In the battle zones were the
temporary huts where the workers resided, placed as near the front lines
as the military authorities could permit. Many times the workers went
into the most advanced trenches with the soldiers, serving them tobacco,
coffee, chocolate, etc., and doing their utmost to keep up spirits and
fighting morale. Much of the uniform good discipline and behavior
attributed to the Negro troops undoubtedly was due to the beneficial
influence of the "Y" men and women.

As an example of the way the work was conducted it is well to describe a
staff organization in one of the buildings.

It was composed of a building secretary, who was the executive; a
religious work secretary, who had charge of the religious activities,
including personal work among the soldiers, Bible class and religious
meetings; an educational secretary, who promoted lectures, educational
classes and used whatever means he had at hand to encourage intellectual
development, and a physical secretary, who had charge of athletics and
various activities for the physical welfare of the soldiers. He worked
in closest relationship with the military officers and often was made
responsible for all the sports and physical activities of the camp. Then
there was a social secretary, who promoted all the social diversions,
including entertainments, stunts and motion pictures, and a business
secretary, who looked after the sales of stamps, post cards and such
supplies as were handled, and who was made responsible for the proper
accounting of finances.

The secretaries were either specialists in their lines or were trained
until they became such. Some idea of their tasks and problems, and of
the tact and ability they had to use in meeting them, may be gained by a
contemplation of the classes with which they had to deal. The selective
draft assembled the most remarkable army the world has ever seen. Men of
all grades from the most illiterate to the highly trained university
graduate messed together and drilled side by side daily. There were men
who had grown up under the best of influences and others whose
environment had been 370TH or vicious, all thrown together in a common
cause, wearing the same uniform and obeying the same orders.

The social diversions brought out some splendid talent. A great feature
was the singing. It was essential that the secretary should be a leader
in this and possessed of a good voice. These were not difficult to find,
a