The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01
LETTERS TO BOYS
The Kind That Gives Them Cheer
and Comfort.

The question of whether or not it
is the mere romance of the thing
that causes the men in the camps to
want to hear from young ladies thru
out the country or whether it is just
that they want comforting letters
from some woman, has been brought
to the attention of the statistical de-
partment by a certain woman in a
certain Kansas town.
Lieut.. A A. Werner, of the statisti-
cal department has received a num-
Der of letters along this line, but
this one, telling the experiences of
the writer in sending letters to men
in the camps, merely because she de-
sired to comfort the recipients is a
very interesting one. The certain
woman is satisfied that it is the ''ro-
nance of the thing that makes the
men want letters and has decided
that woman with Mrs" in front
or her name. and who, perhaps, is
the mother of two or three children,
are not the ones the soldiers want to
comfort them.
This particular writer has not CIV
en- up however for she is now keep
ing busy fixing up Christmas boxes
for the men in Camp Funston.
Her letter to Lieutenant Werner, of
the statistical department follows:
read in the newspapers what you
have to say about men in your camp
VINO have no friends to do for them. l
would like to tell you that there also
are men there and in other camps who
have refused the kindness of a god
mother because she happened to have
a Mrs. before her name. Honest, /
have written two and three letters, al
ways offering myself as a friend or
godmother
Il have one son and one foster son
IN the navy, yet l could care for more.
l keep them well supplied with COM
forts; / can knit and make CANDY as
RI hoo ~ feyx
am l, and understand young folks.
For the life of me I can't see why
all my letters were turned down, for
II the boys only stop to think, it is the
| mothers that look after them.
visited near the Great Lakes training
station this summer and 1 saw thou
sands of girls knitting, always some
bright pretty things"for themselves
The married or older women were
knitting for the boys at Fort Sheridan
or at the training station or some
other camp. 1 asked quite a few, Just
| to find out.
Here in this town there are several
girls knitting Two are knitting for
the sailors; the rest are knitting wash
rags for themselves, that they can buy
at the 10-cent store.
Il do not want to pose as a girl;
| just want to be a mother to boys that
have no mother. If some of the boys
would write me, could knit for them,
| buy magazines for them and fix up
boxes of candy. when do those things
| for my own real boys. They do not
care for papers or magazines. for
where they are they have more to read
than they have to it. 1 don't ever ex-
pect to hear from this letter, but will
| keep your address and send some
boxes for some of the boys at Christ
mas time.
Il could not help letting you know
that there are kind hearts that have
tried to brighten the lives of those
most dear to us. for 1 feel that every
man at Camp Funston is doing some
thing for me that 1 could not do my
self. That is why 1 have written So
| many times to different soldier boys.
Zone that wishes you good luck"