The Washington times., 1917-05-27

be OF use to the enemy. This work
has overwhelmed him and other Of
hcers give him their aid. In these
huge piles OF letters home are the
inner thoughts and feelings Of the
boys in the navy. and comedy and
| tragedy, and q great composite pic
ture Of what the coming struggle IL
already meaning to thousands OF lives
throughout the land.
The chaplain places in one pile all
the letters to mothers, and reads
them frst and sends them on. An
envelope addressed Mrs" gets pref
erence over one addressed Miss"
As to the letter, you often find a most
astonishing state OF affairs. A blue
jacket will write to q girl OF his love
for her in the most vivid terms, and
then will add: Il hope we under
stand each other, although we have
never met" And the explanation Is
this: A boy comes here from Mime
sofa and meets q boy from Delaware,
and in the comradeship Of the sea,
growing generous each to the other,
they trade their girls, and to his new
sweetheart the youngster writes: 81
am as sure OF your earthly image as
though you were right here by my
side"
Use Color In Their Letters.
Some OF these spistlsS must be con-
fusing to folks at homs- One boy
wrote at the top of his letter AT
Sea-" and then described q baseball
game which he had seen that day on
shore. Many to their mothers depict
q safe and sober existence near the
land. but the same boys writing to
their chums win say: I'VE are right
out here in mid-ocean, nghting
U-boats dav and night" Some as
sumo a mournful note. "No chance OF
me getting 5000 for hitting the nrst
submarine. Am working In the bake
shop" Other writer's assume q tone
OF genial condensation toward the
poor prosy people at home who are
not fighting Uncle Sam You say
Dad is going to raise potatoes. Wen,
am proud to be the son of q potato
patriot. When you raise them. fry
them and forward same by parcel
post" Scores OF lads here send pawn
tickets home with navy pay - re-
deem them. Others urge their moth
ers to get their brothers to enlist,
"for / tell you the country needs us
all, and you can't be too quick about
it."
Practically all OF them" said the
chaplain, seem In their letters to be
engrossed in the new sort of lives
they are leading here. This brutal
officer stun we heard Is all bull a
boy will write" The letters reveal
strange views Of the navy existing
all over the United States of America
Boys by the hundred write back home
that this life is not what you
thought II was"-that the officers
Tolr mr. Ennrk than
down with Delaying pins. The boys
brag OF the food, of the fun they are
having, OF movies, victrolas, and base
ball games. And eight out ~ ten
write to their pals to come on und
Join the navy. l am not allowed to
publish these letters, but here IL the
sort OF thing they write:
Sample Letters.
Friend b received your letter
the other day and was mighty glad to
hear from you. You say you want
the inside dope on navy life? I'll say
this much, and that is for you to
join as soon as you can, for you don't
know what you are missing. Or
course II is a little hard at first, but
that only lasts for few days. The
quicker you make up your mind to
taught how to handle a rifle, and we
learn all the different drills-and self
reliance and other things which are
mighty interesting. Look here, B,
you have a good trade as a machinist.
Why don't you take the exam. as
second class machinist here? You Will
get a good Job out OF IT and can soon
make first class. 1 could not enlist
at any trade, and had to go through
tho training station, but at that /
am nothing out. / am learning to
be an electrician. Am going to school
four days a week, and it's great.
expect to take the exam. for third
class electrician in about three
months. So why don't you come on
and Join. when you have a trade to
back you up? Don't waste any time.
Go down and sign up and show your
colors-and get C to join with you.