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