The Idaho Springs siftings-news. (Idaho Springs, Colo.) 1905-19??, 1917-11-23

Thanksgiving in this great world At the
training stations the ships which patrol the
coast lines. In the submarines which move about
hundred feet below the surface of the water,
and the great batteshps on the high seas
Thanksgiving day Is to be observed as 1t never
before has been by the boys and men who are
dedlcating their lives to Americas cause. 1t VIII
be merely II day of scnsuous pleasures, OF
stufiing oneself with foods To please the taste;
rather 1t Will be day of mental inspiration. OF
spiritual qualification of thoughts of home and
those who are dear.
In n general way the stories of how Thanksgiv
ing is observed In the two branches of the Amer
lean lighting forces do not differ Soldiers who
are yet in this country viii perhaps be given fur
loughs that they can be with their families or
other relatives Thanksgiving day. Sailors and
marines who detailed to the training stations
may be invited out for the day or they may gather
in the big mess halls for program. But the lads
who are far away from their loved ones, those
who the high seas. will experience feel
ing entirely to them And 1t is going to have
a tremendously important influence, too. Per
haps You have wondered some time other why
the tghtfting blouse the black handkerchief
and his saucy little white cap seem to give the
Jackie youthful appearance than the khaki
or olive irab do to the soldier.
II is deception resulting ron marked
difference In the uniforms. Rather this apparent
hnytsh appearance of the iackies in comparison
with the soldiers IS reality. The jackies are
lust boys-the brightest youth of America, who.
before they have attained their manhood, are
Offering their lives make this country secure
from prussiansm and establish peace through
put the world
A spirit of youth perneates the United States
aavy-an atmosphere which perhaps Is not to be
found in the army. Most of the boys, who ore
being trained the -bntteships, and the
ma jority of those who already have met the Ger
nan fleet in battles, are scarcely out of their
teens There is fascination for the sea, for the
experience of moving about the waters and be
,i,4 tn .. nf art
I'M. sea or by hostile ships-a something which
holds peculiar charm for American youth And
SO II is thai the American navy Is composed or
II great host Of young mcn-youth who seek ad
venture those who are eager to aVenge the ter
rbe atrocities wrought by Germany.
Months have passed since many of these young
tackles. transformed in an incredibly short time
from schoolboys to fighting men-o-wars-Inen left
their mothers and their fathers TO join other
youths In protecting country from the raw
ages of a barbarian foe. Their activities have
heen so strenuous that few have had the time
the inclination to mediate about their homes. But
all of these boys have been separated from their
own people long enough to give them IA sincere
longing to visit again hometown and to see mother
Men of the army better able TO combat
feeling of inconsistencies than the jackes can be-
cause the soldiers have come, general rule
from the offices, from the cares of business. from
colleges and from situations which have In their
very nature, separated the men, more or less,
from their family interests. Should this state
ment sound exaggerated and false let me amend
II somewhat. The soldiers probably are more
accustomed TO absence from home than are the
sailor boy. most or whom directly from the
Influence of their mothers and who are all by
themselves for the first time in their careers, con-
fronting some of the bigger problems of life.
And so it is that this Thanksgiving the many
thousands of American boys who are fighting In
tho frSt line of defense are going to experience
great mental awakening-a spiritual change
which might not have come to them under normal
conditions until they were much older in years
and experiepce 1t will be perhaps their first
rbankspiyinc day on which they have actually
,aken The tim. mediate over the blessings for
which they should give thanks
The boys probably have not previously had oc-
c.siop 70 appreciate the home influence. They
In ro,o;cs in the knowledge that the United
states now has Il navy which measures up to the
nest in The world They will be glad because they