Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-26
alton Bureau for Families of Soldiers at the Front

war on every side a bit of homely gos
sip is more grateful than the finest
Addisonian English to the critic, and
many a soldier has plunged into the
fight which seemed going against him
with new courage and strength, be-
cause buttoned up inside his jacket was
a letter from home telling about
mother, father and the children and
the simple news of the neighborhood.
There are soldiers over in France who
may have no mother or sweetheart and
who-need a letter. There are ways of
finding them out so that when the mail
is distributed in the trenches they Will
not be sighted.
As further means of gathering in
formation about the welfare of the SOL
diers in France, for their families and
others interested. the organization of
the statistical section with each army
division will be completed by having a
regimental section with each regiment.
This will be in charge of the regular
adjutant, assisted by the chaplain and
detail of enlisted men.
From this regimental section in di-
rect touch with the men. one man Will
be sent to the statistical section with
the division to which the regiment be-
longs-thus placing in each divisional
section a man from each regiment in
the division to look after inquiries
about men in his regiment. The divi-
sional section will also maintain touch
with the hospitals and with any de-
tached units serving at divisional head
quarters.
The adjutant generals office author
ICES the announcement that the train
ing of men to serve in France as off,
GERS of the statistical division will be
in conformity with recommendations
made by Maj. Gen. Pershing, so that
work In conjunction with the statistical
section already being organized there.
Provisions have been carefully made
for handling the work during troop
movements Upon receiving orders for
departure from the United States the
regimental representatives assigned to
the division statistical section will re-
turn to their regiments. The permanent
divisional statistical section Will ac-
company the division. Upon arrival in
France the divisional section will be
reorganized with a representative from
each regiment as before.
-.
section at general headquarters to
which there will be a detail from the
divisional section. At each port of en-
barkation auxiliary statistical sections
will be organized to report informs alton
as to the time of departure and the
ship upon which each unit sails.
The statistical division of the ad-
jutant generals office is also charged
with the work of handling inquiries
relative to prisoners of war held by the
United States and Americans who may
be held as prisoners in Germany. This
work is under article XIV of the fourth
Hague convention: "A bureau of in
formation relative to prisoners of war
shall be instituted, on the commence
ment of hostilities. in each of the bel
ligerent states. and when necessary in
the neutral countries on whose terri
tory belligerents have been received.
This bureau is intended to answer all
inquiries about prisoners of war, and
shall be furnished by the various serv-
ices concerned. with AL the necessary
information to enable 1t to keep an in
dividual return for each. prisoner of
war.
1T shall be kept informed of intern
ments and changes, as well as of ad-
missions into hospital. and death.
TT Is also the duty of the bureau of
information to receive and collect all
objects of personal use. valuables, let
ters. etc. found on the battlefields or
left by prisoners who have died in hos
pital or ambulance and to transmit
them to those interested"
Article XVI of The Hague convention
says: THE bureau OF information shall
have the privilege of free postage. Let
tiers. money orders and valuables, as
well as postal parcels destined for the
prisoners of war. or dispatched by
them. shall be free from all postal du-
ties. both In the countries OF origin
and destination, as well as in those
through which they pass. Gifts and
relief in kind for prisoners Of war shall