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Nov. 14, 1917. SOCIAL EVIL RAVAGES TROOPS Dealing frankly and boldly with the so cial evilas a menace to the nation’s mili tary efficiency, Josephus Daniels, sec retary of the navy, in an address before the clinical congress of surgeons of North American appealed to the medical profes sion "to end the false double standard that decreases military effectiveness.” The profession, he asserted, must share its part of th£ blame for the “unpardon- Able prudery that endured a festering evil rather than have it exposed and eradi cated.” "There is not an army in the field whose effectiveness is not reduced by rea son of immoral disease.” said Secretary Daniels. "The navy suffers likewise and business halts because venereal diseases destroy the manhood of workmen and fighters. During the last statistical year men of the American navy lost 141,378 days’ sickness from a small grbup of ab solutely prevented diseases or rather dis eases contracted by sin. This means that every day throughout the year there were 456 men disabled by this disgrace ful malady. Add to that number those required to care for the disabled and we have enough men on the non-effective list each day to man a modern battleship. And this does not count those who, though diseased, were not disabled or the evil of the loathing danger of contagion to the clean members of the crew. How Army Checked Disease. "In the navy in 1915 there were ad mitted for treatment for venereal dis eases 112 persons in every 1.000 and in the army 84 for every 1,000 the number in the army having decreased from 145 to the 1,000 after the passage of an act stopping the pay of all soldiers admitted for treatment for a venereal disease. The new navy law stops the pay of men so afflicted and probably will reduce the number to the army ra the pay of men so afflicted and probably will reduce the number to the army ra tio, but these figures show a condition of immorality upon the part of the minority in both arms of the service that chal lenges the thought of Die authorities. "In civil life the number afflicted is <iuite as large proportionately as in the military service. It has been printed that, Hecht of Vienna stated that at one time the equivalent of three entire Aus trian divisions of 60,000 men was under treatment for venereal disease, while the German army in Belgium, representing only a small part of the total German forces, is reported during the first five months of its occupation to have furnish ed 35.000 such patients. Canadian and Australian officers have deplored the rav ages of this disease. The Jate figures from the British army gave 78,000 cases, and all other countries have also been weakened. Menace in War and Peace. “Sir William Osler places these infec tious diseases at the top as a menace in war and in peace. The time has come to realize that this subtlest foe of humanity must be conquered, and.it cannot be con quered by denying its existence, saying it is a necessary evil or applying palia tives. It is deadlier than smallpox or cancer or tuberculosis. A Canadan au thority says: ’lts ravages today are more terrible for Britain and Canadia than Vimy Ridge, the Somme and Lens.’ “The. remedy? There is but one—con tinence. It must be preached in the home, in the school, in the marts of trade in the pulpit and military camps and among shipmates afloat. The eradica tion of the evil effects must be thorough, but the teacher who will be heard and heeded when the teachings of all others will fall on deaf ears is the word of au thority from the medical profession Young men expect ministers of the gospel to call them to clean living, souls, and too many youths hardly realize they have a soul. But they know they have bodies, and the doctor is the man to whom they trust the treatment of their bodies. When he preaches continence as the only rule of life to young men and points out the dire penalty for lapses his words have a weight no other admonition possesses. "Tell Our Youths the Truth.” "You gentlemen of the medical pro fession deal with life and death. You bring the bodies into the world, and you close the eyes of the dead. Yours is the ministering function, the intimate touch, and out of such realtion you can enjoy an amazing power of suggestion. It is this power that America calls upon you to use. Tell our youths the truth. It is a duty laid upon you, not by the moral law alone, but by the law of self preservation that opeiates in nations as well as individuals. That dutv is im perative upon you now as never before. If you perform it and our young soldiers and sailors heed your wise counsel—and many of them will follow’ your teaching with lasting gratitude—you will contribute more to the winning of the war than man ufactures of shells. - "Continence is no longer a matter of morals only, though it must be enforced as the cardinal doctrine of morals. It has come to be seen as having its base in the great law of nature. New truths must take the place of ancient lies. We know now by the testimony of science that there is no foundation for a double stand ard for the sexes. To preach it is to preach immorality and a lowering of man hood. The lie that has lived so long must be driven out by the truth “Only God will ever know the’ toll in Wood and tears that this lie has taken from the heart of the world—the price that the health of the race has been made to pay for its submission to a historic falsehood; young lives ruined, fu tures cheated of promise, children called upon to suffer for the sinss of the fath ers, innocent women robbed of the right of happy motherhood and the virility of a nation sapped at its very foundations. “Today as never before American manhood must be clean. We must have fitness. America stands in need of every ounce of strength. We must cut out the cancer if we would live.” Caruso is on the job again at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, and on Monday night, during the per formance of "Aida,” startled the fash ionable audience by appearing with other noted stars between the acts, singing "The Star Spangled Banner.” It was his way of protesting against Dr. Karl Muck’s attitude in connection with his refusal to play the national anthem. All the Germans who escaped from Fort McPherson have been cought. TRENCH AND CAMP SECRETARY BAKER SAYS: “For many years the Y. M. C. A. has been established as a prominent feature of army life in times of peace. The war, however, has de veloped for it a degree of promi nence far larger and a field of use fulness far wider than even it's friends could have hoped. Its ca pacity for mobilization on a large scale and the readiness with which it has fitted itself to the needs of the troops in training camps and trenches in this great world war make it an indispensable factor in any future military plans. It pro vides for the social side—the home side—-of the. life of the soldier and its influence in rationalizing the strange environment into which this crisis has plunged our young men has been and will be most beneficent.” Soldier Writes to Folks Back Home Camp Hancock, Augusta, Ga. Rev. S. G-. Buckner, November 9, ’l7. Somerset, Pa. Dear Reverend Buckner: Captain Truxal handed me a telegram today from Chas. F. Uhl, Jr., in regard to the Y. M. Q A. War Fund. I note with much interest that the good citizens of Somerset are starting a drive to increase this fund, and to indirectly give US comforts and pleasures that would other wise be foreign to us. It gave me much pleasure to inform the boys of our company what the people of our home town are trying to do for the best organization in existence, and every last man of us will appreciate any effort that any man, woman, or child yuts forth to make this "Y. M. C. A. War Fund drive a crowning success in our little Mountain Town in Pennsylvania, because every soldier and sailor in the service of Uncle Sam will reap some benefit from their work. If all you folks back home knew of all the comforts that we get from our branch of the Y. M. C. A., I am sure that you. would all “chip in the pot, and have it running over in a very short time.” The Y. M. C. A. is the most remark able organization ever instituted, and if anyone wants to be convinced of that fact, just send them to some soldiers training camp to see what they are ac complishing in every direction that is good, and I am sure that it would take but a very short while to convince the most pessimistic pessimist. Every Monday and Thursday at the Y. M. C. A. we have movies, and every other night in the week there are lectures, en tertainments, and various other kinds of amusements too numerous to mention. Tn fact there is something good before the soldiers of Camp Hanpock at the Y. M. C. A. at all times, and all we need to do is to go there and enjoy ourselves, and we do not experience any difficulties in getting there. Permit me to enumerate a few things that we find at the Y. M. C. First, as I have already told you, we have all sorts of amusements, and in addition to that, we have writing tables, writing paper, envelopes, brooks, magazines, newspapers from all over Pennsylvania, entertainers from the best lyceum circuits in the country, and a hundred other things that go to make things pleasant for us. To maintain an institution such as the Y. M. C. A., takes considerable money, and heaps of work, so if you folks back home don’t mind furnishing the money, and doing, a little work to help the great est cause of the day along (we will see to the fighting of the Germans) in our spare moments we will reap the benefits of your labors, and the money you so generously give to help the Y. M. C. A. War fund. Wishing you the greatest success pos sible in your drive, believe me. Very sincerely, JIMMIE CADDELL. Clerk, Co., “C,” 110th Inf. GAMBLER QUIT CRAP One of the Y. M. C. A. men was ap proached at the counter recently by a young fellow, who said: “I want to send S4O home. Do you have express money orders?” ’ The secretary at once flashed the money order book on the counter and said: . “That’s fine. I’m glad you're send ing your money home, old man.” The young fellow replied: “Gad, it I don’t send it home now, I’ll lose it all in crap. I lost $6 ten minutes ago.” Then the man opened his heart to the secretary and said: "Do you know I never worked in my life until I joined the army. I’ve been a gambler all my life. I never went to.church in my life. My father was a gambler and never did any thing else all his life, so you see the gambling instinct is strong in me. But the other night I was passing j’our Y. M. C. A. and heard the singing ana went in. It was the first time I had ever been at a religious service and it was so different from what I had ex pected, I went again. I’m going to try to cut. out the craps and poker and live straight.” The secretary encouraged the man and a few days later, the former gambler met him in the building and said: "Say, I’m still holding out, and on Sunday night I went to church in Au gusta—the first time I was in church, in my life. I’m going down town to’ church every Sunday after this.” And the secretary expects to lead that confessed gambler to a Power greater than himself. Seventy-five slackers will be tried before the federal court at Augusta next week. The Rockefeller Foundation has promised to give $1,000,000 outright to the war fund of the Y. M. C. A-, and in addition ten per cent of the entire amount raised, the total contribution not to exceed $3,500,000. SCHAKE SCHMITT WRITES TO HIS COUSIN HANS To My Cousin Hans: State of United, January Twenty-Two Mine Dear Cousin Hans: I now take my pen and ink in hand und write you mitt a lead pencil. We do not live where ve used to live, ve live where ve has moofed. I hate to say it, but your dear ole aunt vot died vid new monie that you lofed so veil iss dead, she died wid new monie on New Year’s day in New Orleans, at thir teen minutes in front of five. Some peo l>le tink she had the population of the Hart. The Doctor gave up all hopes of saving' her, ven she died all her breath leaked out. She leaves a family of two and two Cows. They found SIO,OOO sowed up in her bustle—it vas a awful lot of mon ey to leaf behind—she willed it all to the two boys—if they died it all goes to the C.ows. Old Mrs. Schneider iss very sick—she iss chust about death’s door —the doctor thinks he can pull her thru—she has such a nice little boy—he la chust like a hu man beast. I took him up to the hos pital to see' the sick peoples—we had a lufly time. Your brother, Gus, took our dog, Fido, down to the S;w mill the other day to have a fight—he runned up against one of the big round saws—he only lasted one round. All the Schmitts around here have the mumps find are having a swell time. xj am sending your black overcoat by express—to save so much express charges I cut off the buttons—you will find them in the inside pocket. Ve sent Hilda over to Mister Rogers to see if he had some Pigs’ feet—she cum back and said she didn’t know because he had his boots on so she couldn’t see his feet. I got a jopp in the liberty stable as stenography—taking hay for the horses. Louie Spriggle vos sick. The Doctor told him to take someding so he vent down the street —he met a Junk dealer and took his votch—the Junk man got him arrested un got a lawyer—the lawyer got the case—but Louie the works. There iss lots of peoples dying around here vot never died before. Oh, ho wl visit we were closer apart. I am so awful lonsemoe since we are sepa rated together. Your brother, Francis, is getting along fine mid de small-pox und he hopes this will find you the same. Hoping you will written sooner than I did, I vill remain here. Yours Cousin, SCHAKE SCHMITT. P. X.—ls you don’t get this letter, let me no und I vill write again two times. P. X. —Have chust received that $5.00 vot I owe you, but has closd up the let ter and can’t get it in. NOTED TAPTISF MINISTER IN CAMP Dr. Kerr Boyce Tupper, a Baptist min ister of Philadelphia .spoke Suday night at the regular service of the Army Y. M. C. A., in building' No. 76. He lectured on "The Right Side of Life,” at the same place on Monday evening. Dr. Tupper is a cultured and gifted gentleman and for many years has been on the lecture platform, to the great sat isfaction of large audiences, both in the East and in the West. His lectures will both interest and entertain the men of tho camp. Tonight he leads the religious service at building No. 79, Wrightsboro road, and on Thursday night at the Y. M. C. A. tent in the Ammunition Train. On Saturday night he lectures—a return engagement— at building No. 76, and on Sunday eve ning next he preaches at building No. 77, Wrightsboro road and Post Office street. enc o uragTn gteLeg RAM. The following encouraging telegram was received by Secretary Walter Hunter, of the Augusta Y. M. C. A., with reference to the $35,000,000 campaign fund of the War Work Council of the Y. M. C. A.: New York headquarters wires this morning they are sure of one subscription of $1,000,000, three subscriptions of $500,- 000 each, and several $250,000 subscrip tions. The Mayor of Columbus, Ga., has asked all business houses to decorate in honor of Red Triangle week and name of local boys who have enlisted, to be posted in public square. C. A. ROWLAND, Director Georgia Campaign. Athens. APPREC lAT E ~ FRME NDLIN E SS. Camp Hancock, Nov. 8, 1917. Gentlemen of the Y. M. C. A.: As I was sitting a the camp fire of the Artillery Range on November 8, an idea came into my head to w’rite and say how the Y. M. C. A. treats the men. The Y. M. C. A. opens at eight o’clock in the morning and closes at. ten p. m. They have reading rooms and writing rooms which are occupied at all times. The men are also sup plied with all the necessities of sports. In the evening they interest the sol diers by having moving pictures or an evening entehtainment. Friendli ness of the men of the Y. M. C. A. is certainly appreciated by the sol diers at Camp Hancock attached to the One Hundred and Eighth Field Artil lery, Medical Corps. PRIVATE HARRY HA EBERLE, Medical Corps, 108th Field Artillery. President Wilson delivered a won derful speech Monday night before the American Federation of Labor at Buf falo. Read it. Said he: “We must stand together, night and day, until this job is finished.”, BUY A COPY OF HISTORIC AUGUSTA Read it. Keep it for reference, and send a copy to your friend. Price 25c. A. W. DELLQUEST BOOK CO., Publishers. Leonard Building. 213-215 Seventh St. Augusta, Ga. GENERAL HONORS PRIVATE OSBORN Before the war cross, awarded by the French government to Paul Osborn, the American ambulance driver killed in action, was placed on the coffin, General Baratier, who presided at the funeral, paid his tribute to this Mont clair boy and member of the Dartmouth College Association: In the name of the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Division, 1 salute Soldier Osborn who came at the out break of the war to aid us to win right, liberty and justice. In his person I salute the army of the United States which is fighting with us. The same ideal that inspires and leads up onward. We are fighting to save the liberty of the world. Sol dier Osborn, my thoughts go out to your parents who on the other side of the ocean, will learn of the grief that has stricken them. I know that words have no power to lessen a mother's sorrow, but I know the ideal Which she inspired in the heart of her son, will be able, if not to dry her tears, at least to trans form them, for it is through these teams, the tears of all mothers, of all women, that victory will come —that victory which will assure the peace •of this world, which will be theirs more than any other, since they will have paid for it with their hearts. Soldier Osborn, sleep on in the midst of your French comrades fallen glori ously like you. Sleep on. wrapped in the folds of the United States flag in the shade of the banners of France. “FIGHTING MIKE” Rev. M. S. Rice, of Detroit, relates the following incident: “After the meeting was over in the Y. M. C. A. building and the crowd had been dismissed, a big Irishman, six feet and four inches tall, asked to see me alone. We had a most interesting time of it in matching the call of Christianity against his ideas of a vigorous fighting career. "He promised to be at our next meeting. I saw him sitting before me when I be gan to speak, and put all I knew into the appeal of Christianity to the most virile side of a man’s life. Mike .was caught with interest. When the decision was called for, he came with many others to get a card, but won id not sign it. We went aside to tai kagain. He said: ‘Mr. Rice, I am a fighter. They call me “Fight ing Mike.” If I was trying to be a Chris tian and some little fellow made me mad, I would knock his block off.’ “I said, ‘Now, Mike, are you really a fighter or just a bluffer?' He said quick ly, ‘Ask the boys here,’ and I knew his case very well! He has long been the fighter of the battalion. So I said, ‘Now, Mike, suppose some fellow made you real mad, and you would double up your great, big mawl of a fist square against his lit tle nose, and say, "You poor little mite, I could flatten that nose all over your face, but by the grace of God I am not going to do it.” What do you suppose he would think?’ The big fellow looked at me a minute and then said, ‘That would make a. hit, wouldn’t it?’ Taking his card he signed it with grim purpose. “The next day he marched away to France with a big draft of fellows for the front trenches. As he came by our ‘Y’ Hut, he lifted his old ha tand started a cheer for the Y. M. C. A. We last sight ed his high held head in the dust way down the road as he went to his grim duty.” AT CAMPSHELBY Melvin W. Sheppard, the famous track star, has been assigned to Camp Shelby, Hattiesburg, Mid?., by the Commission on Training' Camp Activ ities. At Camp Shelby there is an athletic council and at a recent meeting, every man in the camp was assessed 25 cents for the athletic fund, which will be used to promote divisional athletics, football games, etc. Several of the college footbal teams have been en gaged for games. Shelby has a Y. M. C. A. secretary at the base hospital. One hundred thousand dollars above the allotment was the Liberty Loan record of Camp Shelby. BITSOFJHRAPNEL Following the capture of Beersheba and Gaza, in Palestine, the British armies united and the Turkish troops are now in retreat northward. It looks as though Jerusalem will soon be restored to Chris tians. What a nice Christmas gift to the world that would be! Townsend Martin and Charles B. Hall, Americans, have been awarded the French War Cross for bravery for removing wounded men under heavy fire. Canadian plants will produce for the United States, 7,000,000 shells for French 75s during the first seven months of 1918. Samuel O. Livingood, a private attach ed to the aviation camp at Princeton, N. J., was acquitted of the charge of having a deadly poison in his possession with in tent to injure his comrades, according to the findings of the military tribunal which heard his case at Governor's Island four weeks ago. Page 9 - I S l EB 1 3'l!