded and sent to Suez, where once more the Y.M.C.A. was a great help
+to him, and yesterday,' she continued, 'I received a letter from him
+from Alexandria saying he was convalescent, and spending the whole of
+his spare time in the central building of the Association.' It is that
+personal touch that has made the appeal of the Red Triangle one of the
+most popular appeals of the war.
+
+A lady called one day with a novel suggestion. She had been reading a
+statement attributed to the Kaiser, in which the All Highest is alleged
+to have said that if the worst came to the worst every dog and cat in
+Germany would be armed in defence of the Fatherland. 'If the dogs and
+cats of Germany are going to do that for their country,' she said, 'why
+shouldn't the dogs and cats of England pay for one of your huts?' Quite
+frankly there did not appear to be much money in the scheme, but it
+could do no harm, so we encouraged it! Imagine our surprise when a few
+days later the same lady walked in with a cheque for four hundred and
+fifty pounds. There was one gift of five pounds, all the rest had been
+given in smaller amounts, and altogether upwards of two thousand dogs
+and cats--or their masters and mistresses--had contributed. A few weeks
+later the fund was closed, at just over one thousand pounds, and there
+has been no more useful centre of Y.M.C.A. war work than the 'Dogs and
+Cats Hut' at Rouen, paid for entirely by this fund.
+
+The Boys and Girls fund has reached upwards of twenty thousand pounds.
+We had been speaking to the boys at Harrow School, and the suggestion
+had been thrown out that it would be a good plan to have a 'Harrow' Hut
+at the Front. At the close of the meeting the headmaster, supporting the
+suggestion, said he would give the collection in chapel the following
+Sunday to the fund. The head boy approached him afterwards and said, 'I
+think, Sir, it would be a mistake to make a collection for the Y.M.C.A.
+on Sunday. If you do the boys will think they have done their bit, and
+won't bother any further. Won't you let us make a whip up round the
+houses and see what we can do?' Thus it was agreed, and the five hundred
+pounds, which in those days was the cost of a hut, was raised in less
+than a week. We have seen that hut in France, and know how much it was
+appreciated. During the German advance in Picardy it had to be
+temporarily abandoned, but fortunately was speedily occupied again.
+
+In the early days of the Euston hut, the vicar of a neighbouring parish
+was keenly interested, and told the children in his day school what he
+had seen in the hut. At the close of his address a deputation of the
+older children waited on him and told him they were interested in what
+he told them, and would much like to help the Y.M.C.A. in its work for
+the soldiers. 'You help?' queried the vicar; 'how can you help?' He knew
+how poor they were. To his surprise they had their scheme ready, and
+their plans cut and dried. 'This time every year,' said the spokesman,
+'we put by our pennies and our ha'pennies for our annual treat. We don't
+feel like having a treat this year when all this terrible fighting is
+taking place. We would rather give the money to the Y.M.C.A. to spend on
+the soldiers and sailors.' A few days later, the leader of the Euston
+hut was sitting at a table in the central hall when his attention was
+attracted by a group of ragged children, standing round the entrance.
+Curiously they would peer inside and then step back, until two or three
+bolder than the others walked right in as if the whole place belonged to
+them. That was too much for the leader. He went up to them and cried,
+'You must run away; this place isn't for boys and girls, it's for
+soldiers and sailors.' Looking up into his face a little ragged
+youngster retorted, 'Please, sir, we've given our money towards this
+show, and we want to see how it's run!' On inquiry, it was ascertained
+that the children belonged to one of the poorest of the schools in the
+north of London, and out of their poverty they had given no less than
+thirty shillings, nearly the whole of it in pennies and farthings. Many
+memorial gifts have been received, and a hut that will be an inspiration
+and help to tens of thousands, is surely one of the most suitable of
+memorials.
+
+[Illustration: A REFUGE FOR THE REFUGEES]
+
+Business firms and merchant princes have given their thousands; others,
+with equal generosity, have contributed shillings. In the Channel
+Islands, there was a fish-hawker, named Richards, who eked out a slender
+livelihood by selling fish on the streets of Jersey. The coming of the
+war hit him so hard that he was compelled to leave for France to seek
+other employment. He got a job under the contractors who were building
+the hutments in the Harfleur Valley. He did well, and eventually
+returned home to Jersey. The Sunday after his return, his minister was
+taking up special collections for the hut fund. Richards had found the
+Red Triangle huts at Havre a great boon, and on entering the church at
+the evening service, handed his minister a little paper packet
+containing coins. The padre fingered the parcel and said to himself, 'He
+has given six pennies, a generous gift, too, under the circumstances!'
+Imagine his surprise on opening the packet to find there six
+half-crowns. He said, 'You ought not to give so much; you can't possibly
+afford it.' 'When I remember all the Y.M.C.A. did for me when a stranger
+in France and homeless,' was his reply, 'I can't possibly do less, and
+wish I could give more.'
+
+[Illustration: Y.M.C.A. MARQUEE IN THE SHELL-SWEPT SOMME AREA]
+
+A flower-seller at a popular seaside holiday resort for many months has
+given to the local Y.M.C.A. hut a shillingsworth of flowers each week,
+as a thankoffering for what the Association has done for her husband and
+son.
+
+At Taunton a farm labourer called at the back door of the house of the
+president of the local Y.M.C.A., and said he wanted to help the war
+fund. It was the only thing he could do to help the men at the Front. He
+had tried to enlist several times, but they would not have him. He laid
+on the table fifty one-pound notes, and went back to his work on the
+farm. Inquiries elicited the fact that he had given practically the
+whole of his savings, and had done it in spite of his employer's urgent
+advice to the contrary.
+
+At the close of a meeting held by one of our workers, an elderly lady
+came to him and said if he would go to her house she would give him a
+sovereign. He went, and she gave him the coin, and then closing the
+door of her private room, said, 'And now I am going to give you the most
+precious possession I have in the world.' Her voice choked with emotion
+as she proceeded, 'Years, many years ago, I was to have been married.
+The arrangements were made, the day fixed, and the ring bought,
+and--_then he died_!' And she sobbed as she spoke. Going to a bureau she
+took out a little box and, handing it to him, said, 'The wedding ring is
+in there. I have kept it all these years, but I promised the Lord I
+would only keep it until He showed me what He would have me do with it,
+and He told me while you were speaking. I give it to you for the
+Y.M.C.A. and for the boys,' and she turned away utterly broken up.
+Thousands of incidents could be related of equal interest to the
+foregoing, did space permit, and all these incidents combine to give a
+personal interest to the fund. We can only add that the greatest
+possible care has been taken to administer the fund wisely and so avoid
+waste, or anything that savours of extravagance. Of course, Y.M.C.A.
+finance has come in for criticism. Certain people who have visited the
+huts, and have seen the enormous business there transacted have come to
+the conclusion that either very large profits are being made, or that
+the business methods of the Association leave much to be desired. The
+question has frequently been asked, 'What is done with the profits?' and
+the fiction has got abroad that the Y.M.C.A. publishes no accounts and
+is amassing huge sums of money. The real position is easily stated:--
+
+          The Y.M.C.A. does not do trading for trading's
+          sake, but because through its trading department
+          it is the better enabled to meet the needs of the
+          troops, and also because profits on trading mean
+          further extension. So rapid has been the
+          development of the war work of the Y.M.C.A., that
+          not only has every penny of profit been spent on
+          the maintenance and development of this work for
+          soldiers and sailors, but it has been necessary to
+          raise large sums of money in subscriptions to meet
+          the ever-increasing demand for extension. Every
+          new centre means, or may mean, an additional
+          burden on the central fund or on the divisional
+          funds for which the National Council is ultimately
+          responsible. First, there is the cost of the hut,
+          which may mean L750 or may run into thousands--it
+          all depends upon size and site. The initial cost
+          may be defrayed by an individual gift to the
+          central war fund, but usually to make the hut
+          large enough for its purpose, additional money has
+          to be spent, whilst the furnishing will probably
+          cost from one to three hundred pounds, or more.
+          Also, it must carry stock to the value of a
+          hundred pounds or possibly much more if it is a
+          big camp. A very big turnover in a Triangle hut
+          may represent a very small profit, _e.g._ there
+          are enormous sales of stamps and postal orders,
+          and all these are sold for actual cost, and, what
+          is more, the Association has to bear the loss of
+          shortages. Then there are the things the Y.M.C.A.
+          does free of any charges whatever, _e.g._ there
+          are no club fees and no charges for admission to
+          concerts, lectures, or entertainments in the
+          ordinary hut. Free writing paper and envelopes are
+          at the present time costing more than L90,000 a
+          year. Thousands of pounds are spent on cricket and
+          football outfits, games generally, books,
+          pictures, and literature for free distribution.
+          Hot drinks and refreshments are given free to the
+          walking wounded on a very large scale, and
+          practically every one of the two thousand war
+          Y.M.C.A.'s keeps 'open house' at Christmas. The
+          work of the Y.M.C.A. for the relatives of wounded
+          is very costly, especially in France, many hostels
+          being maintained for that purpose. Motor transport
+          is an expensive item for which there is no return,
+          and very large sums of money are spent on lectures
+          and educational work. It is estimated that the
+          Y.M.C.A. educational programme in France alone may
+          ultimately cost the Association fifty thousand
+          pounds a year. When the request has come to open a
+          new centre, the determining factor has been, 'Is
+          it needed?' not 'Will it pay?' Indeed many huts in
+          isolated centres cannot possibly be made to pay,
+          and yet they mean everything to the men who use
+          them. The spending department of the Association
+          has been built up with the greatest care. A body
+          of well-known business men meets for hours every
+          week and watches expenditure as a cat watches a
+          mouse. The Acting Treasurer of the War Emergency
+          Fund is a partner in a big firm of Indian
+          Merchants, and devotes himself with untiring
+          energy and conspicuous ability to the supervision
+          of accounts and to the expenditure. The accounts
+          are audited by a leading firm of chartered
+          accountants, and the audited statement of receipts
+          and expenditure together with a balance sheet, is
+          published in _The Times_ and other papers every
+          six months. In the canteens it is a matter of
+          principle to give full value for money spent, but
+          towards the war services the profits made have
+          been equal to a sum of ten shillings for every
+          pound contributed by the public. Owing chiefly to
+          the enormous stores that have to be maintained in
+          France and Overseas generally, the Bank overdraft
+          of the war fund has often reached four and five
+          hundred thousand pounds. It is thus not difficult
+          to see what is done with the profits. The Y.M.C.A.
+          might, had it so chosen, have feathered its nest
+          during the war, but with a sublime, though by no
+          means a reckless disregard of the future it
+          stepped right into the breach, and went straight
+          forward to meet the national need.
+
+As a Y.M.C.A. we pride ourselves on the business management of our work.
+We insist on business methods being adopted, and we do not mix our
+business with philanthropy--the Association hut is not a charity as far
+as its business side is concerned. The average hut in a large camp is
+expected to pay its way, so that subscriptions from the general public
+can be applied to the extension of the work and to the maintenance of
+centres that cannot be self-supporting.
+
+The War Office, in the early stages of the war, asked us to pay a rebate
+of 10 per cent. on the gross takings of the refreshment department.
+After full consideration, we came to the conclusion that we could only
+do this by extracting the money from the pockets of the men, who for the
+most part are miserably paid, by paying it out of subscriptions given by
+the public, or by limiting the extension of the work. Neither
+alternative seemed desirable or in the interests of the men, and after
+many conferences with the Quartermaster-General's department at the War
+Office, it was agreed, by mutual consent and at the suggestion of the
+War Office, to refer the matter for decision to the Secretary of State
+for War. It was at the time Lord Kitchener was in Gallipoli, and Mr.
+Asquith was personally in charge. At a conference at Downing Street the
+representatives of the Board of Control Regimental Institutes stated
+their case, and we had the opportunity of replying. Mr. Asquith took
+several weeks to consider the question in all its bearings, and
+ultimately gave the decision entirely in our favour, and decided for the
+duration of the war we should not be asked to pay the rebate. Later on,
+the matter was reopened by Lord Derby, and eventually it was found
+necessary for the Y.M.C.A. to pay 6 per cent. on their gross takings in
+huts on Military ground, to regimental funds, and this is a great tax on
+its resources. Most of the huts are loaned free to the Military for
+church parades and military lectures.
+
+The figures of the Red Triangle are colossal, and yet figures by
+themselves fail to give an adequate idea of the magnitude of the work,
+and for obvious reasons it is impossible to make those statistics
+complete. On a given date it was ascertained that upwards of forty-five
+thousand workers were giving regular service to the war work of the
+Y.M.C.A. By August 31, 1918, 929,590,430 pieces of stationery had been
+sent out from Y.M.C.A. Headquarters in London for distribution amongst
+the men of His Majesty's Forces. The stationery bill by the summer of
+1918 had risen to the rate of upwards of L90,000 per annum.
+
+In two months one hundred and five tents were sent out to replace the
+huts and tents lost in Picardy and Flanders.
+
+In eighteen months, Triangle House, London, the Headquarters of our
+Trading Department, sent out to the Y.M.C.A. overseas:--
+
+             875 Gramophones and 8386 Records.
+             322 Pianos and Organs.
+             572 Billiard and Bagatelle Tables.
+           1,341 Sets of Boxing Gloves.
+             108 Optical Lanterns.
+          10,188 Sets of Draughts.
+           1,335 Sets of Chess.
+           3,140 Sets of Dominoes.
+           4,263 Footballs.
+           1,080 Sets of Quoits.
+             657 Sets of Cricket.
+           4,992 Extra Balls.
+           1,540 Extra Bats.
+           1,798 Hockey Sticks.
+             520 Balls.
+             426 Golf Balls.
+             100 Tennis Sets.
+             330 Tennis Racquets.
+           2,364 Tennis Balls.
+              61 Sets Bowls.
+             358 Badminton Sets.
+              50 Baseball Sets.
+
+It will be noted that the items in this list are not trading goods to be
+sold at a profit, but excepting in the case of some of the billiard
+tables, are non-remunerative, and provided absolutely free for the use
+of the men serving overseas.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+THE LADIES OF THE RED TRIANGLE
+
+          I have received Her Majesty's commands to convey
+          to you an expression of the Queen's sincere thanks
+          for the interesting information you have given
+          regarding the work which is being done by the
+          Young Men's Christian Association among the men of
+          the Army and Navy.
+
+          Her Majesty is much pleased with the specimens of
+          writing-papers and envelopes, and publications,
+          which you have sent for her acceptance.
+
+          Her Majesty feels sure that the useful work which
+          is being carried on by the Young Men's Christian
+          Association in so many different centres is highly
+          appreciated not only by the soldiers, but also by
+          the community.--HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN.
+
+
+[Illustration: Y.M.C.A. IN A RUINED PARISH HALL IN FLANDERS, JUNE, 1916]
+
+BEFORE the war it was one of our stock sayings that the Y.M.C.A. was a
+work 'for young men by young men,' and one must recognise the fact that
+the man who is a _man_--virile, strong, athletic--is the one to whose
+leadership men will most readily respond. But in the early days of the
+war most of our young male workers joined up; whether we liked it or not
+we had to get the help of ladies, and our more enterprising leaders felt
+that after all there were some things in Y.M.C.A. hut work ladies could
+do almost as well as men. Things have moved since then, and now we know
+that much of the work can be done infinitely better by women. In many
+cases women have been entrusted with the actual leadership of huts, and
+have carried through the duties magnificently. The Red Triangle has
+given the woman her niche in the Y.M.C.A., and for the great programme
+that awaits us after the war her help will be indispensable. It has,
+moreover, given the woman who had home claims an opportunity of doing
+war work that really counts, in her spare time. The Queen and Queen
+Alexandra have been graciously interested in the work of the ladies of
+the Red Triangle, and many of the ladies of the Royal House have
+rendered conspicuous personal service, amongst whom might be mentioned
+H.R.H. Princess Christian, H.R.H. Princess Louise, H.R.H. Princess
+Patricia of Connaught, and H.H. Princess Marie Louise, whilst H.H.
+Princess Helena Victoria as Lady President has given time and strength
+to the work without reserve, and we owe very much to her. In the camps,
+ladies have given the home touch that means so much to the men--games,
+music, decorations, and flowers have come within their domain; they have
+managed the libraries, and have in most cases taken full responsibility
+for the refreshment department. Their personal influence has been
+invaluable. We remember visiting a camp somewhere in France. It seemed
+to us the roughest camp we had ever seen. The leader told us of an
+encounter he had with one of the worst of the men on the occasion of
+his first visit to the place. He had just got his tent erected, and the
+man chancing to see it asked what it was. When told that it was the
+Y.M.C.A., he replied, 'You b---- men are just what we d---- men b----
+well want,' and that was the language of the camp. Eighteen months later
+we were there again and the camp was like another place, so great was
+the change for the better. The C.O. told us he attributed that change
+almost entirely to the ladies of the Red Triangle. It so happened that
+one of the ladies committed an unpardonable military offence. She
+returned to England two or three days before her permit expired. Later
+on, application was made in the usual way for the renewal of her permit.
+The General concerned, who is no longer in France, returned the
+application with the words written across it over his initials--'Keep
+this woman out.' The Base Commandant sent it in again having written on
+it--'Talk about keeping this woman out, she is of more value to me than
+truckloads of parsons and chaplains!' That was his way of putting it,
+not ours. We have the greatest possible admiration for the work of the
+chaplains at the Front. There is no finer body of men on active service
+to-day, and it is a privilege we greatly esteem to be permitted to
+co-operate with them and to be of some service to them in their great
+work.
+
+[Illustration: BAPAUME-CAMBRAI ROAD, WITH TREES ALL CUT DOWN BY THE
+GERMANS]
+
+The ladies have always been ready to share the risks with the men, and
+there are quite a number who have made the supreme sacrifice, including
+Miss Smallpage, killed by shrapnel in one of our munition huts in
+England; Miss Betty Stevenson, killed in an air attack in France; Miss
+Edith Howe, who died of cerebro-spinal meningitis; and Miss Lee, who
+lost her life in a fire in one of the huts on Salisbury Plain.
+
+In one of the great bases in France there is a small camp in which at
+one time there were boys only. They were too young to fight, their job
+day by day was the prosaic one of filling up petrol cans. One of these
+little chaps had badly hurt his hand, and it seemed to him the natural
+thing to go for sympathy and help to the lady of the Red Triangle. A
+brief examination convinced her that the damage was serious, and she
+bade him go to the doctor, whose tent was just across the way. Very
+grudgingly he trudged across to the doctor, but a few minutes later
+returned with the request that she would look at the damaged hand and
+see if the doctor had attended to it properly. She replied that it would
+never do to interfere with the doctor's work and, moreover, the doctor
+had no doubt done it far better than she could have done. Five times the
+lad came back with the request, 'O Missis! do look at my hand and see
+if he's done it right.' The fifth time he brought with him as an ally
+the Y.M.C.A. secretary in charge, who said, 'If I were you, Miss, I
+would look at his hand. The little chap will never be happy until you
+do.' Then she undid the bandages, looked at the dressing, and bandaging
+it up again said, 'There, it's just as I told you; the doctor has done
+it far better than I could; run away and be quite happy about it!' He
+went away, but returned again a few minutes later, and that time his
+eyes were full of tears as he cried, 'O Missis! I did think you'd have
+kissed me when you saw how bad it was,' and, like the good woman she
+was, she kissed him as his mother would have done. Let no one think
+that's what the ladies of the Red Triangle usually do, for it's not, and
+yet in that simple story you have the whole secret of the success of the
+war work of the Y.M.C.A. Time, and time again, one has been through
+every base camp in France, and has traversed the whole British line in
+France and Flanders, and wherever one has gone one has found the men
+yearning for sympathy and longing for home. Not that they want to return
+home until this fight ends in victory, for out there they have learned
+what war means; they see it robbed of its romance, and they are
+determined to see it through; they fight that this war may end war.
+
+With unfailing loyalty to the high aims of the Red Triangle and with
+conspicuous ability ladies have served the Y.M.C.A., and through the
+Association the men of His Majesty's Forces and the munition workers, in
+all parts of the United Kingdom, in France, and in every part of the
+Empire, and have won for themselves a permanent place in the movement,
+whatever its future may be.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+'GUNGA DIN' OF THE RED TRIANGLE
+
+          'You and your Association seem to me to be truly
+          hitting the nail on the head, and working for the
+          good of our soldier-lads, one and all. I have
+          watched the Y.M.C.A. procedure at many camps, and
+          have found it exactly adapted to the wants of
+          large numbers of young men taken temporarily away
+          from their homes and normal
+          associations.'--GENERAL SIR IAN HAMILTON.
+
+
+ONE of the most striking of Kipling's characters was Gunga Din, the
+Indian water-carrier. He was not a fighting man, but when fighting was
+taking place he was in the thick of it, risking his life that he might
+carry water to slake the thirst of the fighting man. 'Gunga Din' was the
+appropriate name given to one of our leaders in France by a British
+Tommy. Those who do not know are sometimes inclined to sneer at the
+Y.M.C.A. man for having a 'cushy' job, but it is hard work from start
+to finish. His job is never done and very often is attended with
+considerable risk. His work may carry him right into the front line
+trenches and though it does not take him 'over the top,' yet, unlike the
+soldier, he has not the privilege of hitting back. His day's work will
+vary according to the camp. In all probability he will have to be up
+early in the morning, to get the coffee ready. The hut must be cleaned,
+and there will be a lot of canteen work to be done. The buying will
+occupy some time, and then there will be the evening programme to
+arrange and carry through. He must maintain personal touch with the men
+using the hut, so that the ideal leader must be half a dozen men rolled
+into one.
+
+Our greatest difficulty during the war has been that of getting a
+sufficiency of workers of the right type. Every male worker is
+registered with the Director of Recruiting, and we are unable to recruit
+new men classified A between the ages of 18 and 52, or 18 and 45 for
+service overseas.
+
+Twelve members of the Y.M.C.A. have won the Victoria Cross, 3 the
+D.S.O., 33 the M.C., 25 the D.C.M., and 53 the M.M., whilst registered
+at Headquarters are the names of 1223 who have made the supreme
+sacrifice. We think of many whose war work for the Y.M.C.A. has earned
+the title of 'Gunga Din,' as, for example, the young leader of the New
+Zealand work in France. He looks a boy, but is a genius for organising,
+and the pioneer of the work of the Red Triangle in advanced positions.
+Another man who has the instincts of the pioneer is the leader of the
+Australian workers in Egypt and Palestine, and yet another, a well-known
+Y.M.C.A. worker who, after doing good service in England in the early
+days of the war, went to represent Headquarters in Egypt. Torpedoed _en
+route_ he took up his new work with characteristic enthusiasm and made
+good. Hundreds have rendered equally valuable service, so that it would
+be invidious to mention names.
+
+In the great retreat, it was the D.A.Q.M.G. of the ---- Corps who asked
+us to open up a Stragglers' Post at Westoutre. 'You are the people who
+can cheer up the men,' said he; 'I want you to get hold of the
+stragglers before they become deserters.' It was 'Gunga Din' he needed,
+but this time with cocoa-urn instead of water-bottle, and it was only an
+old bank to which our workers fixed their Red Triangle, but it was just
+what was needed. A bursting shell forced them to quit, but half an hour
+later they had opened up again in the village shop, opposite the church,
+and the mayor thanked them later on for their successful efforts.
+
+Our officers' hut at Romerin was set on fire by a shell; shells were
+falling fast, and the larger hut soon became untenable, but the Y.M.C.A.
+man was running his show in the open under a tree, and was as busy as
+ever. The ubiquitous 'Ford' did its bit, and its load would sometimes
+consist of the Divisional Secretary himself, one or two other workers or
+Belgian refugees, a big caterer's boiler, a tea-urn, together with cases
+of biscuits and cigarettes. Thus equipped, it would proceed to some
+advanced dressing-station. Sometimes there would only be a sergeant and
+orderlies in charge, heroically doing their best to help the wounded,
+and the mere presence of a man like one of our secretaries gave them
+confidence, whilst the steaming hot drinks he soon had ready gave new
+courage to the wounded men who thronged the C.C.S. A great work of the
+'Gunga Din' type was done on the Nieppe-Bailleul road during the
+retreat. What an amazing scene it must have been; an endless stream of
+refugees and wounded; units lost; batteries firing; men who had been for
+days without food, moving about like ghosts and digging themselves in at
+the side of the road. The Huns were only about eight hundred yards
+further along the road, and our soldiers fired as they walked. For three
+nights none of our workers even thought of going to bed; they stood by
+with cars ready to help where and how they were most needed, and gave
+help to soldiers and refugees alike. At dressing and casualty clearing
+stations they gave emergency help. At Remy, for instance, one of our men
+was told off to undress the wounded and rig them out in new pyjamas,
+whilst another made himself useful in cleaning the floors. Hot drinks
+were given out freely in all these centres just behind the line.
+
+Following the British victory at Messines on June 7, 1917, a Leeds
+minister serving on the staff of the Y.M.C.A. wrote home describing the
+work for the walking wounded as he had seen it:--
+
+          'It was about three o'clock in the morning when
+          the signal to advance was given, and the boys went
+          over the parapet. About two hours later the
+          wounded began to arrive at our hospital in
+          ambulance vans. It had been previously arranged
+          that only as far as possible walking cases--men
+          slightly wounded--should be dealt with at our
+          station, and the expeditious and efficient way in
+          which their wounds were attended to reflected
+          great credit on the medical staff. As soon as they
+          left the dressing-room they were passed on to our
+          Y.M.C.A., where we supplied them with various
+          kinds of refreshments free. It was my great
+          privilege to serve the first patient, who had a
+          broken arm, with a freshly-made cup of tea and a
+          sandwich, and never shall I forget his look and
+          words of appreciation. Some were too ill to eat
+          anything for a time, especially those who had been
+          gassed or were suffering from shell-shock, but
+          they were very glad of a seat on the grass in the
+          shade of our tent. Some were so badly wounded that
+          they were unable to speak, while others were half
+          deaf and dumb as the result of shock. It was
+          pathetic to see such men scribbling their request
+          for a drink on a piece of paper. All were loud in
+          their praise of the Y.M.C.A. and many were quite
+          overcome when they realised that the tea,
+          lemonade, cigarettes, and various kinds of
+          eatables were provided free. One Scottish New
+          Zealander, whose father is a well-known seed
+          merchant in Edinburgh, declared that the Y.M.C.A.
+          was the greatest thing in the war. In addition to
+          attending to the needs of the "inner man"--and
+          some of them we had to feed like babies, as both
+          hands were wounded--we wrote letters and field
+          cards for them, and tried in every possible way to
+          add to their comfort. The spirit manifested by the
+          majority of them was simply splendid, and scarcely
+          ever did they refer to their own suffering and
+          hardships.'
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+IN THE TRAIL OF THE HUN
+
+          It has given me great pleasure to learn of the
+          development of the Y.M.C.A. work in France and
+          England during the last six months. In particular
+          I am very glad to hear of the successful growth of
+          the experiment begun at Aire.
+
+          No one can be long in this country without
+          realising the immense value of your organisation,
+          and the constant extension of your activities
+          itself testifies to the high regard in which it is
+          held by our soldiers.--FIELD-MARSHAL SIR DOUGLAS
+          HAIG.
+
+
+[Illustration: THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE SUPPORT TRENCHES]
+
+THE history of the British Empire has been written over again, and
+written in blood, in the valleys of the Somme, the Ancre, and the
+Scarpe. Tens of thousands of our noblest and best lie buried in these
+valleys or on the tableland of Peronne, situated between the
+insignificant rivers that have within the past few months earned a
+world-wide notoriety. No one can visit a modern battlefield without
+realising something of the appalling waste of war. Towns and villages
+have been blotted out of existence, or are marked to-day by a few
+unrecognisable ruins. Thanks to the efficiency of British organisation,
+excellent roads were quickly established right through the stricken
+district, and it was impossible to traverse any of them without
+marvelling at the obstacles overcome and the successes gained. The road,
+for instance, from Albert to Bapaume, through Pozieres, Le Sars, and
+Warlincourt, passing close by Contalmaison and Martincourt, was
+contested almost yard by yard, and the same thing may be said of the
+road that leads along the bank of the Ancre from Albert past the Leipzig
+Redoubt, near Thiepval and Beaumont Hamel, through Achiet-le-Grand to
+Bapaume, or the one from Peronne through Le Transloy.
+
+[Illustration: 'GEORGE WILLIAMS HOUSE' IN THE FRONT TRENCHES]
+
+[Illustration: A HALF-WAY HOUSE TO THE TRENCHES]
+
+It was in December 1916 that I paid my first visit to the valley of the
+Somme. The scene was dreary beyond description. Many villages known to
+us by name as the scenes of desperate fighting were a name only. Hardly
+a vestige of a house or cottage remained where many had been before the
+war. Here and there one could see the entrance to a cellar; the charred
+stump of a strafed tree; the remains of a garden; or a bit of a
+cemetery. Everything else was churned up into the most appalling mud.
+
+One day I had tea with an Army commander who has done great things since
+then, and he showed me a series of photographs--the most interesting I
+have ever seen, which were taken the day before my visit, by our airmen,
+over the German lines. For seventeen and a half miles back, the enemy,
+with infinite care and patience, had constructed trenches, 'and,' said
+the Commander, 'every time we destroy his front line trench he
+constructs another one in the rear.' 'But,' I cried, 'if this kind of
+thing goes on, and unless the unexpected happens, the war must surely
+continue indefinitely.' His only reply was, 'Is it not always the
+unexpected that happens in war?' I was back again in Picardy in the
+summer of 1917, and the unexpected had happened. The whole of the
+seventeen and a half miles of trenches were in the hands of the British!
+The enemy had retired to the much advertised 'Hindenburg Line,' and
+leaving nothing to chance, was tirelessly, ceaselessly massing and
+training his men, getting together huge reserves of munitions,
+husbanding his resources in every possible way, and preparing, always
+preparing day and night for his next great move. Meanwhile, Italy's
+defences had to be strengthened by troops we could ill-afford to spare
+from our Western front, and Russia, in loyalty to whom we first entered
+the war, failed us altogether, German intrigue being the underlying
+cause in each case. In his great advance in March and April 1918 he did
+not achieve all he set out to do by any means, but his gains were
+enormous. It makes one sad to think of the territory we had temporarily
+to relinquish to the Hun in Picardy, even though the country itself was
+not of any intrinsic value. The land is desolate, and the enemy ruined
+every village and hamlet, every farm and cottage, before his retreat.
+Ninety-three Red Triangle centres--huts, marquees, cellars, dug-outs,
+and 'strafed' houses had to be abandoned in Picardy alone--most of them
+destroyed before they fell into the hands of the Germans.
+
+During the first visit to the battlefields of the Somme in the winter of
+1916, the outstanding feature of the landscape was the mud and the
+general desolation. In the summer of 1917 the scenes of desolation were
+as great as ever, but there was a difference--the roads were in
+excellent condition and bridges had been replaced. There were
+shell-holes everywhere and the countryside was strewn with dud shells;
+barbed wire entanglements; with here and there a stranded tank that had
+had to be abandoned in the mud; the remains of trenches and dug-outs or
+the cages in which the Huns had collected their British prisoners. There
+were no domestic animals to be seen, and no civilians. The whole
+district from Albert to Peronne, to Bapaume or to Arras, was one huge
+cemetery, and one saw side by side the elaborate cross that marked the
+burying place of German dead, the smaller cross with the tricolour on
+it, that marked the last resting-place of the soldier of France, and
+everywhere for miles and miles could be seen the little plain brown
+crosses of wood, that marked the spot where lay our own loved dead. We
+climbed to the top of the famous Butte of Warlincourt that so often
+changed hands in the course of desperate fighting, and there on the top
+were those little brown crosses. We stood at the edge of the vast crater
+of La Boiselle that inaugurated the first battle of the Somme and saw in
+its depths several of those little symbols of our Christian faith, but
+looking away across the desolation of the battlefield one marvelled at
+the efforts of nature to hide up the ravages of war. There were the most
+glorious masses of colour everywhere--the colour given by the wild
+flowers of the battlefields. One felt one had never seen more vivid blue
+than that of the acres of cornflowers which rivalled the hues of the
+gentian of the Alps. It may have been imagination, but looking out from
+the Butte of Warlincourt over miles of poppies, one felt one had never
+seen such vivid red, and instinctively those words came into one's mind:
+
+          'O Cross that liftest up my head,
+            I dare not seek to fly from thee;
+          I lay in dust life's glory dead,
+          And from the ground there blossoms red,
+            Life that shall endless be.'
+
+The wild flowers of Picardy have bloomed over British graves again in
+the summer of 1918, though German, not British, eyes saw them during the
+early months, but those flowers speak of eternal hope, and tell us that
+if we but do our part, the sacrifice of our bravest and best will not
+have been made in vain.
+
+Amid the ruins of Picardy the Y.M.C.A. did some of its best work. Lord
+Derby spoke of the Association as 'essential in peace time,
+indispensable in war time,' and never was the Association more
+indispensable than during those terrible days of the German advance in
+1918. Amid the ever-changing scenes of war it has been one of the
+forces working for reconstruction. We mourn the loss of huts and Red
+Triangle centres that have cost money, and on which labour has been
+lavished. Not much to look at many of these places, and yet to those who
+knew them they possessed an indescribable charm and fascination. It was
+only a little marquee, for instance, that formed the Headquarters of the
+Red Triangle at Henin in 1917, only a couple of padres, one Church of
+England and one a Free Churchman there to represent the Y.M.C.A., but
+the whole story is a romance. Whilst we were sharing their lunch of
+bully beef and potatoes, bread, biscuits, and coffee, a 'strafe' began.
+The British artillery, half a mile away, were pouring lead into the Hun
+lines. Fritz soon replied, and things became lively. A shell burst near
+us, but our padres took no notice of it, and seemed to regard a little
+incident of that kind as a matter of course. Another shell burst on the
+cross-roads we had just traversed. It was here we had our first glimpse
+of the Hindenburg Line with Crucifix Corner in the foreground. Whilst we
+were still at lunch the Germans began to throw over some of their heavy
+stuff in the direction of Monchy, which was not far away. The British
+camp at Henin had been heavily bombarded a few days before our visit,
+and the troops quite properly had to run like rabbits to their burrows.
+The last to take refuge in the dug-outs were our two padres, who with a
+keen and commendable sense of duty had waited to gather up the cash
+before taking refuge from the shells. One of the leaders gives the
+following graphic story of his experiences in the Retreat:--
+
+'On the first day of the offensive we were wakened by terrific drum fire
+to the north, but on our own immediate stretch of front, the firing was
+not so severe. There was therefore no immediate need for evacuation.
+During that day the hut work went on as usual, but few men appeared, as
+everybody was "standing to." Liquid nourishment of the Y.M.C.A. type was
+rather at a discount. We finished serving at a somewhat late hour, and
+deemed it advisable to sleep in the dug-out, as a few shells had begun
+to sing overhead. Early the next morning we were awakened by the sound
+of many men on the move. More and still more French troops were
+arriving, and that day we had to speak more French than English. Towards
+evening uncomfortable reports began to arrive that the Germans had
+several places behind us, some in the immediate rear. "Les avions
+Boche," about which the Frenchmen were using "polite" phrases all day,
+were continually overhead, and having reported the movement of troops
+on the roads, shell-fire began to increase in intensity. Decidedly, it
+was "getting warm." Lieutenant-Colonel ---- of the R.A.M.C. and the
+Medical Staff with whom I had had the privilege of messing for some time
+were very forcible in their advice to me to evacuate with the orderlies.
+They were living in a shell-proof dug-out, whereas we had no possible
+defence against a direct hit from any kind of shell.
+
+'Several batteries of artillery having been withdrawn from forward
+positions, and posted near us, were making sleep impossible and drawing
+the enemy's fire. It was quite impossible to obtain transport of any
+kind for my stores, so I gave what remained to the R.A.M.C. for walking
+wounded cases, of which I had supplied several during the day.
+
+'Then we made a "night-flitting," the orderlies and myself, and slept a
+few miles to the S.W. But with every step away from the hut I became
+more and more uncomfortable. By daybreak I had decided to return and see
+how things were going. The orderlies decided to accompany me.
+
+'On the way back we had to take cover once for a while, but finally
+reached the hut and carried on for the remainder of the day.
+
+'We were called several kinds of lunatics for returning by the Medical
+Staff, who were then preparing to leave, and be it confessed we felt the
+truth of their remarks. It was quite out of the question to hold on any
+longer without cover save a "tin-hat" a-piece, so again we evacuated,
+this time finally.'
+
+It was only when the grey-clad Germans were actually in sight that the
+workers at St. Leger left their loved Y.M.C.A. I only visited St. Leger
+once, but that little shanty strangely fascinated me. It was not much
+to look at, just a group of ruined farm buildings, and in it 'the
+swallows had found a house' and regardless of our presence, yes,
+regardless of the shells, for St. Leger was bombarded every day even
+then, they flew backwards and forwards, feeding their young and
+twittering merrily and unconcernedly as if it had been a farm building
+in one of our English counties. It must have been with a heavy heart
+that those Y.M.C.A. men turned their backs on St. Leger and trudged to
+Boisleaux-au-Mont, where the five splendid huts that formed our
+equipment shortly afterwards shared the fate of St. Leger, and were all
+destroyed before the advance of the Huns.
+
+At Boyelles the tent was amid the ruins by the roadside, and the
+enamelled Triangle sign was attached to the bottom of the trunk of a
+tree that had been cut down by the enemy and was lying in the hedge
+just as it fell. Achiet-le-Petit Y.M.C.A. was in an orchard, the
+equipment consisting of a big marquee and several little shanties
+ingeniously constructed by the workers from empty petrol cans and
+biscuit boxes. High up in an elm tree was a sort of crow's nest, used by
+the Germans as an observation post during the time of their occupation.
+At Haplincourt the Y.M.C.A. was anything but imposing--an insignificant
+house fitted up as a club room, but in the paddock behind it the
+secretaries had erected a platform, and arranged an open-air auditorium
+on a grand scale. A hundred yards or so away was a large plunge bath,
+deep enough for a good high dive. It had been constructed by the Germans
+when they were in occupation, but when we saw it a score of our own
+Tommies were disporting themselves in the water and having a high old
+time. Albert was a scene of desolation, with its ruined church as the
+most conspicuous feature. High up on the top of the spire, dislodged by
+German shells, and jutting out at right angles to the spire, was the
+famous figure of the Virgin holding in her hands the infant Christ. For
+many months the figure had remained in this position, and was only
+finally brought down during the enemy's advance in 1918. The Y.M.C.A. in
+Albert was established in one big hut and two badly ruined houses. It
+was on the Saturday that St. Leger fell, and the Sunday at Albert was a
+memorable day. The town was crowded with an endless stream of men,
+horses, guns, and service wagons passing through. Little was sold in our
+canteens, but free refreshments were handed out by tired but willing
+workers all day long. Nearly all those workers had thrilling stories to
+tell of narrow escapes from death. Albert was evacuated on the Sunday
+night, and the place must have presented somewhat the appearance of a
+shambles. The Boche aeroplanes were dropping bombs or firing their
+machine-guns all the time, but still our men kept on serving the hot tea
+and cocoa, biscuits, and cigarettes that were so much appreciated by
+officers and men alike, only leaving their posts and abandoning their
+hut when ordered to do so by the Military. The retreat from Albert must
+have been like an awful nightmare. Some of our men in the darkness
+became entangled in the fallen wires, and whilst trying to extricate
+themselves heard the hum of an aeroplane just overhead, and a bomb was
+dropped only a few yards in front of them.
+
+[Illustration: THE Y.M.C.A. IN A RUINED WAREHOUSE. SHELL-HOLE IN FLOOR
+OF CANTEEN]
+
+At Bapaume we had several centres in and closely adjacent to the town.
+Bapaume, like Peronne, was not destroyed by enemy shell-fire, but
+deliberately wrecked by the Hun before he was forced to evacuate, and
+the foe we face to-day is a past master in the art of destruction.
+Hardly a building of any description remained intact in either of these
+towns when the British entered into occupation. That very fact made us
+marvel when, standing for the first time in front of the big building
+occupied by the Y.M.C.A. in Peronne we noticed that it was practically
+intact. On entering the building we marvelled still more, for the first
+object we saw was a fine German piano. Surely it was an act of kindness
+on the part of the wily Hun to leave it for our men. Was it? When the
+British occupied Peronne a company of troops from the west of England
+were the first to enter that house. A Tommy who was musical made a
+bee-line for the piano, but his officer restrained him, bidding him
+first look inside. It was well he did so, for three powerful bombs were
+attached to the strings of the piano, and had he touched one of the
+keys concerned, he himself, the piano, and the building would have been
+utterly destroyed. In the hut attached to the house a boxing match was
+taking place on the evening of our arrival, and men had come from
+outposts miles away to take part. Underneath the house was a German
+dug-out of almost incredible depth. The original staircase was
+missing--the Germans having commandeered the wood for the construction
+of the dug-out--but it had been replaced by an ingenious Y.M.C.A.
+secretary, who had searched amid the ruins of Peronne until at last he
+had found another staircase, which, with infinite pains and labour and
+not a little ingenuity, he had built in to replace the original one. The
+day before our visit the old lady who had lived in the house before the
+war paid a visit to her old home. She was a refugee, and had trudged
+miles to get back to Peronne. She requested permission to dig in the
+garden and soon unearthed the uniform of her husband who fought against
+the Germans in 1870. She had buried it there before the fall of the
+town. Digging again she came across his sword and accoutrements, and
+deeper still, her silver spoons and other trinkets that she valued.
+Could anything bring home more clearly the horrors of war? If, instead
+of Peronne in Northern France, it had been that sweet little town in
+England or Scotland, or that village in Wales or Ireland in which you
+live! If you had heard the cry one evening, 'The Huns are coming,' and
+had just half an hour in which to rush round your home and gather
+together any things you specially treasured, and take them out into your
+garden and bury them, knowing that anything you left behind would be
+either looted and sent to Germany, or deliberately destroyed for sheer
+hate! How easily this might have been, but for the mercy of God, the
+mistakes and miscalculations of the enemy, and the bravery and
+self-sacrifice of our heroes in blue and khaki, yes, and our workers in
+fustian and print--for England must never forget the debt she owes to
+her munition workers as well as to her sailors, soldiers, and airmen.
+They see nothing of the romance of war; they know nothing of its
+excitement, and yet apart from their patriotic service the best efforts
+of our fighting men would have been in vain.
+
+[Illustration: A Y.M.C.A. CELLAR AT YPRES]
+
+Never was the Y.M.C.A. more appreciated than during the months that
+preceded the great retreat in the spring of 1918. New Red Triangle huts
+were springing up like mushrooms, especially in the Fifth Army area,
+that part of the line that had recently been taken over from the French.
+Supported by the generous gifts of friends at home, ably directed by
+our divisional secretaries and those associated with them in the work,
+and supported and encouraged in every way by the Military Authorities,
+the progress made was remarkable. Then came the unexpected advance of
+the German hordes and the laborious work of months was destroyed in a
+few hours. At Noyon the secretary had to quit in a hurry, but returned
+to the hut later to bring away the money belonging to the Y.M.C.A.
+Thrice he returned, and the third time found it impossible to get away.
+After remaining in hiding for twenty-four hours he at length managed to
+escape with ten thousand francs in his pocket, saved for the Association
+which lost so heavily during those terrible days. At Amiens the Y.M.C.A.
+workers hung on for ten days after the official canteens had been
+removed because the town had become too hot for them. Day and night the
+'Joy' hut close to the railway station was kept open, and thronged with
+officers and men, and the service rendered to the troops may be gauged
+from the amount of the takings, which ranged between fifteen and
+twenty-thousand francs a day.
+
+Our total loss in the retreat was exceedingly heavy--more than one
+hundred and thirty huts and other centres in Picardy and Flanders, and
+in cash, upwards of one hundred and fifty thousand pounds. Serious as
+was that loss it might have been very much worse. Eight trucks of stores
+and equipment were stopped in the nick of time. The axle of one of our
+big lorries broke within a hundred yards of the most heavily shelled
+area in one of the towns bombarded by the enemy, but it was got away
+and, excepting in two cases, all the money and notes from tills and
+cash-boxes were removed safely before the huts were abandoned--striking
+testimony to the devotion of those in charge. 'What I think impressed
+me most,' wrote the organising secretary for France, 'has been the
+undaunted spirit of our workers, who, when shelled out of huts,
+persisted in the attempt to return to them under very great personal
+danger.' 'Although we have lost everything that we had,' wrote one, 'we
+still have hope within us, and are trusting to get back right into the
+thick of things in the very near future.' Yet another, writing in the
+spirit of Eastertide, said, 'We believe that our work will rise in new
+freshness and power out of its apparent extinction!' 'There was a
+singular unanimity of effort on the part of the workers who were
+isolated one from the other, and had no opportunity of arranging a
+common policy. The sale of such articles as the soldiers needed
+continued in the huts up to the last moment possible, and then, when the
+danger of the hut and stores falling into the hands of the enemy became
+imminent, biscuits and cigarettes were handed out as largely as possible
+to men in the neighbourhood taking part in the fighting. One would have
+thought that having done this the workers would have considered their
+own personal safety and retired, but in several cases I found them
+running stunts for walking wounded in the open, outside the hut or in
+its immediate neighbourhood, in close touch with the medical
+authorities.
+
+'The confusion of the retreat opened up to our workers opportunities of
+service which they gladly utilised. Last night was a night of
+uncertainty. We could not go to bed owing to the uncertainty of the
+military position where our headquarters were, and so stood on a high
+hill beside an old Trappist monastery, watching the village at the foot
+in flames, and trying to ascertain the progress of the fighting through
+the darkness. Our workers even under these circumstances seized an
+opportunity of doing a very fine bit of service. A stream of poor
+refugees were passing, people of all conditions and ages, fleeing for
+safety and shelter, and so at 11.30 at night at the cross-roads, a table
+was set up with a hot urn of cocoa and supplies of biscuits, which were
+handed out to French and Flemish people as they passed....
+
+'I have never seen anything that has touched me more than these streams
+of all sorts and conditions of people straggling along with their little
+belongings, infants in arms, to old people who had not walked a mile for
+years. It was a great opportunity for rendering a truly Christian
+service. The other day we lent one of our large lorries for a whole day
+for the purpose of carrying these people in some degree of comfort to a
+place of safety.'
+
+Thus by every device that resourcefulness and experience could suggest
+the workers of the Y.M.C.A. in France ministered to the comfort of the
+men who were so bravely sustaining that terrible onslaught. The
+organisation of the Red Triangle is the embodied goodwill of the British
+people towards its beloved army. An emergency like the one in the spring
+of 1918 was just the time when the services of the Red Triangle were
+most sorely needed by our soldiers.
+
+Fortunately, all the Y.M.C.A. workers got away safely. Sixty from the
+Fifth Army took refuge at Amiens, whilst more than eighty from the area
+of the Third Army found sanctuary at Doullens.
+
+A few months later, thanks to the arrival of the Americans in France,
+and the brilliant strategy of Foch and Haig; thanks above all to the
+mercy of God, the tide turned, and the Huns were once more in full
+retreat. A distinguished war correspondent wrote his impressions of
+Bapaume a day or two after it had again been captured by the British.
+Said he, 'I prowled about the streets of Bapaume through gaping walls of
+houses, over piled wreckage, and found it the same old Bapaume as when I
+had left it, except that some of our huts and an officers' club, and
+some Y.M.C.A. tents and shelters have been blown to bits like everything
+else.' A ruined town without a Y.M.C.A.! Could anything be more
+desolate?
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+THE BARRAGE AND AFTER
+
+          The problem of dealing with conditions, at such a
+          time, and under existing circumstances, at the
+          rest camps has always been a most difficult one;
+          but the erection of huts by the Young Men's
+          Christian Association has made this far easier.
+
+          The extra comfort thereby afforded to the men, and
+          the opportunities for reading and writing, have
+          been of incalculable service, and I wish to tender
+          to your Association, and all those who have
+          assisted, my most grateful thanks.--FIELD-MARSHAL
+          VISCOUNT FRENCH.
+
+
+IT was on the afternoon of July 30, 1917, that we reached Bailleul in
+Flanders. Proceeding directly to the Headquarters of the Y.M.C.A. we had
+tea, and then set out to visit the huts in the vicinity. It was a novel
+experience, for every hut was empty. The reason was not far to find. The
+troops were in their camps formed up in marching order, and later in the
+evening we watched them march out to take part in the great offensive.
+We were told that the barrage was timed for 3.50 in the morning, and
+were asked to have our work for the walking wounded ready at 5 A.M., so
+we determined to spend the night on the top of Kemmel Hill, the highest
+hill in Flanders. It was just after midnight when we reached the summit
+of the hill; and we wondered if the barrage had not already commenced,
+so heavy was the firing. From our point of vantage we could see the
+whole of the sector, from Armentieres in the south, across the
+battlefields of Messines and Wytschaete and away beyond Ypres in the
+north. Silently, close to us, an observation balloon stole up in the
+darkness, and a few minutes later as silently descended. Involuntarily
+we ducked as a monster shell shrieked overhead, and some one cried,
+'There goes the Bailleul Express!' About 3 A.M. things began to quiet
+down. Our guns might have been knocked out; they were hardly replying at
+all to the enemy's fire. Later on we saw a series of signal flashes high
+up across the battlefield, and then at 3.50 promptly to the moment, the
+barrage began, and there was no possibility of mistaking it--two
+thousand guns, as we learned afterwards, all firing at the same time. As
+one looked at that hell of flame and bursting shell, one felt it was
+impossible for any life to continue to exist beneath it, and one thought
+of the boys, as steady as if they had been on parade, creeping up behind
+that barrage of fire. We had seen them as they left their camp the night
+before, and we saw them when they returned--some of them--during the two
+days following the barrage; not in regiments a thousand strong, with
+colours flying and bands playing, but dribbling back one or two at a
+time--the walking wounded--and each one came in to our little Y.M.C.A.
+tents attached to the clearing stations--one was at an island in a sea
+of mud, near Dickebusch huts in Flanders. There was a queue inside of
+two or three hundred men. Every man in that queue was wounded, and
+waiting to have his wounds attended to; every man was hungry until he
+entered that tent; every man plastered from head to foot with the most
+appalling mud, and unless one has seen the mud of Flanders or of the
+Somme, it is impossible to imagine what it is really like. As I mingled
+with the men in that queue and assisted our workers to hand out hot tea,
+coffee, and cocoa, biscuits, bread and butter, chocolate, cigarettes or
+oranges, I thanked God for the opportunity He had given to the Y.M.C.A.,
+and the thing that impressed me more than anything else was the fact
+that one did not hear a single complaint, not one word of grousing. And
+why not? Was it because they liked that kind of thing? Don't make any
+mistake about it--no one could possibly like it, but out there the men
+know they are fighting not for truth and freedom in the abstract, but
+for their own liberty, and, what is infinitely more important to them,
+for their homes and loved ones. They know that what the Hun has done for
+Northern France and Flanders is as nothing compared with what he would
+do for the places and the people we love if he once got the opportunity
+of wreaking his vengeance on us. There is no finer bit of work that the
+Y.M.C.A. is doing to-day than this work for the walking wounded, which
+before any great push takes place, is carefully organised down to the
+last detail. Before one of the great battles, our men took up their
+positions at thirty-four different centres where they were able to
+minister to the needs of the wounded, and thus to co-operate with the
+magnificent work that is being done under the sign of the Red Cross. As
+in France, so in Italy and in the East, at Beersheba and other centres
+on the lines of communication in Palestine, records show how efficiently
+the same type of service is being rendered to our brave troops.
+
+[Illustration: HUT IN WILDERNESS OF DESTRUCTION. CUTTING THE ICE IN
+SHELL-HOLES FOR WATER FOR TEA--WINTER, 1916-17]
+
+[Illustration: RUINED HOUSE USED BY Y.M.C.A., PROPPED UP BY TIMBER]
+
+To return to the barrage. It is always interesting to note the effect a
+scene of that kind has on people of different temperaments. We had been
+sitting round a huge shell-hole near the top of Kemmel Hill feeling, it
+must be confessed, a trifle 'fed-up' with things. We were all tired, and
+had had a very heavy day's work. It was an uncomfortable night, to say
+the least of it, with drizzling rain, and very cold for the time of
+year. At the first sound of the drum-fire of the barrage set up by the
+British guns, we sprang to our feet, wild with excitement. A
+distinguished padre from the Midlands was lost in admiration for the
+work of the munitioners whose labours made possible this great strafing
+of the Hun. The leader of the party, a colonial from far-off Australia,
+simply danced with excitement which he made no attempt to suppress,
+contenting himself with ejaculating from time to time expressions to the
+effect that that was the most dramatic moment of his life. An
+unemotional Professor from one of our great universities stood with
+clenched fists, and was overheard to say, 'Give 'em hell, boys!' Another
+padre in the company began to quote Browning, the quotation referring to
+the signal flashes to which reference has already been made:
+
+          'From sky to sky. Sudden there went,
+          Like horror and astonishment,
+          A fierce vindictive scribble of red,
+          Which came across, as if one said,
+               . . . "There--
+                        "Burn it!"'
+
+How often it happens that in the greatest moments of one's life, it is
+the trivial thing that appeals most strongly to one's imagination. So in
+this case. The thing never to be forgotten was connected with the early
+dawn. I can see even now that long grey streak on the horizon across the
+battlefield, as the daylight came. A thrush from a bush close to where
+we were standing began to pour out its song of praise and thanksgiving,
+heedless of falling shells and the roar of guns. There was something
+unspeakably pathetic in that song on the battlefield, yes, and prophetic
+of the great day that is coming in spite of all reverses; the day of
+victory and peace, peace purchased at the price of struggle, and of
+blood.
+
+As one watched the barrage from Kemmel the onslaught seemed to be
+irresistible. It seemed impossible for the German hordes to hold our men
+back. Neither could they have held them, but what the Hun could not do,
+the rain did for him. It just teemed down, and in a few hours Flanders
+was churned up into a swamp of mud. It was impossible to bring the big
+guns up and the whole advance was stayed. One thought how often the same
+thing had happened before, and wondered, only wondered, if we at home
+were supporting the boys at the Front as they had a right to expect us
+to support them? It is so easy at a time like this to put one's trust
+merely in 'reeking tube and iron shard,' and to leave God out of our
+calculations. After all in this great struggle we are not fighting
+merely against 'flesh and blood,' but against 'principalities and
+powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places,' and even to-day
+'More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.' It was
+that great soldier, Sir William Robertson, who said, 'Let us never
+forget in all that we do that the measure of our ultimate success will
+be governed largely, if not mainly, by the extent to which we put our
+religious convictions into our actions, and hold fast, firmly and
+fearlessly, to the faith of our forefathers.' Had the Germans beaten us
+two years ago every one would have known the reason why--they had more
+men, bigger guns, and more of them, more aeroplanes, and an infinitely
+better supply of munitions of war, but by the summer of 1917 we were
+superior to them in every particular, and yet victory tarried. Why? Can
+it be that God was waiting for His people to seek His aid?
+
+With Russia out of the war, we were once again to stand with our backs
+to the wall--the position in which the British are always seen at their
+best--and the National crisis came as one more challenge to the Nation
+to turn to the God of our fathers.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+'LES PARENTS BLESSEES'
+
+          The Y.M.C.A.? Why, they could no more do without
+          the Y.M.C.A. than they could do without munitions
+          at the Front? I have seen it in operation.--THE
+          RIGHT HON. WILL CROOKS, M.P.
+
+
+'A GREAT Mother Hen,' so wrote one who for the first time saw the work
+of the Y.M.C.A. for the relatives of dangerously wounded men. This work
+is carried on in London and a number of provincial centres, but it is
+seen at its best in France, for there it is on a much larger scale. If a
+man is dangerously wounded and lying in one of the hospitals on the
+other side of the Channel, a message is sent to his people at home
+containing the requisite permission to visit him, and telling them,
+moreover, that from the moment they reach France the Y.M.C.A. will take
+care of them. Red Triangle motors meet every boat as it reaches a French
+port; automatically the relatives of wounded, or 'Les Parents Blessees'
+as the French call them, are handed over to our care, and we motor them
+to their destination--assisted sometimes by the Red Cross. As this may
+mean a run of eighty or a hundred miles, and in war time may mean a
+whole day, or possibly two days on the French railways, the motor run is
+in itself a great boon. During the whole of the time they are in France,
+the relatives are entertained as the guests of the Red Triangle in the
+special hostels that have been established for the purpose in the
+principal bases. Many of them have never been away from their own homes
+before; they know no language but their own, and a journey of the kind
+would have its terrors at any time, but to all the ordinary
+difficulties has now to be added the fact that they are consumed with
+anxiety on account of those who are dearer than life itself. It means
+everything to them that the Y.M.C.A. as a 'Great Mother Hen' takes them
+under its protection, soothes and protects them, so that in the darkest
+moments of their lives they are not dealt with by any officials who have
+to get through so many cases in a given time, but by sympathetic
+friends, actuated only by the love of God, and of country. One of the
+most beautiful of these hostels is 'Les Iris.' It is hidden away in the
+depths of a wood near the sea, and in the springtime the nights are full
+of the melody of the nightingales. This hostel is reserved largely for
+the use of the relatives of dangerously wounded officers. The lady who
+presides over another of the hostels has been called the Florence
+Nightingale of the Red Triangle, and indeed that would be a suitable
+name for any of these ladies who take the relatives to their hearts, and
+do everything possible to comfort and cheer them and make them feel at
+home. As we write, a letter from one of our guests lies before us. We
+quote from it because it is typical of thousands of letters received
+from grateful friends:--
+
+          'Many thanks for the photo of my son's grave
+          received this morning. How very kind you Y.M.C.A.
+          people are. I little thought last November when I
+          was begging (Hut Week in Brighton) that I should
+          reap personal benefit from the Y.M.C.A. The
+          kindness and hospitality extended to my husband
+          and I when we came to France nearly three months
+          ago, we shall never forget. It is not in our power
+          to help with money except in a small way, but we
+          tell all we can, and help in every way in our
+          power.'
+
+During a recent visit to France we had the privilege of being shown over
+one of the British hospitals, which, like all our hospitals, was
+wonderfully efficient. Everything that could be done to alleviate
+suffering was done. In one ward every man was seriously wounded, and
+side by side were two beds, one occupied by a young Canadian and the
+other by a young Britisher. The latter had his mother with him, who was
+one of our guests. The Canadian watched them together for some time in
+silence, but followed them with his eyes as a cat might a mouse.
+Suddenly, without any warning, he flung himself over on to his side and
+burst out crying. Questioned as to what was the matter, he replied,
+'Nothing.' 'Then what makes you cry? Is the pain worse?' 'No, thanks,
+the pain is better.' 'Then what makes you cry like that?' Drying his
+eyes, the boy replied, 'It's all very well for him, he's got his mother
+with him. My mother is more than six thousand miles away!' Is it not
+worth any effort and any cost to help the loved ones of these men who
+have made such great sacrifices for us? The whole of this work for 'Les
+Parents Blessees' is full of pathos. On one occasion we reached a big
+hospital centre just as another Association car arrived from a big base
+port, bringing three English women to see their husbands. The Y.M.C.A.
+leader took them to the wards they were seeking. At the first, the
+sister in charge came to speak to one of our guests and said, 'I am very
+sorry, but am afraid your husband won't know you. He has been terribly
+ill, and all sorts of complications have set in, but you had better come
+in and see him.' Twenty minutes later we saw her again, and she told us
+that for ten minutes she sat by her husband's bedside, but he did not
+know her. Then stooping over him, she whispered, 'You remember little
+Lizzie and little Willie at home, don't you?' For one second he gave her
+that look of love and recognition that made the long journey from home
+worth while.
+
+Passing on to another ward we sent in a message, and the sister came to
+greet our guest, and said, 'I am glad to say your husband is much
+better. I'll tell him you are here.' When she came back she said she had
+asked the invalid, 'What would you like best in all the world?' Without
+a moment's hesitation, he replied, 'To go back to Blighty, Sister.'
+'Blighty'--how many of those who use it realise the meaning of the word?
+It comes from the Indian 'Vilayhti' and means 'The home across the sea.'
+'Blighty!' said the Sister; 'you know that's impossible. What would you
+like next best?' 'To see my wife,' was the prompt reply. 'And what
+would you say if I told you your wife was waiting outside to see you?'
+queried the Sister, as she moved from his bedside and opened the door.
+Yes, to these people many thousands of them, the Red Triangle has indeed
+been as a Great Mother Hen at a time when they most needed its care. We
+are all very much like big children, and to all of us there are times
+when we need some one to take us by the hand and speak words of
+consolation and good cheer.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+CELLARS AND DUG-OUTS ON THE WESTERN FRONT
+
+          My son, who is somewhere in France, tells me what
+          a great comfort your Y.M.C.A. has been to him from
+          the time he started his training at ---- and all
+          through his stopping-places almost up to the
+          trenches.
+
+
+UNLESS one has seen for oneself the ravages of war, it is impossible to
+conceive the horror and desolation of a place like Ypres. Before the war
+it was one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, to-day it is nothing
+more than a heap of ruins. It is enough to make even the most
+unemotional of men cry, to stand in that once beautiful Cloth Hall
+Square and see how complete is the destruction--not one house, not a
+single room left intact--everything destroyed beyond recognition. And
+what of the Y.M.C.A. in Ypres? There we found the Red Triangle standing
+erect amid the ruins, and following the hand that pointed down we came
+to a little cellar Y.M.C.A.--only a cellar and yet it had been a source
+of helpfulness and inspiration to tens of thousands of our brave men. It
+was wonderfully fitted up, contained a small circulating library, piano,
+and everything needed for the canteen side of things. Not only that, it
+was a centre to work from. Between the cellar and the enemy were nine
+dug-outs at advanced stations. As these were all evacuated by order of
+the Military during the German offensive in April 1918, there can be no
+objection to their location being indicated. The first consisted of a
+ruined house and a Nissen hut at the Asylum; the second was at
+'Salvation Corner,' and the third at Dead End, on the Canal bank. There
+was a Y.M.C.A. at Wells Cross Roads, another at St. Jean and Wiel, and
+a sixth at Potyze Chateau. The seventh had a homely ring about it, for
+it was situated at 'Oxford Circus,' the eighth was at St. Julien, the
+ninth at Lille Gate (Ypres), and the tenth was the cellar Y.M.C.A. at
+the corner of Lille Road referred to above. For many months it was the
+centre of the social life of the stricken town, but in August 1917 it
+received a direct hit from an enemy shell, and was knocked in. This
+dug-out work is intensely interesting, though naturally it has its
+limitations. Large meetings are, of course, impossible; sometimes even
+the singing of a hymn would be sufficient to attract the attention of
+Fritz, but the man who is resourceful and courageous, and who can see an
+opportunity for Christian service in meeting the common everyday needs
+of men, will find endless opportunities of putting in a word for the
+Master--and the sordid dug-out under shell-fire, can easily be
+transformed into a temple to His praise, an inquiry-room where
+resolutions are made that change the lives of men, and help the soldier
+to realise that he is called to be a crusader.
+
+[Illustration: CANADIAN Y.M.C.A. DUG-OUT IN A MINE CRATER ON VIMY RIDGE,
+1917]
+
+[Illustration: A CANADIAN Y.M.C.A. DUG-OUT NEAR VIMY RIDGE]
+
+In the Red Triangle dug-outs of the Ypres salient, from three to four
+thousand bloaters were supplied to the troops week by week; 1500 kilos
+of apples, and more than 100,000 eggs! It was a miracle how these latter
+were collected in the villages behind the line. Corps provided a lorry
+and two drivers for five months to bring them into Ypres, and also
+assisted us with thirty orderlies. It was that timely help that made our
+work possible. It would be difficult to overestimate the boon to the
+troops of this variety to their diet. Iron rations will keep body and
+soul together, but it is the little extra that helps so much in keeping
+up the health and spirits of the men. They would follow the egg lorry
+for a mile and gladly pay the threepence each that the eggs cost. In
+February 1918, the turnover from the Red Triangle centres round Ypres
+amounted to 245,000 francs, whilst in March it had risen to 260,000. For
+many weeks in this salient we gave away from five to six thousand
+gallons of hot drinks each week. All honour to the band of Y.M.C.A.
+leaders who kept the Red Triangle flag flying under these difficult
+conditions. For six weeks one of our leaders was unable to leave his
+cellar home, owing to the incessant shelling and bombing of the
+immediate vicinity. These were men who 'counted not their own lives dear
+unto them,' but were ready to take any risk and to put up with any
+personal inconvenience that they might serve the country they
+loved--yes, and they too endured 'as seeing Him Who is invisible.'
+
+The King, who is the patron of the Y.M.C.A., and very keenly interested
+in the work, visited our tiny centre at Messines. The dug-out at
+Wytschaete was knocked out, and the Red Triangle cellar at Meroc, just
+behind Loos, destroyed by a direct hit. The latter was approached by a
+long communication trench, and was fitted up in the ordinary way--a few
+tables and chairs, reading and writing materials, games, pictures on the
+walls, and, of course, the inevitable and always appreciated piano. A
+few days before we were there a dud shell from one of the German
+'heavies' fell only two or three yards in front of the divisional
+secretary's car. The cellar was immediately under a ruined _brasserie_,
+and in the grounds of the latter was a solitary German grave. The story
+goes that in the early days of the war enemy patrols passed through
+Meroc, and a shot alleged to have been fired from a window of the
+_brasserie_ found its billet in one of the Huns. In revenge, the
+Germans killed every man, woman, and child in the _brasserie_. In
+striking contrast was the story told us by the matron of one of our
+British hospitals: 'Every one in this ward is desperately wounded, and
+too ill to travel. All in that row,' said she, pointing, 'are Germans.
+Yesterday a man occupying one of those beds lay dying, and could not
+make his head comfortable. I went into the next ward, and said to the
+Tommies "There's a German dying, will one of you lend him your pillow?"
+Without a moment's hesitation,' said she, 'every one of those
+dangerously wounded Britishers whipped out his pillow to help his dying
+enemy.' That is the spirit of our men, and that accounts, quite as much
+as their valour, for the fact that they have won the respect even of an
+enemy trained from infancy to regard the British soldier as an object of
+scorn and derision.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+CAMEOS FROM FRANCE
+
+          The work of this Young Men's Christian Association
+          has sunk so deep into the minds and into the lives
+          of our fellow countrymen that its work in the
+          future can never be diminished, and must be
+          extended. And it is going to do more to my mind,
+          than simply minister to the wants of the men in
+          camp; it is going to be a bond between this
+          country and the Great Englands beyond the
+          sea.--THE RT. HON. THE EARL OF DERBY, K.G.,
+          G.C.V.O.
+
+
+A STRIKING feature of the war work of the Y.M.C.A. has been the
+promptness with which a new situation has been seized and a new opening
+entered. There has been an utter absence of red tape, and freedom of
+action has been given to all accredited representatives of the
+Association. The Red Triangle has always been first in the field, and
+has been likened to a tank in its knack of overcoming apparently
+insuperable obstacles. The day after the British troops first entered
+Bapaume a Y.M.C.A. man appeared leading a packhorse loaded up with
+cigarettes, biscuits, and dolly cakes, which he distributed amongst the
+troops. He had got a foothold for the Association, and that foothold was
+retained until Bapaume was evacuated.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+In the British offensive in the early days of August 1918 a noted war
+correspondent at the Front wrote:--
+
+          'In one part of the line three hours after the
+          troops reached their final objective they were
+          eating a hot breakfast as part of the programme of
+          the day. The familiar, ever-welcome sign of the
+          "Y.M.C.A." blossomed on a roofless French cafe six
+          miles within the crumpled German line, before the
+          tanks had finished chasing the 11th Corps staff
+          out of Framerville and down the Peronne road.
+          Food, and even books and papers, were set out
+          under the Red Triangle for tired and hungry
+          fighting men as they trooped into the rickety
+          building to eat and be refreshed in a room
+          carpeted with German papers.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+What thrilling memories the name of Arras will always conjure up in the
+minds of Y.M.C.A. workers who served in that city of ruins! One wrote
+home the day after a strong attack by the British on the enemy lines. He
+wrote the letter from a dug-out which only the day before was occupied
+by the Huns, in which he was carrying on for the Y.M.C.A. So precipitate
+was their flight that he partook of the repast served up by German cooks
+for German officers. At one time the rival trenches were, in places,
+less than ten yards apart! It was here that Sir Douglas Haig personally
+complimented the Association on the work its representatives were doing
+on the field of battle.
+
+The most memorable motor run we ever had was from Souastre to Arras in
+1916. The hut was closed when we reached Souastre in the morning, the
+leader having received a letter from the Town Major politely requesting
+him to close it from 7.30 A.M. as it was expected that the Huns would
+strafe the village at 8 A.M., and again at 4.30, and so it happened.
+This seemed strange, as the village had not been strafed of late. How
+could the British have known when Fritz would fire again? It seemed
+uncanny, until a strange unwritten reciprocal working arrangement
+between friend and foe was explained, which means in effect that Fritz
+refrains from bombing or bombarding 'A----' three or four miles behind
+the British lines if Tommy leaves village 'B----' behind his lines
+alone, and _vice versa_. As both villages are used as billets for the
+rival armies, both have been glad at times to honour this understanding.
+The run from Souastre to the railhead at Saulty was uneventful. Night
+was closing in as we left for Arras and there was no moon. For twenty
+kilos or more we had to travel with lights extinguished. We were less
+than a mile from the enemy trenches, which ran parallel to the road we
+were traversing. 'Verey' lights or star-shells sent up by the enemy
+continually made everything as light as day for the few seconds they
+were in the air. There were mysterious noises from the gun emplacements
+that run along the roadside, and mysterious shapes loomed up ahead of us
+from time to time as we overhauled and passed transport wagons and the
+like. At last we reached our destination, and it was the writer's first
+visit to a town of considerable size that had been wrecked by
+bombardment. There were barricades in the streets, shell-holes and
+ruins everywhere. We motored through the famous Grande Place and passed
+through street after street in that city of the dead, until, turning a
+corner, we entered a narrow street near the ruined cathedral, and
+hearing a piano playing rag-time, it was obvious that we were near the
+Y.M.C.A. The memory of that old chateau in the narrow street will always
+remain with us as we saw it then--the entrance hall, where free hot
+drinks were being dispensed; the canteen crammed with British soldiers,
+including many 'Bantams,' who were then stationed at Arras; the little
+concert-room, with possibly a hundred men gathered round a piano singing
+choruses and snatches of songs or listening to the rag-time,
+accompanying it at times by whistling the refrain or stamping on the
+floor. Another crowd upstairs had been entertained to a lantern lecture,
+and the day's programme was being concluded with family prayers. As we
+lay awake that night we heard many familiar noises that sounded strange
+there--a cat call, the cry of a baby, whilst ever and anon a shell would
+go shrieking over the town. In the morning we visited the ruined
+cathedral, which was a sight to make men or angels weep, but even there
+one saw erect amid the ruins, at the highest point, the Cross, the
+emblem of our Christian faith, and one knew that though it might be by
+way of the Cross, yet truth and freedom would triumph in the end.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A well-known war correspondent writing from British Headquarters in
+France to the _Daily Mail_, on August 13, 1918, told the story of a
+village under shell-fire and still within reach of machine-gun bullets,
+in which was a German notice-board pointing to an incinerator, and
+wrote:--'I hear from an officer who visited the spot again a day later
+that another notice, "This way to the Y.M.C.A." was added. A dashing
+cavalry officer, very much of the old school, possessing a voice that
+would carry two miles, begged me with great earnestness to do him one
+service, "Would I mention the Y.M.C.A.? It had provided his men with hot
+coffee before riding out."' That is the kind of service the Red Triangle
+has the privilege of rendering to our fighting men in the course of
+practically every battle.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The Bois Carre in 1916 was a very unhealthy spot. At the edge of a wood
+in a tiny natural amphitheatre the Y.M.C.A. had one of its outposts. An
+orderly was usually in charge, and day and night he kept up a good
+supply of hot drinks for free distribution to the troops. There they
+could buy biscuits, cigarettes, soap, and other necessaries, or receive
+free of charge the ever-welcome writing-paper and materials. The
+supervising secretary visiting the dug-out one day in the course of his
+rounds found it had been blown in by a big shell. The orderly was
+terribly wounded, part of his side having been blown away, but smiling
+amid his agony, he said, 'The money's safe here, sir!' Careless of
+himself, the brave fellow's first consideration was to safeguard the
+money in the Y.M.C.A. till.
+
+We have vivid recollections of our visit to the Bois Carre in 1916. Late
+in the evening we reached Dickebusch. The Y.M.C.A. was there in the main
+street of the little Belgian village, and immediately behind it was the
+ruined church. It was only a small strafed building in a ruined street
+when the Red Triangle first made its appearance in Dickebusch, but the
+secretary held that to be the most convenient type of Y.M.C.A. building,
+'for,' said he, 'if it becomes too small, all you have to do is to
+knock a hole through the wall on either side, and take in additional
+houses.' This was exactly what we had done and, unattractive as it was,
+the place drew crowds of men. At the Dickebusch Y.M.C.A. we were
+provided with shrapnel and gas helmets and instructed in the use of the
+latter. A two-mile trudge across a duck-walk over 'b----y meadow'
+brought us to the famous Ridgewood Dug-outs. It was here that the
+Canadians lost their guns in the early days of the war, and afterwards
+so gloriously regained them. We entered the wood at midnight. A huge rat
+crossed our path, and as we entered the first of the Y.M.C.A. dug-outs
+where free cocoa was being dispensed in empty jam tins, we remembered a
+yarn told us the day before by one of our workers. He had come to
+Ridgewood as a special speaker, and after the evening meeting lay down
+on the floor of the dug-out to sleep, but as he was beginning to feel
+drowsy, a huge rat ran over his legs, and later one passed across his
+face. With an electric flash-lamp he scared them away, but soon getting
+used to it they came on 'in close formation.' He lit a candle, and a few
+minutes later the rat ran away with the candle--so he said! From the
+Ridgewood we went on to the Bois Carre. Shells were screaming overhead
+all the time, but it was not a long walk though it provided many
+thrills. For a couple of hundred yards we were on open ground, and
+within easy reach of the Hun snipers. Only two of us were allowed to
+pass at a time, and my guide and I had to keep fifty yards apart, and
+when a 'Verey' light went up, had to stand absolutely still until it
+fell to earth, and its light was extinguished. Weird things those star
+shells! They shoot up to a good height like rockets, burst into
+brilliant light, poise in mid-air and gradually shimmer down and out. A
+few minutes brought us to the shelter of a ruined _brasserie_, and from
+its further side we entered the communication trenches, and thus passed
+to the Bois Carre. Standing back to visualise the scene, the orderly
+caught my arm and pulled me into the shelter of the dug-out--a second
+later came the patter of machine bullets on the sand-bags where we had
+stood not ten seconds before. There was something fascinating about that
+little dug-out Y.M.C.A., with its caterer's boiler, urns and stores, and
+it is sad to think that since then it has been destroyed by shell-fire,
+even though other dug-outs have been opened to take its place.
+
+[Illustration: A GREAT BOON TO BRITISH TOMMY--A Y.M.C.A. WELL UNDER
+SHELL-FIRE]
+
+[Illustration: THE CAMBRIDGE DUG-OUT]
+
+A year later we revisited that old _brasserie_. There was little of it
+left. The central hall remained, and the Red Triangle was on it,
+marking it out as a centre for walking wounded. A dressing station had
+been rigged up in the cellar underneath. A distinguished preacher
+serving with the Y.M.C.A. conducted a memorable Watch-night service in
+the Ridgewood. Two or three hundred men gathered round and listened with
+marked attention. A shell burst quite close during the prayer, and every
+man instinctively glanced up to see the effect on the padre. He carried
+on exactly as if nothing had happened, and won his way to every heart.
+
+
+[Illustration: A REFUGE FOR THE WALKING WOUNDED]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+STORIES OF 'LE TRIANGLE ROUGE'
+
+          It is with very great pleasure I send a small
+          contribution (3s.) to the Y.M.C.A. funds, and only
+          wish it could match my inclination. Few things
+          have brought so much comfort to the parents at
+          home as the knowledge of the splendid work done by
+          your organisation. As one boy puts it, 'When we
+          get inside the Y.M.C.A. hut, we feel as if we are
+          home again.'
+
+
+AT the close of a Y.M.C.A. Conference held in the Hotel McMahon in
+Paris, a French lady came timidly forward with a lovely bouquet of red
+roses, and in a pretty little speech presented them as a thankoffering
+for the war work of the Y.M.C.A. It was the gift of a mother who had
+four sons serving with the Army. Those flowers have long since faded,
+but the kind thought that prompted them will always remain a gracious
+memory.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A soldier home on leave brought an interesting souvenir of the first
+'Threapwood' hut, which did such good work in the Ploegsteert Woods, but
+was ultimately destroyed by shell-fire--a 2 franc and a 50 centimes
+piece which had become welded together in the heat of the conflagration.
+Another Tommy saw a fierce fight take place between British and Germans,
+actually inside the hut at Neuve Eglise. The incident that seemed to
+have appealed most strongly to his imagination was the fact that the
+pictures were still hanging on the walls. It is interesting to notice
+the curious freaks of dud shells. Outside the hut at Tilloy we saw one
+which had pierced its way through the trunk of a tree without
+exploding--the nose of the shell protruded at the other side of the
+trunk, the shell itself remaining firmly embedded in the tree.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+An Australian officer one day sauntered into the 'Crystal Palace,' an
+important Y.M.C.A. centre in Havre. He was interested, and well he might
+be. It is a huge building, and swarms of men assemble there in the
+evenings. The Australian's interest took a practical form. Before
+leaving he handed two one-pound notes to the leader, expressing regret
+that he could not make it more, and adding, 'I think you Y.M.C.A. people
+will make a religious man of me before the war is over.' 'What do you
+mean?' said the secretary. 'Well,' said he, 'I have never had any use
+for religion, but at the battle of ---- I felt down and out. I didn't
+care much if the Boche killed me. I had had nothing to eat for
+days--when suddenly a Y.M.C.A. man appeared, heaven knows where he came
+from, but he was there right enough, and he handed me a good hot drink,
+a packet of biscuits, and some cigarettes. Yes,' said he, 'I believe
+you Y.M.C.A. men will make a religious man of me before you have
+finished.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+In war-time people often forget their differences, and in Paris one of
+our splendid British soldiers, who was a Roman Catholic, lay badly
+wounded and terribly ill. He wanted to confess, but there was no English
+priest near. Ultimately a French priest confessed and absolved him
+through an American Y.M.C.A. lady--a Protestant--who acted as
+interpreter.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+In the early days of the war a valued worker on Salisbury Plain was the
+grandson of a famous Cornish revivalist. He was an ordained man and a
+very strong Protestant. He went out to France later on as a chaplain of
+the United Board. Returning home on furlough, he called at Headquarters
+and told his experiences on the battlefield. 'You will be surprised,'
+said he, 'when I tell you that my greatest friend in Flanders was a
+Roman Catholic padre. He was one of the best men I ever knew, and we had
+an excellent working arrangement. On the battlefield if I came across
+any of his men, I would hand them on to him, and he would pass my men on
+to me. If he were not at hand, I would try my best to help the dying
+Roman Catholic soldier as I thought my friend would have helped him had
+he been there, and _vice versa_. I shall never forget,' said he, 'my
+last night in Flanders and our affectionate farewell. You know how
+strong a Protestant I have always been, and my convictions have never
+been stronger than they are to-day, but see this,'--and he unbuttoned
+his tunic and brought out a Crucifix which was hanging from his
+neck--'this was the parting gift of my Roman Catholic friend, and as
+long as I live I shall keep it as one of my most treasured
+possessions.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+As a rule there is not much romance in the story of a department that
+concerns itself with nothing but trading. But the story of the growth
+and development of the trading department of the Red Triangle is a
+romance. All along we have discouraged trading for trading's sake in our
+huts, but in a crisis like the one brought about by the war, it is not
+for each individual or organisation to pick and choose, but to do what
+is needed by the State, and on that principle we have had to develop the
+trading side of our work enormously. Home and overseas, the department
+has been brilliantly led by men animated with the highest ideals of
+Christian service, who have been ready to take any risks, and whenever
+necessary to work day and night. Their task has been colossal and they
+have done magnificently. During the six months ending 31st May 1915, our
+turnover in France amounted to L32,594, whilst three years later the six
+months turnover had risen to L680,000. It was thrilling work during the
+German advance in March 1918, chasing our ever-moving centres in the
+Somme area, and keeping up their supplies or maintaining touch with
+Amiens during these terrible days, when for a whole week more than L600
+daily was taken in the little 'Joy' hut outside the Central Station.
+That meant day and night work at our Base Stores in France, and thanks
+to the cordial co-operation of the A.M.F.O. and the H.Q.L. of C. we were
+able to send forward 200 trucks from one port alone, containing 45,000
+cases, or 1,500 tons of food-stuffs, smokes, and ingredients for hot
+drinks--tea, coffee, and cocoa. From December 1914 to the middle of May
+1918--1,350,000 cases were handled by our stores in France,
+representing the double handling of 50,500 tons of goods. During the
+retreat the Y.M.C.A. motor lorries became mobile centres of operation.
+They were filled up at the nearest stores available, and often travelled
+from eighty to ninety miles to a cross roads or convenient point where
+men going in and coming out of the line were provided with the necessary
+supplies. For the six months ending November 30, 1917, our free gifts to
+the troops in France amounted to L157,000. This figure does not include
+the cost of huts and equipment, nor yet the general expenditure on the
+work--but it embraces the cost of the hostels for the relatives of
+wounded, and free food and drink for the walking wounded and for the men
+serving in advanced positions.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A distinguished officer of the Danish Army called at the headquarters of
+the British Y.M.C.A. after a visit to France, to acquaint himself with
+the history of our war work:--'One day I stood on Messines Ridge,' said
+he, 'and all around me was devastation caused by war, shells were to be
+seen bursting all around, accompanied by the deafening roar of the big
+guns. Overhead amidst the din could be heard the whirr of the engines of
+the German and Allied fighting machines. I felt thrilled to think I was
+in the midst of the greatest battle of history. Stepping aside a few
+yards I was surprised to find a dug-out with the Red Triangle sign. I
+could only exclaim, "What, these people here!"'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+One of the funniest sights we saw in France was that of a tiny British
+corporal marching behind ten stalwart German prisoners, escorting them
+back to their quarters after they had finished orderly duty in one of
+our tents. The humour of the situation evidently appealed to him, for he
+winked as he passed us--quite an unsoldierly thing to do!
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Tommy has a knack of making himself comfortable, though his surroundings
+very often do not naturally suggest comfort. It is surprising what a
+snug bed and living room combined can be made out of a discarded
+hen-house! A barn occupied by men of the Horse Guards Blue was
+ingeniously rigged up by its temporary tenants. One wall was missing and
+was made up with sacking--on the other side of this flimsy partition
+were the horses. The harness was hung round the walls, and four stakes
+driven into the ground for each bed. The wire that had bound hay bales
+had been ingeniously woven into wire mattresses stretched from stake to
+stake; over it was, stretched the sacking--also from hay bales--and
+over that again was a good thick layer of straw. There is never anything
+to be gained by grumbling, but everything by taking things cheerfully as
+they come and making the best of one's circumstances.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A Y.M.C.A. hut is a poor substitute for home, but our aim is to make
+every Y.M.C.A. as much like home as it is possible for it to be. It is
+surprising how much can be done by pictures, decorations and flowers, to
+give the home touch. A canary singing over the counter; a cat on the
+hearth; a bunch of primroses or forget-me-nots; a smile or a word of
+welcome; a woman's voice; a piano--family prayers at the close of the
+day--these are some of the things that count, and are numbered amongst
+the greatest assets of the Red Triangle.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It is strange how often scenes and sounds of war and peace are
+intermingled. It is a common sight to see men and women going
+unconcernedly about their work, and children playing in towns that are
+habitually shelled or bombed. Stranger still is it to note the habits of
+the wild birds, constructing their nest amid scenes of war and in
+localities subject to constant bombardment. The Y.M.C.A. hut in
+Ploegsteert Wood was destroyed during a three hours' bombardment in May
+1916, but whenever there came a few seconds' pause in the booming of the
+guns, the nightingales sang as unconcernedly as in the piping times of
+peace. We once heard, near Hersin, a sort of duet between a cuckoo and a
+big gun; the bird punctuating with its call the thunder of the guns,
+and, as stated elsewhere, whilst the barrage was in full swing the
+thrushes on Kemmel, only a few hundred yards behind the guns, sang as
+sweetly and merrily as in the lanes and gardens of England. In the
+course of a brief visit to the American front in France we called at a
+little Y.M.C.A. shanty, badly strafed, within a mile or so of the enemy.
+Through the open window from which all glass had long since vanished, a
+swallow entered, and, perching on a wire stretched across the room,
+carolled joyously its simple little song--a message truly of peace and
+eternal hope!
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The 'Walthamstow' hut at Remy had to be temporarily abandoned during the
+German offensive. The leader in charge transferred operations to a
+dug-out across the way, which adjoined a clearing station. The
+inevitable caterer's boiler enabled him to keep up a constant supply of
+hot tea and coffee for the wounded. An Australian terribly mutilated was
+brought in. A happy smile, a few cheery words, and a cup of steaming
+hot cocoa made the Australian feel he had met a friend--and speaking
+slowly, in a voice that was scarcely louder than a whisper, he said, 'I
+wonder why I am allowed to suffer like this,' 'I know why,' replied the
+Y.M.C.A. man; 'you are suffering like this so that two women I love--my
+mother and my sister--may live in peace and safety in the north of
+London. If it were not for the sacrifices you and thousands of other
+boys are making out here, that would be impossible.' The soldier lad was
+quiet for some time, and then whispered to his new-found friend--'I'm
+glad to go on suffering!'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The same secretary tells an interesting story of one of the bitter
+fights round Passchendaele. The wounded were being brought in on
+stretchers, and he was on the spot with hot drinks for the boys. The
+guns were quiet for a moment and a voice was heard singing clearly and
+distinctly:
+
+          'Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,
+                  Lead Thou me on.
+          The night is dark, and I am far from home;
+                  Lead Thou me on!
+          Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
+          The distant scene; one step enough for me.'
+
+[Illustration: Y.M.C.A. MOTOR KITCHEN BEHIND THE LINES]
+
+The singer was a private, badly wounded and being carried in on a
+stretcher. The subsequent verses were drowned in the roar of battle, but
+those standing round could see from the movement of the wounded man's
+lips that he was still singing. Thus it is possible for a man to find
+his Saviour near him even amid the horror and noise of war.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+One day in 1917 we stood outside a little Y.M.C.A. at Erquinghem, lost
+during the German advance in the following spring, and standing there we
+heard 'Grandmother' speak. 'Grandmother,' it should be explained, was
+a mighty howitzer. It was concealed under an improvised shed carefully
+camouflaged, and was brought out on rails, in a horizontal position. As
+we watched, it was brought to the vertical and out shot a tongue of
+flame. The projectile was so huge we could watch its flight for miles
+until it disappeared from view in the distance. Listening intently we
+heard the explosion in the enemy's lines. Many a Y.M.C.A. on the Western
+Front is situated right amid the guns, and when they are fired one knows
+it--'Grandmother' speaking, seems to shake the very foundations of the
+earth.
+
+[Illustration: INDIAN TROOPS AT THE SIGN OF THE RED TRIANGLE]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE EAST
+
+          The Y.M.C.A. is doing excellent work--its efforts
+          are appreciated immensely by all ranks in this
+          force. Experience of Y.M.C.A. work in the Army has
+          long since convinced me how invaluable its
+          services are to us, both in peace and war.--THE
+          LATE LIEUT.-GENERAL SIR STANLEY MAUDE.
+
+
+THE Macedonian call 'Come over and help us' has been repeated in our own
+days, and has come from near and far East. The Red Triangle has been
+quick to respond to the call, and a few incidents of its work are
+recorded here, though the story itself must be told after the war. The
+Chief Executive officer of the Indian National Council is himself an
+Indian, and not only has he, with the assistance of his Council, been
+responsible for the great work of the Red Triangle in India, but also
+for the extensive programme of work the Association has undertaken for
+Indian troops in East Africa, Mesopotamia, and Europe. In addition to
+work for British troops in India, the Y.M.C.A. has established work for
+Indian troops in a number of cantonments, where service parallel to that
+undertaken for British troops is carried on, with the exception that no
+religious work is done, unless in the case of Christian Sepoys.
+
+The number of branches with British troops on August 1, 1917, was 43,
+worked by 40 European and American and 9 Indian secretaries, and 1
+honorary lady secretary. With Indian troops there were 8 branches,
+worked by 1 European and 8 Indian secretaries. These figures do not
+include the temporary work undertaken by the Army Y.M.C.A. with the
+Waziristan Field Force, which terminated during August 1917, and which
+included 4 British and 4 Indian branches, with 3 European and 2 Indian
+secretaries. There was also 1 European secretary at Headquarters on
+August 1, 1917, for Army work in India; and in addition secretaries
+engaged in civilian Y.M.C.A. work in several stations gave part of their
+time to Army work, as well as many voluntary workers.
+
+In Burma a large barrack-room, made of wood and bamboo with a
+grass-thatched roof, houses the Association, which works amongst the men
+of the newly formed Burmese regiments. The whole building is on piles,
+and stands about six feet off the ground, thus preventing snakes and
+other unwelcome guests from coming inside. The regiments comprise not
+only Burmans but Karens, Chinese, and Arakanese. Most of the men are
+from the deep jungle, and very few of them can read or write. The
+gramophone interests them enormously, and they look inside it to see
+who is producing the sound, and will sit round in a circle listening to
+it for hours. Picture papers interest them, but usually they prefer
+holding the pictures upside down. The better educated men write a good
+deal on the free notepaper provided by the Y.M.C.A. Quartettes are sung
+by Karen and Chinese Christians. At the far end of the building is a
+huge image of the Buddha which was there before we came, and is used by
+some of the boys as a sort of chapel for private devotions. The boys
+have to take their choice between Christianity and Buddhism, and as we
+have three exceptionally good lamps there is much more light at the
+Y.M.C.A. end of the hall, and we have the better attendance in numbers
+at all events.
+
+Egypt, handicapped at first through lack of money, has also done
+magnificently. There is no more important centre of Association activity
+in the world than the Esbekia Gardens in Cairo. Ever since the early
+days of the war, night after night, thousands of khaki-clad warriors
+have congregated in these lovely gardens, which under other auspices
+might easily have been one of the danger spots of Cairo, instead of a
+kind of modern 'City of Refuge' from the temptations of the city. The
+Anzac hostel is another striking feature of the work in Cairo. In June
+1917 no fewer than 6893 soldiers slept in it, and that was not by any
+means a record month. The money for the purchase of this hostel as the
+permanent property of the Y.M.C.A. has been subscribed by members of the
+Baltic, but the discovery of the existence of a third mortgage has
+delayed the completion of the purchase. At Alexandria, Khartoum, Port
+Soudan, on both sides of the canal and far into the Sinai Peninsula, the
+Association outposts have been busy. A Red Triangle hut in the desert
+was destroyed by a bomb dropped from a hostile aeroplane, but when the
+smoke subsided, the centre pole was still standing and the Association
+flag flying. The huts at Kantara are amongst the finest in the world,
+and neither here nor anywhere else has it been necessary to put up a
+notice intimating that the Y.M.C.A. is 'open to all,' Tommy knows it,
+and regards the Red Triangle as his own peculiar possession. One cannot
+conceive of any place on earth where it is more needed than in one of
+these desert camps, where there is nothing to do, nowhere to go, and
+nothing to see but endless stretches of monotonous and dreary sand.
+Under such circumstances the Red Triangle is Tommy's tuck shop; his
+church--with the chaplain as the parson; his post-office, concert hall,
+social room, school, and home. This is true of every fighting front, and
+that is why the Association has won for itself a lasting place in the
+affections of the manhood of the Empire.
+
+A young soldier writing home the day after his arrival in Mesopotamia,
+said the first thing he struck on landing was the welcome sign of the
+Red Triangle. 'And,' said he, 'if we are ordered next to the North Pole,
+I am sure we shall find it there!' The Y.M.C.A. secretary for
+Mesopotamia tells of a visit he paid to a centre on the way to Bagdad.
+It was a big bare marquee, crammed with men, with very little furniture
+in it--the difficulties of transport being so great in those days--just
+half a dozen tables and a few chairs, a heap of books, and a number of
+games. There were six inches of dust all over the floor, and the
+temperature was 120 degrees in the shade, yet one thing that attracted
+the men to the Y.M.C.A. marquee was that it enabled them to escape the
+heat of their own bell tents. Through the kindness of Sir Alfred Yarrow
+a Red Triangle motor launch has since then been provided for use on the
+Tigris, and has greatly simplified transport. The central Y.M.C.A. at
+Bagdad is one of the best of our war buildings, and is situated on the
+banks of the Tigris. An Association centre has been established on the
+reputed site of the Garden of Eden.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The story of the Red Triangle in Palestine is an epic in itself. For
+months the Association occupied dug-outs along the Palestine front, and
+in those days one secretary devoted the whole of his time to making
+personal purchases for officers and men, who could not themselves get
+away to any centre of civilisation to make purchases on their own
+account. Gaza was the first centre occupied in the Holy Land; Beersheba,
+Jaffa, and Jerusalem being occupied later. At Jaffa the former German
+Consulate was fitted up as a Y.M.C.A., and the Red Triangle as a matter
+of course has made its appearance on a big building in Jerusalem.
+
+Malta was a very important centre in the early days of the war, and the
+Y.M.C.A. flourished in its numerous hospital camps. In Macedonia the
+work has been difficult, but greatly appreciated in Salonica itself, as
+well as on the Varda and the Struma. The need has been urgent, and every
+effort has been made to meet that need. Transport difficulties have led
+to inevitable delays in the delivery of stores and equipment, but there
+are more than forty centres now, including five for Serbian soldiers.
+
+The Y.M.C.A. had its part in the ill-fated expedition to the
+Dardanelles. Mudros, Imbros, and Tenedos were centres of importance in
+those days, and the Red Triangle was at work in each island. The urgent
+need of the troops was for soft drinks, and those ordinary canteen
+supplies that give variety to the soldiers' menu, and make the official
+rations palatable. The official canteens were powerless to meet the
+demand. We were anxious to help, but transport was the difficulty. At
+last, through the kindness of Lord Nunburnholme, we were enabled to
+charter the s.s. _Nero_ of the Wilson Line, and despatch it with a cargo
+of canteen supplies to the value of eleven thousand pounds to Mudros. A
+few days later the Peninsula was evacuated, but whilst they were there
+the men availed themselves to the full of the opportunity of buying
+supplementary food at British prices. When the _Nero_ reached Mudros,
+Greek venders were selling our Tommies tinned fruit at twelve shillings
+a tin, and other prices were correspondingly high.
+
+In the centre of an official photograph of Anzac showing the Bay, the
+camp, and the surrounding sandhills, are to be seen the letters
+'Y.M.C.A.' They appear on a tiny marquee and close to it a big dug-out,
+measuring 30 by 19 feet, in which the Red Triangle carried through its
+programme of friendliness and good cheer, always under shell-fire. One
+night a fragment of a Turkish shell, weighing twelve and a half pounds,
+found its way through the roof of that dug-out. At Cape Helles there
+were three tiny tents fastened end on end. Had they been larger they
+could scarcely have escaped the attention of 'Asiatic Annie,' the big
+Turkish gun that dominated the position. As it was, the Officer
+Commanding the advanced base at Lancashire Landing wrote to Headquarters
+to say how much the men appreciated those tents, and explained that the
+previous day an eight-inch high explosive shell from a Turkish gun had
+burst in the centre of the middle tent and completely destroyed it.
+'Fortunately,' said he, 'it didn't damage the piano, and still more
+fortunately,' he added, 'it didn't harm the gramophone.' That was
+curious, and we thought of some of the gramophones we had known, and
+felt it would have been no disaster if a shell had destroyed the lot!
+This gramophone was different, however, for it had only just been wound
+up when the shell burst, but regardless of the bustle and confusion
+caused by the explosion, it kept on playing until it had finished the
+last note of the tune! What a splendid object lesson for the Allies, to
+stick to the job they have on hand to the finish, or in other words,
+till victory crowns their efforts. Many months after the incident here
+recorded the Irish Y.M.C.A. was invited to open up at Rathdrum. The
+secretary responsible interviewed the O.C., and learning that he was a
+Catholic, asked politely if he knew the work of the Y.M.C.A. 'Indeed I
+do,' was the reply. 'I was at Cape Helles when a shell burst in your
+tent. I was the officer in charge, and it was my duty to remove
+casualties. I went up to the tents fearing the worst, and shall never
+forget the smiling face of the Y.M.C.A. man behind the counter. It won
+me over completely.'
+
+A distinguished officer wrote:--
+
+          'Your work has been of inestimable value to the
+          troops, filling a gap which it is impossible for
+          the Military Authorities to provide for. "Always
+          first up, always working hard, and always
+          welcome--the Red Triangle will always be
+          gratefully remembered by the soldiers in the Great
+          War."'
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+SIDE LINES OF THE RED TRIANGLE
+
+          The Y.M.C.A. has fashioned a girdle of mercy and
+          loving-kindness round the world which will stand
+          to their credit as long as the memory of this war
+          exists.--LORD CURZON OF KEDLESTON.
+
+
+[Illustration: A SHAKEDOWN IN A LONDON HUT]
+
+[Illustration: RELATIVES OF THE DANGEROUSLY WOUNDED ARE LOOKED AFTER BY
+THE Y.M.C.A. IN FRANCE]
+
+THERE are numerous side-lines to this work, that are important enough in
+themselves, the significance of which is scarcely realised by the
+general public, or even by those who are supporting the movement. Take,
+for example, the 'Snapshots from Home' movement, which represented the
+combined voluntary work of the photographers of the United Kingdom,
+organised under the Red Triangle. Upwards of 650,000 snapshots were sent
+out to soldiers and sailors on active service, each one bearing a
+message of love and a reminder of home. Sir Evelyn Wood, V.C., was one
+of the first to recognise the significance of the letter-writing that is
+done on such a large scale in the Y.M.C.A. tents. The veteran
+Field-Marshal pointed out that the benefit was two-fold: first, it
+occupied the time of the men; and, secondly, it kept them in touch with
+their homes, both matters of first importance. 'That's what my Dad
+always puts on his letters to Mummy,' said a little girl, pointing to
+the Red Triangle on the notepaper, when on a visit to the Crystal
+Palace. Fifteen to twenty million pieces of stationery are distributed
+free of charge to the troops monthly by the Y.M.C.A., and in four years
+the total issued amounted to upwards of nine hundred million pieces.
+Workers are often called upon to write letters for the men, and the
+latter make all sorts of mistakes with their correspondence. Sometimes
+they stamp their letters but forget to address them, often they
+address them but forget the stamps. One lad was greatly excited and
+wanted the secretary in charge of the post-office to rescue two letters
+he had posted earlier in the afternoon. When asked why he wanted them
+back he blushed like a schoolgirl and stammered out, 'I've written two
+letters--one to my mother and the other to my sweetheart--and I've put
+them in the wrong envelopes!' The letters were not rescued, for more
+than five thousand had been posted before he discovered his mistake, and
+one wonders what happened!
+
+[Illustration: Y.M.C.A. NIGHT MOTOR TRANSPORT]
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+In Paris the Association has established a central inquiry bureau under
+the Hotel Edouard VII. off the Grand Boulevard. Two daily excursions are
+arranged around Paris, and two each week to Versailles. Representatives
+of the Red Triangle meet all the principal trains, day and night. The
+Hotel Florida is now run under the Association for British troops,
+whilst the American Y.M.C.A. has its Headquarters for France in the
+city, and has taken over several large hotels and other buildings.
+
+There is not the romance about the work of the Red Triangle in the
+munition areas, that there is in what it is doing for our fighting men,
+but there can be no doubt as to its importance. The munition workers as
+a class are as patriotic as any other class, but their work is drab,
+monotonous, and strenuous. Little has been done officially to bring home
+to the man who makes the shell the relationship of his work to the man
+who fires it; or of the woman who works on the aeroplane to the man who
+is to fly in it, and yet the one can do nothing without the other.
+Things have changed for the better, but earlier in the war the output of
+munitions was positively hindered by the inadequacy of the canteen
+facilities available to the munition workers. The Y.M.C.A. was the first
+organisation to attempt to meet this need on anything like a large
+scale, and eventually the work grew to considerable dimensions. Our work
+in the munition areas has been essentially a ladies' movement, and has
+largely consisted of canteen work. Other features are being increasingly
+added, music and singing have been organised successfully, lectures have
+been greatly appreciated, and several big athletic features introduced.
+Sporting events, also cricket and football leagues for munition workers,
+have been well supported. It is intensely interesting to see these
+people at work, and no other proof of British organising power and
+ability are necessary than a visit to some of the great works, many of
+which were not built for the purpose of manufacturing munitions of war,
+and others improvised since the commencement of hostilities. At one
+place in which a canteen was formally opened by Princess Helena
+Victoria--who has taken the keenest interest in the development of our
+munitions department--from ordinary shipbuilding before the war great
+changes had taken place: a Super-Dreadnought was approaching completion;
+several T.B.D.'s were on the stocks, and some of the latest type of
+submarines were being built; aeroplanes were being turned out at an
+incredible rate; shells made by the thousand; rigid air-ships were under
+construction; and, perhaps as wonderful as anything, artificial feet
+were being made in the same workshops.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Incidentally might be mentioned here, the work the Association is doing
+for officers. There are four large hostels in London for the
+accommodation of officers, and one for officer-cadets. The young
+officer is often not blessed with too much of this world's goods, and
+hotel life is expensive, and not always too comfortable. The success of
+these hostels has demonstrated the need. At Havre, Calais, St. Omer,
+Etaples, and many centres up the line, as well as in home camps, such as
+Ripon, we have the pleasure of doing something to serve the officer, and
+in many English camps we have opened huts for the exclusive use of
+officer-cadets. Gidea Park, Berkhampstead, and Denham were amongst the
+first and most successful of these centres. The interned officers in
+Switzerland and Holland are largely catered for by the Y.M.C.A.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It has been a pleasure to co-operate from time to time with the work of
+the R.A.M.C. and the Red Cross. In huts, in hospitals, and convalescent
+camps, in caring for the relatives of wounded, in work for the walking
+wounded, and in many other ways the Red Cross and the Red Triangle have
+worked closely together. An officer of the R.A.M.C. (T.), has written
+the following interesting description of the work of the Y.M.C.A. for
+the walking wounded:--'The O.C. the Divisional Walking Wounded
+Collecting Post was frankly worried as he sat in his tiny sandbagged hut
+with the D.A.D.M.S., and talked over all the problems which faced him in
+view of the "stunt" due to come off at dawn a few days later. "I've got
+plenty of dressings, and everything of that sort," he said, "and, of
+course, I can get plenty more brought up by returning ambulance cars.
+But there is the question of food--there's the rub. The numbers of
+wounded vary so greatly, and it's not so easy to lay in a huge reserve
+of grub as it is of dressings. Of course, I've done my best, but I'm
+rather worried." "If that is all your worry we'll soon put that right,"
+answered the optimist of the staff. "We'll get the Y.M.C.A. chap on the
+job." "What can he do?" "What can he not do rather? You wait and see.
+Come along and we'll call on him now."
+
+'In a little shed of corrugated iron by the side of a shell-swept road
+they found him. With his coat off and his sleeves rolled up, he was
+pushing across the counter steaming mugs of cocoa and piles of buns to
+the crowd of hungry and clamouring Tommies who besieged his premises. He
+was not a young man. Not the strongest-hearted of Medical Boards would
+have passed him for service. To put it briefly, he had no right in the
+world to be where he was, in one of the nastiest corners of that
+particularly nasty place, Flanders. But there he was, roughing it with
+the rest of them, and to judge from his smiling countenance, thoroughly
+enjoying every particle of his experience. "Hello, Major!" he called
+out cheerfully on seeing his two officer visitors. "Anything I can do
+for you to-day?" "Rather! A whole lot. Can we have a talk in your own
+place--away from the crowd?" The Y.M.C.A. man led the way to the six
+feet square hole in the ground which he called his billet, and there the
+medical staff officer explained his needs. "There's a stunt on in a few
+days," he said. "You may have guessed that. What can you do to help us?
+You know the pressure under which the R.A.M.C. will be working. It'll be
+a big job dressing all the casualties there are likely to be; but we'll
+manage that bit. What we want is a hand in the feeding of them. You
+understand?" The face of the secretary glowed with excitement. "I'll do
+any mortal thing I can," he answered eagerly. "There'll be nothing doing
+here once the show starts, so I'll shut down, and bring my whole stock
+over to your dressing station, and my staff too. We can feed several
+hundred if you'll let us." "What about the cost of the grub?" "Not a
+word about cost, sir! You're welcome to it free, gratis, and for
+nothing, with all the pleasure in the world." "Thanks awfully," said the
+D.A.D.M.S. "That's just what I wanted you to offer, and I thought you
+would; your folks have helped us so often before." "Jolly good job,"
+mused the Y.M.C.A. man, "that I have kept hidden those extra cases of
+chocolates and sweet biscuits. I thought there might be something of
+this sort coming off."
+
+'Ere the grey dawn of a certain morning brought the nerve-racking
+inferno of barrage and counter-barrage, the entire stock of the canteen
+was installed in the larger of the two huts which formed the collecting
+post. Boxes of biscuits, chocolates, and cigarettes with the lids
+knocked off, stood ranged along the wall, ready for the tired and hungry
+guests who would soon appear. Outside, in two huge cauldrons, gallons of
+strong cocoa were brewing merrily. Little was spoken by the men standing
+around, as they waited, nerves a trifle on edge, for the breaking of the
+storm. Suddenly from somewhere in the rear came the hollow boom of a
+"heavy," the artillery signal, and in an instant every battery in the
+area had hurled its first salvo of the barrage. The air was full of
+noise, the rolling roar of the guns at "drum fire," the hissing and
+screaming of flying shells, the echoes of far-away explosions. The
+ground trembled as if an earthquake had come. The battle had begun.
+
+'The O.C. looked in at the door of the hut. "Everything ready?" he
+asked. "Ready and waiting," answered the Y.M.C.A. man, and very soon in
+twos and threes the wounded began to dribble in, and shortly a steady
+stream of battered humanity was straggling down the road, to halt at the
+welcome sight of the hut with the Red Cross flag by its door. How some
+of them limped over every weary step of the way was beyond
+understanding. With shattered limbs and mangled flesh they came, worn,
+hungry, thirsty, in agony, some stumbling alone, some helped along by
+less grievously injured comrades. In a pitiful throng they gathered
+around the dressing station.
+
+'The quick eyes of the R.A.M.C. sergeant picked out the worst cases, and
+these were hurried into the hut where the medical officers plied their
+sorrowful trade. The others sat down and waited their turn with the
+stolid patience of the British soldier when he is wounded, and among
+them worked an Angel of Mercy, an elderly angel clad in a flannel
+shirt, and a pair of mud-stained khaki trousers. Amid the poor jetsam of
+the fight went the Y.M.C.A. man with his mugs of cocoa and his biscuits,
+his chocolate and his cigarettes, as much a minister of healing as was
+the surgeon with his dressings and anodynes. All the men were bitterly
+cold after their long night of waiting in the old front trench, or were
+dead beat with the nervous strain of the action and the pain of their
+wounds. All were hungry. A few no longer cared greatly what more might
+happen to them, for they had reached the limit of endurance, as surely
+as they had reached the limit of suffering. But even to those last the
+warm drink and the food and, perhaps more than anything else, the
+soothing nicotine, brought back life and hope in place of apathy and
+despair. 'God bless you, sir,' murmured a man here and there. But the
+greater part could find no words to speak the gratitude which their
+eyes told forth so clearly.'
+
+This little story is not the tale of one actual incident. It is only the
+stereotype of scenes that have been acted and reacted often and often at
+the Front. Time and time again has the Red Triangle come to the aid of
+the Red Cross, placing its workers and its stores unreservedly at the
+disposal of the Royal Army Medical Corps. When the wounded have been
+pouring into the dressing stations in hundreds, the Y.M.C.A. workers
+have taken over the responsibility of feeding them, and have halved the
+cares of the overwrought R.A.M.C. This they have done not once but
+unnumbered times, and what gratitude they have earned from their guests!
+The wounded man can scarcely realise what he owes to the surgeon who
+tends his injuries; but he does appreciate his debt to the man who feeds
+him and gives him the 'fag' for which he has been craving. The cocoa
+and cigarettes of the Y.M.C.A. do not figure among the medicaments of
+the Pharmacopoeia, yet many a 'walking wounded' will swear to you that
+they have saved his life--as perhaps they have.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+THE RED TRIANGLE AND THE WHITE ENSIGN
+
+          Surely the Almighty God does not intend this war
+          to be just a hideous fracas, a bloody, drunken
+          orgy. There must be purpose in it all; improvement
+          must be born out of it. In what direction? France
+          has already shown us the way, and has risen out of
+          her ruined cities with a revival of religion that
+          is most wonderful. England still remains to be dug
+          out of the stupor of self-satisfaction and
+          complacency which the great and flourishing
+          condition has steeped her in. And until she can be
+          stirred out of this condition, until a religious
+          revival takes place at home, just so long will the
+          war continue. When she can look on the future with
+          humbler eyes and a prayer on her lips, then we can
+          begin to count the days towards the end.--ADMIRAL
+          SIR DAVID BEATTY, K.C.B., M.V.O., D.S.O., K.C.V.O.
+
+
+[Illustration: Y.M.C.A. IN THE FRONT-LINE DUG-OUTS ON THE PALESTINE
+FRONT]
+
+THIS chapter is written in a 'sleeper' at the close of a busy day in the
+North. The day has been made a memorable one by a visit to the _Queen
+Elizabeth_, as she lay at her moorings in one of our great naval bases.
+She is one of the greatest instruments of war in the world, and it was a
+revelation to enter one of the gun turrets of the super-dreadnought, to
+look through the periscope, or see the ingenious mechanism that moved
+those mighty guns, and lifts into position the huge projectile that is
+capable of delivering death and destruction to an enemy many miles away.
+It was more than interesting to visit the wireless rooms, where
+ceaseless watch is kept by day and night, and to see the wonderful
+orderliness of everything, and to note that every one on board was
+ready, and their only fear that the German Fleet might never be tempted
+out again. The visit to the _Queen Elizabeth_ left one thinking of the
+service the Red Triangle has been able to render to the White Ensign.
+During the war there are not as many opportunities for work amongst
+naval men as in peace time, but there is all the more need that when
+the men are ashore everything that is possible should be done for them.
+The Scottish National Council have up-to-date well-equipped hostels and
+recreation-rooms in several naval centres, and those at Edinburgh and
+Glasgow are thronged with bluejackets. South of the Border there are
+many fine hostels and recreation-rooms for sailors, and in scores of
+centres in England, Wales, and Ireland the Red Triangle is catering
+successfully for the needs of our bluejackets. The biggest crowd of all
+is to be found in the quarters occupied by the Y.M.C.A. at the Crystal
+Palace, where thousands of men every day use the Y.M.C.A. as their club,
+and find in it their home. We shall never know all we owe to our
+splendid Navy, and that debt can never be fully paid. At the close of
+the war we are planning to erect permanent hostels and institutes for
+sailors in several naval bases at home and in some of the great foreign
+stations. Much appreciated war work for sailors is being carried on now
+at Brindisi and Taranto, for the men of the drifters employed on
+minesweeping in the Mediterranean, also at Malta, Mudros, and other
+centres overseas.
+
+[Illustration: Y.M.C.A. DUG-OUT AND CANTEEN ON PALESTINE FRONT]
+
+A demand for a Y.M.C.A. on a battleship came from the men of H.M.S.
+_Conqueror_, and it has been found most helpful.
+
+Many isolated naval stations round the British coast are supplied with
+cabinets, each one containing a gramophone, library, a supply of writing
+materials, and games. For obvious reasons it would be imprudent whilst
+the war is on to indicate the centres by name in which the Red Triangle
+is serving the men of the Navy, but there will be a great story to tell
+when the war is over.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+THE RELIGION OF THE RED TRIANGLE
+
+          The work of the Y.M.C.A. is, to my mind, one of
+          the outstanding features of this war. Their
+          efforts, along with other agencies working for the
+          highest welfare of the Army, have shown a true
+          catholic spirit, and made it easier for our
+          soldiers to live a noble, true and clean life. May
+          God's blessing follow their increasing
+          influence.--THE CHAPLAIN-GENERAL TO THE FORCES.
+
+          The Y.M.C.A. has been one of the really great
+          things which have come into their own in this
+          world crisis. It has been a Hindenburg Line of the
+          Christian faith.--DR. MICHAEL SADLER,
+          VICE-CHANCELLOR OF LEEDS UNIVERSITY.
+
+
+THE Y.M.C.A. is not in camp as a rival to the ordinary Church
+organisations, nor yet to supplant or in any conceivable way to
+undermine the influence of the chaplains. Its large and commodious huts
+and tents have been used in thousands of camps for the official Church
+Parade services, and in many cases there has been no other suitable
+room available. We have counted it a privilege on Sunday mornings to
+place our equipment unreservedly at the disposal of all the official
+chaplains who desired to use it. We have welcomed the opportunity of
+assisting the great and important work the chaplains are doing for the
+men of His Majesty's Forces, for the Y.M.C.A. is itself a wing of the
+great Christian army, and has sometimes been described as the Church in
+action. Apart from the support in men and money it has received from
+members of the Churches, the war work of the Red Triangle would have
+been impossible. The Y.M.C.A. is not a church, and will never become
+one. It administers no sacraments, its membership is confined to one
+sex; it discourages in all its branches the holding of meetings that
+clash with those of the Churches, and in every possible way each member
+unattached is encouraged to join the Church of his choice.
+
+In the course of a striking letter to _The Challenge_ of July 12, 1918,
+a correspondent said:--'We turn, for an example, to the Y.M.C.A. Conceal
+the unpleasant truth how we may, the outstanding religious performance
+of this war in the eyes of the public at large has not been the daily
+services in Church--not even the Holy Communion--but the work done in
+the Y.M.C.A. huts. It is along those lines that we must travel if we are
+to win the world. For the mediaevally-minded, for the intellectually
+timid, there is always Rome. But it is not by those that the new England
+will be built, and it is the new England we must save for Christ.'
+
+Another writer to the same Anglican journal said it had been stated that
+'after the war there would be a holy Roman Church and a holy Y.M.C.A.,
+but no more Church of England.' The fact of the matter is the Y.M.C.A.
+is not making the work of the Churches unnecessary, but rather it is
+giving the ordinary man a new conception of what Christianity really is,
+and is thus helping to interpret the churches to the masses, and is
+acting as a bridge or a communication trench between the organised
+forces of Christianity in the front line, so to speak, and the great
+masses away back in reserve, on which they desire to draw. Some people
+have spoken sneeringly of 'canteen religion'; the soldier never
+does--and why should he? There is nothing new about it, for it is as old
+as the early days of Christianity, only the gospel of the 'cup of cold
+water' has been adapted to the needs of modern warfare, so that the man
+in the firing-line knows it from experience as the gospel of the 'cup of
+hot coffee.' Straggling back to a clearing station, wounded, plastered
+with mud, and racked with pain, the most eloquent of sermons would not
+help him, but a hot drink, a few biscuits or even a cigarette, if given
+in the name of the Master may put new heart and life into him, and give
+him fresh courage for the way. The Churches realise this, and have given
+us of their best as far as helpers are concerned.
+
+We have a vivid recollection of visiting the big Y.M.C.A. hut in the
+Cavalry Camp at Rouen in 1915. It was the ordinary week-night service,
+and more than six hundred men were present. A famous Scottish preacher
+had conducted the service, and at the close we chatted with him for a
+few minutes in the quiet room. 'Before I came out to France,' said he,
+'I knew you had a great opportunity. Now I know that the greatest
+spiritual opportunity in history rests on your shoulders--is with the
+Y.M.C.A.' And yet there is a way of doing spiritual work that would make
+all spiritual work in camp absolutely impossible. We remember visiting a
+big hut one day--it did not sport the Red Triangle, but was beautifully
+furnished. Over the door was a bold device 'A Home from Home! All
+Welcome!' On entering, the first thing one saw was the text 'Behold your
+sins will find you out!' And a few yards further on 'The wages of sin is
+death.' 'No smoking!' was another notice, and yet another, 'This hut
+will be closed every evening from seven to eight for a gospel service.'
+Religion to appeal to the soldier must be natural and not forced, and
+must be free from controversy and unreality. The British soldier hates a
+sham, and instinctively classes the hypocrite with the Hun. He may not
+understand our Shibboleths; he has no use for our controversies, but he
+can and does understand the Life of the Master, when he sees the beauty
+of that Life reflected in some humble follower of His, who day by day is
+risking his life at the Front, that he may supply a cup of cocoa to a
+wounded soldier, or who is slaving behind a Y.M.C.A. refreshment counter
+at home, and doing uncongenial work for the love of Christ.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+When it was decided to send the Indian troops to France, the Y.M.C.A.
+offered its services to the Indian Government. The offer was refused. At
+last, however, permission was given to supply recreation marquees for
+the use of the Indian Army in France, but only on condition that there
+should be no proselytising, no preaching, no prayers, no hymn singing,
+no Testaments or Bibles given, and no tracts. The Y.M.C.A. accepted the
+conditions, and though some of its friends felt it meant lowering the
+flag, it has loyally kept its promise, and most people realise to-day
+that this was one of the greatest pieces of Christian strategy of our
+times. A visit to one of the Red Triangle huts or tents in an Indian
+camp is a revelation. You hear the Mohammedan call to prayer, see the
+tiny mosque, and realise in how many and varied ways it is possible for
+the Y.M.C.A. to be of service to these brave men of another faith. A
+professor reported at one of the big base camps as a worker. He had come
+to lecture to the troops, and when asked by the leader as to his
+subjects replied, 'Sanscrit and Arabic.' The leader wondered how on
+earth he could make use of a man as a lecturer to British Tommies, who
+only lectured on those two obscure and difficult topics. The professor
+found his niche, however, teaching the Mohammedan priest to read his
+Koran--the leader commenting--'The more he knows it, the less he will
+trust it.'
+
+It is interesting to note how well these Indian heroes get on with our
+own Tommies. They play their games and sometimes sing their songs. When
+'Tipperary' was all the rage, the Indians had their own version of the
+chorus, which they sang with great enthusiasm. It ran thus:
+
+          'Bura dur hai Tipperary,
+          Bura dur hai kouch ho,
+          Bura dur hai Tipperary,
+              Sukipas powncheniko,
+          Ram, ram, Piccadilly,
+          Salam Leicester Square.
+          Bura, bura dur hai Tipperary,
+              Likem dil hoa pus ghai.'
+
+On one occasion the secretary of an important base said he had arranged
+a new stunt for us that evening--the formal opening of a hut in the
+Indian Cavalry Hospital Camp. We arrived to find the hut crowded, and a
+great banquet arranged in our honour. Nothing need be said as to the
+banquet or its disastrous results as far as we are concerned! The
+Indians enjoyed it, and that was the important thing. Before the
+banquet we had the privilege of greeting the men and welcoming them to
+the Y.M.C.A., and after we had finished, the leading Mohammedan in the
+camp mounted the platform and gave a great oration in honour of the
+Christian Association. He was followed by the leading Brahmin, and he in
+turn by the senior Sheik, all speaking in most cordial terms of the
+Y.M.C.A. In the midst of the orations, a stately Indian advanced
+solemnly and placed a garland of flowers round my neck. Thrice this
+garlanding process was repeated on different occasions--lovely roses and
+sweet peas--and it was a great and much appreciated honour, though it
+made one feel a trifle foolish at the time. After the banquet we
+proceeded to the adjoining recreation tent, and it was an inspiration to
+see it crammed from end to end with men of many religions and different
+races, all happy and contented and all usefully employed. On the
+platform a 'budginee' or Indian concert was proceeding; a crowd of men
+at the tables were learning to write; another crowd receiving a lesson
+in English; a large group looking at pictures and illustrated magazines,
+whilst others were playing games or listening enraptured to the strains
+of the Indian records on the gramophone. The C.O. who took us round,
+said that when the men came to France not one of them could even sign
+his name to his pay book, they all had to do it by means of
+thumb-prints. 'To-day,' said he, 'every man can sign his name, and many
+can write an intelligent letter, and they have learned everything in the
+Y.M.C.A.' A few days previously an Indian of some rank stood with folded
+arms, his back against the wall, in that very tent. He said nothing, but
+took in everything, and when the marquee closed for the night and the
+dusky hero warriors retired to their tents, he spoke to the Indian
+secretary in charge. 'I have watched you men,' said he; 'you are not
+paid by the Government, you come when you like and you go when you like.
+There is only one religion in the world that would send its servants to
+do what you are doing--to serve and not to proselytise. When this war is
+over and we return to India, I want you to send one of your men to my
+village. My people are all Hindus, but they will do what I tell them. I
+have been watching you carefully, and I have come to the conclusion that
+Christianity will fit the East as it can never fit the West.' One of the
+lessons of the Red Triangle is that you can never win men by
+antagonising them, or by speaking disrespectfully of the things they
+hold dear. Love must ever be the conqueror, and the love of all loves is
+the love of God revealed in His Son, Jesus Christ.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Our Jewish friends were surprised and delighted in the dark days at the
+close of 1914, to find that the doors of the Y.M.C.A. were thrown widely
+open to their padres, who could gather in soldiers of their community to
+worship God in their own way in the huts of the Red Triangle. They have
+not been slow to show their appreciation--several Y.M.C.A. huts have
+been given officially by Jews; one well-known and much used hostel bears
+the name 'Jewish Y.M.C.A.,' and Jewish padres will go to any trouble or
+inconvenience to help our work at home or overseas. No Red Triangle hut
+can be used for proselytising by Catholic, Protestant, Moslem, or
+Jew--that goes without saying--but any official chaplain is welcome to
+the use of our huts for instructing his own people in their own faith.
+
+[Illustration: THE Y.M.C.A. AT BASRA, MESOPOTAMIA]
+
+A striking article recently appeared in a Catholic journal, from which
+we cull the following paragraphs, expressing as they do another point
+of view:--
+
+          '"R.C.," "C. of E.," "Y.M.C.A."--these three are
+          the religions of the Front. The drum-head service,
+          whilst nominally "C. of E.," is, of course, more a
+          military parade than a religious function. It is
+          not without a certain amount of picturesque Army
+          ceremonial, but to the Catholic soldier, as a
+          Catholic, the spectacle is an uninteresting one.
+          The Y.M.C.A., too, I think, would not claim to be
+          a religion. It is perhaps a religious institution;
+          a kind of spiritual ration-dump. Its huts, even
+          during a cinema show, and at the counters where
+          they sell Woodbines and chocolates, have a
+          Christianised atmosphere. No soldier fears to be
+          thought "too good" through attending a Y.M.C.A.
+          service. That is, perhaps, where its undoubtedly
+          great influence comes in. It gives the impression,
+          one supposes, to these soldiers that here they
+          have what the P.S.A. fraternity call "a man's
+          religion for man." It caters for the frequent
+          English soul which (perhaps in the Charity of God)
+          finds a path to Heaven in the singing of
+          second-rate hymns on Sunday evening; in the
+          constant repetition of "Abide with me," and "O
+          God, our help in ages past." It is difficult to
+          say if the influence of the Y.M.C.A. is much
+          responsible for the remarkably even, and
+          considering all things, somewhat high moral code
+          of the Army out here. Rather, perhaps (Deo
+          gratias), it is an English heritage from the past.
+          Most emphatically one cannot help being struck by
+          the excellent moral lives that many of these men
+          live, when all things are considered. Of course,
+          to a large extent, there is the lack of occasions
+          of sin. Drunkenness, most possibly, is rare
+          because the authorities have greatly restricted,
+          and wisely, the hours of drinking, and the beer,
+          etc., available, even if taken in large
+          quantities, is rarely intoxicating. Frankly, it
+          appears that the good influence of the Y.M.C.A. is
+          derived from the temporal comforts and
+          conveniences it offers to the much-tried B.E.F.
+          men. I stood outside a Y.M.C.A. building one
+          night, in the worst of weather, weather as foul as
+          it can be in France in war time. Three rain-sodden
+          Canadian infantrymen trudged along towards the
+          place, and their ears caught the sound of some
+          execrable piano-strumming. "Holy Hell," said one,
+          "there's some music there; come on!" That is the
+          story, in epitome, of the Y.M.C.A. In the mercy of
+          God, it is a good one."
+
+[Illustration: THE CENTRAL Y.M.C.A., BAGHDAD]
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A young soldier sent to an English paper the following interesting
+account of a Communion Service held in one of our huts at the Front:--
+
+          'The following Tuesday, just as our company was
+          going "up the line" to the trenches, a Communion
+          service was held in the rest-room of the Y.M.C.A.
+          hut. I attended it along with nine other men, and
+          the service was conducted by a well-known Scottish
+          Y.M.C.A. worker, who at the time was acting as the
+          leader of the hut. In that little room we ten men
+          in khaki were verily in the presence of the
+          Unseen. I never realised Christ to be so near as
+          when we handled the elements. For myself I can
+          truly say that, in the grey dawn of the following
+          morning, I went up to meet the enemy with a
+          strange peace, and a deep assurance in my soul
+          that, come what might, I need fear no evil,
+          knowing that He was with me--and so it proved to
+          be. Our time in the trenches was the most exciting
+          I have yet experienced, but He kept near, and so
+          "all's well."'
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+STORIES OF THE INVERTED TRIANGLE
+
+          I am sending you a pound note, the first I ever
+          received, as I am a poor old woman not able to
+          work. To maintain my home I used to take in
+          washing, but now I cannot even do my own, but the
+          other Sunday, when I shook hands with one that I
+          used to wash for, he put that bit of paper in my
+          hand, but said nothing, so I received it as part
+          payment for work done over seven years ago, and
+          when I looked at it, I thanked God, and said I
+          would give it to some good cause, and I think I
+          cannot do better than help you to get shelter for
+          the soldiers. God bless 'em.
+
+
+MORE than five hundred thousand men have signed the War Roll pledge of
+allegiance to our Lord Jesus Christ, which has now been formally adopted
+by the Churches, and which reads as follows:
+
+          'I hereby pledge my allegiance to the Lord Jesus
+          Christ, as my Saviour and King, and by God's help
+          will fight His battles for the Victory of His
+          Kingdom.'
+
+Many have no doubt forgotten their promise, but for many it has meant
+the beginning of a new life, and to thousands of parents the knowledge
+that the boy, who was their all, signed this declaration before making
+the supreme sacrifice, has brought untold comfort.
+
+Wherever practicable a Quiet Room for prayer and Bible study is included
+in our camp outfit, also a book-stall for Testaments, pledge cards, and
+religious literature. Millions of Testaments and gospel portions have
+been distributed free of charge, and realising the difficulty of
+obtaining gospel booklets or tracts that appeal to men, a new one from
+the pen of the General Secretary was issued each of the first thirty
+weeks of the war. The approved plan has been to have family prayers, no
+matter how brief, as far as practicable in every hut, every night, and
+if this feature of the programme is not popular, the fault is usually to
+be found in the one who leads.
+
+A casual observer, after visiting a Y.M.C.A. hut, sometimes comes to the
+conclusion that the Association is doing a great social work, but is not
+much as a religious force. It is not difficult to understand that point
+of view. He has seen two or three hundred men clamouring at the
+refreshment counter for coffee, buns or cigarettes; the billiard tables
+have been fully occupied; hundreds of soldiers were writing letters at
+the tables provided for the purpose, and hundreds joining in some rowdy
+chorus, or heartily laughing at a humorous song or funny sketch. Where
+then does the spiritual work of the Red Triangle come in? The best
+answer is to quote what has actually happened.
+
+To the south-west of Salisbury Plain there was before the war a tiny
+village. To-day it is the centre of a big camp, which, incidentally,
+contains several Y.M.C.A. huts. The leader of No. 4 was talking to the
+Church of England padre one morning. They were warm friends and the
+chaplain was frank in his remarks: 'I think you are overdoing it,' said
+he, 'by having prayers in the hut every night. Surely it would be
+better,' he added, 'if you concentrated on one evening of the week
+instead.' 'I have thought and prayed about it,' replied the leader, 'and
+it is a matter of principle with me. These dear boys are all going to
+the Front next week, and no matter what the programme of the day, I feel
+we ought to finish at night with a public acknowledgment of God.' 'Very
+good,' replied the padre, 'if that is your conviction, carry on! Take
+prayers yourself this evening.' And he did. He was no orator; he was not
+a college man, neither was he ordained. It was a simple little service,
+and did not take more than ten or fifteen minutes from start to finish.
+There was an opening hymn, one of the old familiar ones, that took the
+lads away back to the homes of their childhood. A short passage of
+scripture was read, followed by a few straight but sympathetic words of
+exhortation and a brief closing prayer. That was all, and the same
+thing, no doubt, took place in hundreds of centres the same night.
+Prayers over and the 'King' sung, the leader came down from the
+platform, where a young private greeted him and shook his hand till it
+hurt saying, 'I want to thank you for giving me a new vision of a God I
+once knew.' Walking towards the centre of the hall, a young subaltern
+greeted him saying, 'I want to thank you for that little service; it has
+been no end of a help to me, and I should like to give you this for your
+work,' so saying he handed him an envelope, and looking inside he found
+a letter from the lieutenant's mother, containing thirty shillings in
+postal orders to be spent by him in camp. The service had helped him,
+and that was his thankoffering. The hut cleared, the men retired for the
+night to their sleeping quarters. A solitary soldier lingered by the
+doorway as if he wanted some one to speak to him. 'Good-night, my lad,'
+said the leader, 'can I do anything for you?' Instead of replying the
+soldier burst out crying, and later said, 'If you will you can save me
+from a great crime!' 'Save you from a crime--whatever do you mean?' And
+then the trooper told his story. There was nothing uncommon about it. He
+and his brother had made love to the same girl, their mother had
+intervened, 'and,' he said, 'I have written to my mother this evening a
+letter that no boy should write to his mother, and after attending your
+service to-night, I feel I would give all I've got to take back that
+letter!' The letter was found and destroyed, and the soldier rejoiced in
+what he regarded as a great deliverance. This is no story of an orthodox
+revival, but of the kind of thing that may be taking place hundreds of
+times any week.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+In the early days the famous ---- Division assembled in one of the great
+camps near Winchester. Regiments and units were there from India, South
+Africa--from all parts of the world. Rain came down in torrents and the
+mud was appalling. The huge Red Triangle tents were crowded from morning
+till night and the devoted workers, all too few in number, had neither
+time nor strength for religious work in the ordinary acceptance of the
+term. They could have limited their canteen work, and closed the
+refreshment counter excepting for a few hours daily. That would have
+been the easier plan, and would have given them the opportunity of
+devoting themselves to concerts and meetings in the evenings. The
+alternative would have been to spend and be spent in serving the
+material needs of the men, trusting that God would use the atmosphere of
+the place and the personal contact of the workers to influence the men,
+and thus make up for their inability to do much in the meeting line.
+They chose the latter plan, and the leader retiring for the night would
+throw himself on his bed and sometimes fall asleep without undressing.
+At times suffering from the reaction, he would ask himself the question,
+'Is it worth while? Am I doing the right thing?' The answer came the
+night before the men left for the Front. It had been a record day, every
+moment had been crowded, and they had sold out. The majority had
+retired for the night, a few remained to tidy up the tents. This task
+accomplished, a group of soldiers gathered round the leader, and the
+talk soon turned quite naturally to some of the deepest problems of
+life. Presently a stalwart young Gordon Highlander told of his home in
+far away Scotland, of his farewell to his dear old mother before he went
+out to India, and of the promise he made her--the promise he had not
+kept--to read his Bible every day, to lead a pure clean life, and to
+keep clear of drink. The atmosphere of that crowded Y.M.C.A. tent had
+brought it all back to him and, unknown to the staff, he had renewed his
+vows to God and his mother. In making this confession he was overcome by
+emotion, and throwing his arms round the leader's neck he sobbed out the
+story of his repentance. There is no more moving sight than the anguish
+of a strong man, probably no sight that gives more joy in Heaven than
+the tears that tell of the return of the one that had been lost.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A young Canadian officer who had lost a leg and an arm wrote to me
+before sailing to Montreal from Bristol in May 1918, and this is what he
+said:--'I would like to tell you how much we have appreciated the
+Y.M.C.A. I came over with the first batch of Canadians; we were drafted
+to Larkhill, Salisbury Plain. After leaving my home--a godly home--I
+fell into the hands of very ungodly people and sank very, very deep in.
+I was lying on the roadside much the worse for drink. I was down and
+couldn't get up; comrades and every one seemed to have left me. I saw
+one of your cars rush by. When it had passed about a hundred yards, out
+jumped a Y.M.C.A. man. He came back to me and said, "Come along my
+friend, I will take you to your hut." I looked at him and said, "I've
+sunk too low for a man like you to touch me." He helped me up, took me
+to my hut, and said, "This is my work in the Y.M.C.A., to help the
+helpless. Come in and have a cup of tea with me to-morrow." Shamefaced,
+I went the next day. He was there to greet me; he talked and prayed with
+me, but I saw no light until one night in the trenches, I thought I
+heard this man praying, and I heard it again and again, and had no rest
+till I laid my sins at the foot of the Cross. Although I am going home
+with a leg and an arm off, I have a clean heart washed in the Blood of
+the Lamb. I have visited many huts, but that was the only man who spoke
+to me personally about my sinful condition. Your leaders can do much if
+they will. God bless the work and the workers. I will enclose this
+leader's card so that you can let him know his prayers followed me up to
+the trenches. God bless him!'
+
+Cecil Thompson, the leader referred to, never saw this letter. Long
+before it was written he had 'gone west,' had passed to his reward, one
+of the Red Triangle martyrs of Salisbury Plain. But he 'shall in no wise
+lose his reward,' for it is work like this that pays, and the spirit of
+Cecil Thompson lives on in the lives of those who have been won, not by
+his eloquence, but by the personal contact of a man who had yielded
+himself to become a channel for the Divine blessing.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The greatest romance of the Red Triangle is the romance of its religious
+work. War always seems to have one of two effects upon the lives of
+those who participate in it--either it hardens a man and makes him
+callous, or else it purifies and ennobles him. The Chaplains, the
+Churches, the Y.M.C.A., the Church Army, the C.E.T.S., the Salvation
+Army, and countless other organisations and individuals are always at
+work, trying to counteract the power of the downward pull. It was our
+youngest General, the late Brig.-Gen. R. B. Bradford, V.C., M.C., who
+addressed to his men in France, shortly before his death, the following
+stirring words:--'I am going to ask you to put your implicit trust and
+confidence in me, to look upon me not only as your Brigadier, but as
+your friend. By the help of God I will try and lead you to the best of
+my ability, and remember your interests are my interests. As you all
+know, a few days from now we are going to attack; your powers of
+endurance are going to be tested. They must not fail you. Above all,
+pray; more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. It is
+God alone who can give us the victory, and bring us through this battle
+safely.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It is said that General Smuts' attention was drawn to Herbert Schmalz's
+picture, 'The Silent Witness,' in the Royal Academy. It showed the
+interior of a French church, and many wearied and wounded French
+soldiers huddled together on the floor. A soldier with a wounded arm was
+awakened by the pain, and raising himself on his unwounded arm saw the
+figure of the Christ, the silent witness of his suffering and agony.
+Looking long and earnestly at the picture, it is said the famous Boer
+General quietly remarked, 'Many a man has seen that vision in this war.'
+
+[Illustration: THE RED TRIANGLE IN JERUSALEM]
+
+[Illustration: THE HEXHAM ABBEY HUT, SCHEVENINGEN, HOLLAND]
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+When visiting Bailleul in 1917 the following story was told me by a
+distinguished padre serving with the Y.M.C.A. It concerned a casualty
+clearing station on the outskirts of the town. A gentleman ranker was
+brought in terribly wounded. His shoulder had been shattered by shrapnel
+and gas gangrene had set in A constant and welcome visitor was the
+senior chaplain. One day he called, and said cheerily, 'Well, old
+fellow, how goes it to-day?' 'Thanks, padre,' was the reply, 'the pain
+is not quite so bad to-day, but, padre,' he added earnestly, stroking
+his wounded arm, 'I wish you would persuade them to take this away.'
+'Don't talk like that,' said the chaplain; 'you'll want to use that old
+arm for many a year to come!' 'No, padre,' he replied with conviction,
+'I shall never use it again; I'm going west!' A moment later he was
+seized with a frightful paroxysm of pain, and with a torrent of oaths
+shrieked out, 'Why the b---- h---- can't they take this arm away!' He
+fell back exhausted, but an instant later sat bolt upright and with arms
+held out looked intently towards the roof of the hut. His face became
+radiant, and there was no trace of pain. In an ecstatic voice he cried
+out, 'Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!' and fell back dead. Thank God that's
+possible, and even in the hour of death, the blasphemer may receive
+forgiveness and the knowledge of salvation, for
+
+          'The ways of men are narrow,
+           But the gates of Heaven are wide.'
+
+[Illustration: SALONICA: WINTER ON THE DOIRAN FRONT, SHOWING Y.M.C.A.
+TENT]
+
+[Illustration: A WELCOME Y.M.C.A. IN THE TRENCHES]
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A lady worker in the Isle of Wight felt unaccountably drawn to a young
+soldier who had vowed he would never enter the Y.M.C.A. again, because
+he objected to evening prayers. Little by little she won his confidence,
+until the night before he left for France with a draft, he came in to
+say good-bye, and told her she was the first person to speak to him
+about sacred things, adding--'I may do some day, but at present I cannot
+see things as you do.' He went to France, followed by her prayers, and
+in due course took part in the famous attack on Cambrai. Nothing was
+heard of him for weeks, and his friends were forced to the conclusion
+that he was numbered amongst the dead. Time passed by, until one morning
+the lady of the Red Triangle received a letter from him, written from a
+German prisoner of war camp. It was a commonplace letter and told of the
+great fight, of his capture and internment, and so forth, but the
+concluding words were the ones she wanted--'You will be glad to know I
+can see things as you do now.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+We were speaking at the opening of a hut near Portsmouth. At the close
+of the ceremony a dear little old widow lady, sitting in the front row,
+told us of her own boy. He was a young officer serving in France, and
+was called out late one night to help repel a sudden attack by the
+enemy. Shot down by machine-gun fire, a brother officer stooped to help
+him, but he cried, 'Lead on, lead forward, I go to my God!'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A day later another Y.M.C.A. lady in one of the hospital huts told us
+the story of her nephew. He, too, was a young officer, and was called
+out to assist in repelling a sudden attack by the Huns. Our men had
+scarcely reached No Man's Land when the enemy turned on their dreadful
+gas. One of the first to be overcome by its fumes was the sergeant of
+his platoon. Regardless of the risk he ran, that young officer stuck to
+his disabled sergeant until help arrived. Not realising that he had
+himself become affected by the noxious fumes, he tried to stagger to his
+feet, but fell backwards into a shell-hole, and in falling broke his
+neck. The sad news was conveyed to his people in the North of England,
+and the night they received it his father and mother sat alone in the
+quiet of their home. Presently the mother spoke--'I feel,' said she,
+'that the only thing that would console me in my loss would be to know
+that the man for whom my boy died was a good man.' It was only a week
+later that the sergeant for whom the young officer died, came to that
+home, and when he came he was hopelessly intoxicated. The parents
+quickly ascertained that it was not the case of a man having been
+overcome by sudden temptation; they could have forgiven that, but he was
+an utter waster, about as bad as a man could be. When he had left the
+house those two sat once again in the silence of their home, and it was
+the mother who spoke, slowly and quietly, 'It almost breaks my heart to
+know my boy gave his precious life for a worthless life like that.' And
+yet, what of the young officer himself? Did he know the type of man it
+was for whom he was about to make the supreme sacrifice? Of course, he
+knew; he was in his own platoon, and yet, knowing, he willingly gave his
+life in an attempt to save him. One cannot recall this story without
+thinking of those wonderful words: 'For scarcely for a righteous man
+will one die: yet per-adventure for a good man some would even dare to
+die, but God commendeth His Love towards us, in that, while we were yet
+sinners, Christ died for us.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+In a far away corner of the Harfleur Valley the Y.M.C.A. has one of its
+finest equipments. The leader was a great man in every sense of the
+word, and every night he organised a sing-song for the troops, which
+invariably went with a swing. He seemed to know by instinct when to
+strike right in, and what to say. A night came, however, when he seemed
+to have struck a bad patch, for no one would play, sing, or recite. The
+story is told here almost word for word, as it was first told me by a
+leading worker home from France, who drew a graphic word picture of the
+hut leader pleading from the platform for help which never came. The
+huge hut was crammed with men, and looking at the crowd standing at the
+back he noticed a movement amongst them. A trooper detaching himself
+from the crowd slowly elbowed his way to the front. It was easy to tell
+by his unsteady steps that he was under the influence of drink. Mounting
+the platform, he turned first to the audience and then to the Y.M.C.A.
+leader, and cried in a voice that every one could hear: 'What's the
+matter, Boss? Won't any one oblige you? Never mind, padre, if nobody
+will help you, I will! What would you like me to do? I can play, or I
+can sing, or I can recite--or I can pray!' For a moment the secretary
+did not know what to reply. He was a man of experience, but had never
+been placed in a predicament like that before. To his horror he saw the
+poor drunken trooper stumble to the edge of the platform and with hands
+outstretched called for prayer, and there followed one of the strangest
+prayers ever heard in public as the drunkard cried out, 'Everlasting
+God! Everlasting God! Everlasting God----!' He could get no further, but
+broke down and sobbed like a child, and in his agony cried out, 'I had a
+good mother once; I've been a damned fool. May God forgive me!' Could
+God possibly hear and answer a prayer like that? Of course He could, and
+He did! Possibly He would rather have even a prayer like that, than the
+meaningless prayers with which we sometimes mock Him, and if any man
+ever gave evidence of his conversion to God it was that trooper. He
+stayed only four days longer in that reinforcement camp in the
+Harfleur Valley, but if he could help it, never for a moment would he
+let our leader out of his sight, and in a hundred ways he helped him
+with his work. He would go methodically and frequently round the hut,
+gather up the dirty mugs, bring them back to the counter and help to
+wash them. He would go down on his hands and knees under the tables,
+pick up scraps of paper and cigarette ends and help clean up the floor.
+Four days later he was sent with a detachment up the line; three days
+later still, with his company, he was ordered 'over the top,' and
+literally he went into the 'Valley of the Shadow of Death,' but he did
+not go alone, for 'there went with him One the form of Whom was like
+unto the form of the Son of God!'
+
+[Illustration: Y.M.C.A. FOR INTERNED PRISONERS OF WAR, LEYSIN,
+SWITZERLAND]
+
+The Y.M.C.A. is a Christian Association, the Red Triangle a Christian
+emblem, and for that very reason the freedom of the Association is
+given to every enlisted man. Protestant and Catholic, Anglican,
+Free-Churchman, Jew, Hindoo, Mohammedan--men of any religion, every
+religion, and no religion at all, are equally welcomed beneath its roof,
+and no man will ever hear unkind or disrespectful things said from a
+Y.M.C.A. platform concerning the faith he holds dear. At the same time
+we can never forget that the greatest need of every man, amongst the
+millions we serve in our huts, is that he should have a Friend who will
+never fail him nor forsake him, who will stand shoulder to shoulder with
+him in his fierce fight with temptation in camp or city, will be with
+him in the trenches, in the firing line, as he goes over the parapet, or
+even into the dread 'Valley of the Shadow,' and there is only One Who
+can thus meet every need of every man, and that One is the strong Son of
+God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the best Friend, the truest Comrade we can
+have.
+
+We often fall far short of our aim, alas! but the primary aim of the
+Y.M.C.A. always has been, and is, to lead men to a saving knowledge of
+that Friend.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+THE RED TRIANGLE IN THE RECONSTRUCTION
+
+          The Y.M.C.A. has a very thorough understanding of
+          men, and with that sympathy which has
+          characterised its work throughout has brought to
+          the National Employment Exchange system an element
+          which has humanised the movement.
+
+          The state of the Labour Market and the condition
+          of trade after the lapse of the period of
+          reconstruction following the war will be so
+          favourable that the physically fit man will
+          experience little difficulty in securing
+          employment, but even if that is so we shall, for a
+          long time, have with us the disabled man, who,
+          without assistance and guidance, cannot be
+          suitably placed in industry. We must see an
+          extension of the good-will and sympathy evinced by
+          the Y.M.C.A. movement amongst every class in the
+          community.
+
+          The Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Labour
+          are getting up a special department to deal with
+          the discharged soldier. What the Y.M.C.A.
+          contributes to this problem is character.--MR. G.
+          H. ROBERTS, M.P., MINISTER OF LABOUR.
+
+
+THE question is often asked 'What is going to be done with the Y.M.C.A.
+huts after the war?' It is never easy to prophesy with any degree of
+certainty, but there can be little doubt that, properly handled, these
+huts will be at least as useful after the war as they are now. Their
+furniture, which comprises hundreds of billiard tables, thousands of
+chairs, tables, stoves, ranges, and so forth, is well fitted for doing
+good service after the war. One of these huts planted down in the centre
+of some rural community and staffed by voluntary workers, who have
+purchased their experience by downright hard service during the war,
+should be an inestimable boon. It would break the monotony of country
+life; or, being set down in an industrial district of a big town or
+city, would help in congenial ways to relieve the tedium of the drab
+life of the workers.
+
+The immediate problem is that of the discharged man. Incidentally his
+presence in our midst is even now helping us to gain that practical
+acquaintance with his needs that will be invaluable in dealing with the
+greater problem of demobilisation. Thousands of men are discharged from
+the Navy and Army every week. Many of these for months, it may be for
+years to come, will not be able to do a good day's work, no matter how
+willing they may be, and it is up to us to help them. No one who has
+seen the conditions under which they have been living in Picardy or in
+Flanders can wonder at this, and they will need sympathy and
+encouragement on the part of their employers. The Y.M.C.A. can supply
+the human touch that may be of the greatest possible service to the
+Ministries of Labour, Pensions, and Reconstruction, and although the
+State itself must take responsibility for the future of those who return
+broken from the war and for their dependents, there will still be ample
+room for voluntary effort without any taint of charity.
+
+A number of experiments are being tried, all designed to point the way
+to future efforts if such experiments prove successful. The Red Triangle
+Farm Colony at Kinson in Dorset has been fitted up as a sanatorium for
+the benefit of men discharged from the Navy and Army who need sanatorium
+treatment because they are suffering from, or threatened with,
+consumption, and whilst the men are undergoing treatment they are
+trained in poultry-farming, horticulture, and other outdoor pursuits on
+plans cordially approved by the authorities.
+
+A Red Triangle Poultry Farm in Surrey is also run entirely for the
+benefit of discharged men, and a somewhat larger venture is under way in
+Suffolk with a two hundred acre farm and extensive fruit gardens. At
+Portsmouth and other centres hostel accommodation is provided for men
+who, on leaving the Navy or Army, go through a course of training for
+civil life. Experimental workshops in London are proving a great
+success, discharged soldiers being trained in carpentry, joinery,
+picture-framing, and the repairing of pianos.
+
+A series of exhibitions dealing with the work of ex-soldiers has been
+successfully inaugurated, and Red Triangle employment bureaux have
+already secured situations for more than twenty thousand discharged men.
+
+The biggest opportunity for the Red Triangle will come with the
+declaration of peace. 'After the war' for tens of thousands of men has
+commenced already, and not only during the war, but in the
+reconstruction we shall need the help of every worker who is prepared
+heart and soul to work out the full programme of the Red Triangle for
+Britain's sake and for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
+
+
+          Printed in Great Britain by T. and A. CONSTABLE,
+          Printers to His Majesty at the Edinburgh
+          University Press
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Transcriber's Notes:
+
+So that paragraphs could flow uninterrupted, illustrations were
+relocated to positions between paragraphs.
+
+Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
+
+Page viii, "BLESSES" changed to "BLESSEES" ('LES PARENTS DES BLESSEES')
+
+Page xiii, "Schevingen" changed to "Scheveningen" (Abbey hut,
+Scheveningen, Holland) This was changed also on the illustration caption
+itself.
+
+Page 39, "necesary" changed to "necessary" (it is absolutely necessary)
+
+Page 124, "same" changed to "came" (she came back she)
+
+Page 158, "simpl" changed to "simple" (its simple little song)
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Romance of the Red Triangle, by
+Arthur Keysall Yapp
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