The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-08-07
CARDS IN THE CAMPS

| notice that among the different
articles to be put in the comfort bags
made for the soldier boys, is included
deck of cards. Now, why not leave
out those cards and put in small
Bible or hymn book instead? Then
when the boys had any time of their
own, they could sing the good old
songs and perhaps it might be that
sometime those songs would bring
back to some boy his mother or
fathers advice, or cause him to re-
member that at home there were
prayers ascending to a Fathers
throne for him. Anyway it would be
time better spent than around card
table.
Only a few weeks ago | was asked
by mother who has two boys in the
army, for some religious tracts Of
any kind that l could get for her as
one of her boys had written to her for
something of the kind, and he told
her in his letter how the other boys
seemed to enjoy religious literature.
How about it, fathers and mothers,
who have soldier boys, had you rather
have him receive deck of cards than
a Bible or song book? believe there
are some who will agree with me
while there will be many others to
criticise.
Please print this little clipping
| taken from the Times Union and writ
ten from the American training camp
Ill France:
"There was an unfortunate occur
renee in the camp last night. Two sol.
diers became engaged in a quarrel
over card game and one of them
kicked the other several times in the
stomach. The latter was found dead
later in his billet. His assailant is
under arrest"
Mrs. Levi Grantham.
Sparr, Fla, Aug. 5.
We would suggest to our CORES
pendent that it be left to the individ
ual soldier whether he has a pack Oh
cards in his kit or not. 1t is ques
ton he has a right to decide for him
self.
Men and women probably obtain
more quiet and restful amusement
from playing cards than from any
other form of recreation. A pack OF
cards can be carried more easily thar
any other device for amusement anc
can be used in more different ways.
The fact that some men use cards
to gamble with is no reason why they
should be denied to the great major.
ity who do not. Men who want tx
gamble will gamble anyhow.
| American soldiers are not inveter
ately given to card playing. The!
prefer outdoor sports. But whe1
nothing else is accessible, bunch O
them can sit down and quietly and in
extensively amuse themselves TO
hours with pack of cards.
!, The incident to which our cores
pondent calls attention is regrettable
but because two hot-headed men hat
trouble over a game of cards on on
day is no reason why cards shout,
be denied to several hundred thou
sand who use them moderately an
sensiblv every dav.
For that matter, there is certainl,
more quarreling and probably NOR
betting in the army over baseball
than there is over cards. Would GU
correspondent deny our young sol
diers the privilege of playing base
ball, or seeing the game played?
The American army is made up o
several hundred thousand represen
tative young men, who know how t
behave themselves, and do behav
themselves, better than the sam
number of civilians. The Star is il
favor of leaving them and thei
morals to their officers, who kno1
about hundred times as much abou
what they should have and not hav
as the average person who hasn'
been in the service