The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-07-07


SOME WHO SHOULD
SAY AT HOME
(By Gertrude Lynch of the Vigil
anteS.)
Especial Correspondence of the
Review.
miss Lynch was a war CORES
pondent in France for two years,
writing vivid human stories for the
New York "Sun." Then the strain
made her pause and She returned to
America for a rest. Now she is back
again, this time for The Vigilantes,
the organization of authors w"'>.ng
for the country. Her warning should
be needed by the ardent young men
who wish to serve their country and
also by the authorities who accept
their services).
BORDEAUX, June 2O.]ust be-
fore left New York an Englishman
there on his country's work from
whom have letters to help mine.
said:
"Tell me the truth whatever it is.
We havn't had enough, 81 it in this
war. America must set IN example.
Much might have been spared rs if
we had known. And remember it is
not only great big truths that are
needed but little truths, that strike
the iron in"
So I am going to write this truth,
this unpleasant truth, for have
promised.
l came to France the other day
through seas menacing with mines
and submarines. With me came
some three hundred sr!endld young
men who could not wait to be draft
of the best we have, the
flower of our youth, going to the
front to drive ambulances. Such
they are, but it cannot be denied
that among our shipload were some
fortunately few yonly-who
should not>have been allowed to
come and who having escaped the
censor of such material, should hsSe
been sent back at the landing stage.
hear that some, if not all, will be
80 treated.
To the easy vices of shipboard
they succumbed without struggle.
When, as in one case, the offender
is leader, the tragedy of excessive
drinking and gambling on such a
trip should not be CLOSED over, in
fact, it cannot be- Snch M: en-
dangers not only their own lives
but the lives Of others, which is of
more consequence.
l quote one of. the nice chaps, Of
whom l have spoken, who voiced not
alone his own sentiments:
g! think that very man who is
seEt over, particularly those in
charge of a unit or part of unit,
should be examined not only for his
proficiency with a machine but for
his morale.
No man is leader who cannot
lead his own will along the path of
self control. There is no place for
such young men in France. Do not
let the fine boys who come be dis
by the presence of black
sheep. It is too late when they get
here. The remedy is not to send
them.
There was at the moment of my
visit to the Auxiliary Service the or
ganization which takes care Of the
men and materials arriving here
from the United States and sees that
they reach their destination, one Of
the Commuters" held in a hotel by
the police who did not wish to i'm
prison him. for not paying his board
bill and other debts.
Commuters" am informed, is
the vernacular for these bad boys Of
the ambulance Corps who have to
be sent back, too. many, alas, having
met the fate since the service was
AS there is no fund estab-
lished, the Auxiliary was busy tele-
t. Paris for the where
withal to start the ProdigA Son on
his homeward path, which it was ex-
pected and hoped would be provided
by either the Norton Harjes officials
or those Of the American Ambu-
lance. So my question as to whether
it would not be a good idea to have
military rule established on board
ship came in rather apropos.
It is said that the boys are ex.
tremely amenable to the discipline
that is exerted when they land and