The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-10-01

m France and the conditions caused by
the war make IT necessary that extreme
care be taken 10 do no damage 10 pri.
vate property. The en,lrc French
manhood capable Of bearing arms is in
the field fighting the enemy. Only old
men, women and children remain 10
cultivate the soil |, should therefore.
be point OF honor with each member
of the American army 10 avoid doing
the least damage TO any property in
France
While camp site. and other lands
and structures occupied by American
forces are under their control. their
power should be SO exercised as TO
cause no dissatisfaction among the
French people"
The first thing a senior commander
OF military unit does upon arrival in
France is to cause to be made at once
and forwarded to headquarters alpha
hctcal lists OF all officers, enlisted
men and civilian employees belonging -
the command" Thus it will be seen
by the good folks at home that not 4
single absent boy is lost a, the front, q
but that each personality, no matter how
minor Is matter ot intimate knowl
edge and record at headquartcr,
Good Reason for Silence.
Now suppose you don't hear often
from the absent boy and start worry
ing You must know that there is a
good reason for his silence and iha,
last short. unsatisfactory letter or post
card which he wrote 10 YOU Listen 20
this from General Orders No. l9'
concerning the need OF having every
body keep mum on military matters
and addresses to the army in the field
1T IS no secret yet We arc prone T.
| forget that III this war the United
States IS pltted against an enemy with
splendid spy system There are chan
nelS to gather i'll and forward to ,thcir
headquarters any military information
dropped by soldiers, officers, inter
prefers or clerks No officer. enlisted
man or civilian cmploye will disou, ,
orally or III writing with any person
whatever, except IN the line Of duty,
Iany matter referring to the movements.
number or morale OF the American
troops or their allies the intentions oi
their commander. state OF their sup
plies, the location OF troops, dcpotS ur
other utilities Tie must never mention
his unit IN connection with the place
where It is stationed, nor the organla
ton to which it belongs"
All these censorship provisions are
made in the interest OF and not against
your loved one IN France The boy,
here know II and do not complain II
is strange that certain American news.
papers, copies OF which occasional,
reach here rail against a censorship
that Is not Objectionable to those whu
are projected by il Why must our
safety be threatened hy editors and
writers many thousands OF miles from
all immediate danger Only an hour
previous to this very writing a danger
to us came very close at hand and i,
was one that could only have originated
IN leakage ol military information
am strong Tor even more drastic
censorship, and so arc the men in tn.
United States army.
Hello, Frenchic VIE ghe,S'" called
out a husky lad from the middle ives,
at turloughed French soldier clad in a
mud bespal,ercd hori2ou-blue uniform
and standing ON the platform OF the
llrSt "hal,e rcpaS," or coffee station
where oW section OF the military train
pulled up We were ON our way from
the sea coast to the training camp a,
'Ncrtcollne
A chorus of wild laughter went M
from hi, American comrades As the,
piled off each with his lineup for the
issue OF N,camlng hot coffee. All thi,
youngStcr knew OF foreign language,
was "Wle gents" and alas. he had
turned It loose upon a "po,lu
Musician CorrsCts Mistake.
Comment al eI-vouS, notrc ann
quickly corrected the principal musi.
c,an a naturallled American OF l,aliar
parcniagc who knew some French
whrrcat the glad light oi understand
ING and welcome broke across the war
face OF the "poilu"
Never viii get this lingo" growlc,
the artlllcryman with the two German
words
But he will get II Why not2 a tit
the patience and practice and an,
language can be mastered IN It's rudi
men,s The amount oi French aread,
being spoken IN the American army l.
quite astounding New words are open
ing before the ewes and minds OF ou
soldiers, the civilization, letters and il
luNtratcd history illustrated by castle,
churches and other RUNS OF ieuda
'meO ui great highly cultured an,
Tree people Also. through the Frencl
language our boy, are learning O, ,h
three years actual fighting that ha
gone before them from actual partici
PANTS word OF mouth anccdotc, tha
thrill and MAXI our lads keen to he'll
roll the Germans back to their own sol
and into state of reason and rcal1a
ton that other people on this cart
have right 10 live and prosper
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