Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. The purpose of this book is to report official facts to the vast army of patriotic Americans at home who contributed the funds required to conduct the World War Work of the Y M C A. It is estimated that the $161,000,000 intrusted to the Y M C A in the various drives came from more than 15,000,000 contributors. Over 200,000 men and women volunteered for service with the Y in the Armies at home and abroad. From this army of volunteers, 25,926 were selected. Workers and dollars came from every part of the country, every profession and occupation, every religious denomination. The Y M C A was an officially designated channel through which this vast stream of material and human power was poured by the American people for the benefit of its soldiers.

This book also undertakes to interpret in terms of service the value of the work of volunteers and the 25,926 loyal men and women who served with the American Red Triangle in the World War - to record how these workers in the armies of twenty-eight nations rendered a free service to the soldiers requiring cash expenditures of $129,000,000; how in addition to this free service they conducted the Post Exchanges for the American Expeditionary Forces under Government Orders to the extent of $50,000,000; and how great expenditures still continue for welfare work throughout the world.

Approximately seven-eighths of the service was rendered directly to American soldiers. The remaining one-eighth was rendered directly to Allied soldiers, in response to urgent representations of Allied Governments and Commanders that such service would make their troops better fighters. Its indirect benefit to America may be judged by General Pershing's statement, June 25, 1917: The greatest service which America can render to the cause of the Allies at the present moment, is to extend the work of the Young Men's Christian Association to the entire French Army.

A specific

The purpose of this book is to report official facts to the vast army of patriotic Americans "at home" who contributed the funds required to conduct the World War Work of the Y M C A. It is estimated that the $161,000,000 intrusted to the Y M C A in the various drives came from more than 15,000,000 contributors. Over 200,000 men and women volunteered for service with the Y in the Armies at home and abroad. From this army of volunteers, 25,926 were selected. Workers and dollars came from every part of the country, every profession and occupation, every religious denomination. The Y M C A was an officially designated channel through which this vast stream of material and human power was poured by the American people for the benefit of its soldiers.This book also undertakes to interpret in terms of service the value of the work of volunteers and the 25,926 loyal men and women who served with the American Red Triangle in the World War - to record how these workers in the armies of twenty-eight nations rendered a free service to the soldiers requiring cash expenditures of $129,000,000; how in addition to this free service they conducted the Post Exchanges for the American Expeditionary Forces under Government Orders to the extent of $50,000,000; and how great expenditures still continue for welfare work throughout the world.Approximately seven-eighths of the service was rendered directly to American soldiers. The remaining one-eighth was rendered directly to Allied soldiers, in response to urgent representations of Allied Governments and Commanders that such service would make their troops better fighters. Its indirect benefit to America may be judged by General Pershing's statement, June 25, 1917: "The greatest service which America can render to the cause of the Allies at the present moment, is to extend the work of the Young Men's Christian Association to the entire French Army."A specific military function was assigned to the Y M C A. Its duty was to assist in maintaining and promoting morale. It had been proved in the Spanish War and on the Mexican Border that Y M C A service made better fighters. That was the justification for allotting it space and privileges in the congested camps and lines of communication, all the way to the battle line.War is a grim business and until the War had been won military efficiency was the sole consideration. As a mere purveyor of comforts and luxuries, no organization could have been granted a share of the inadequate transportation for its supplies and workers.