Middletown transcript., 1918-01-26
BOY SCOUTS ACTIVE
300, 900 Responded to The Request
of President Wilson
DESPATCH-BEARINC SERVICE

DESPATCH-BEARING SER VICE
President Wilson has sent the follow
ing letter to Mr.. Colin H. Livingstone
President, National Council, Boy Scout:
of America:
''MY DEAR Mr.. LIvINGsTONE:
II desire to entrust the Boy Scout.
of America with new and important
commission, to make them the Govern
ment despath bearers in carrying to the
homes of their community the pamphlets
on the war, prepared by the Committee
on Public Information. The excellent
services performed by the Boy Scouts
in the past encourages me to believe
that this new task will be cheerfully
and faithfully discharged.
"YCurs sincerely,
"WOODROW WILSON"
The Boy Scouts of America, number
ing nearly 300, 600, have responded to
the request of the President with hearty
nnanimity and will undertake, as their
first despatch-bearing service. a dis
tribution of copies of the President 8
Flag Day address, published by the
Committee on Public Information in
pamphlet form on September Is, 1917,
and regarded as the most comprehensive
statement that has been issued by the
Government in regard to the fundamen-
sal issues of the war.
1t is tie desire Of the Administration
that this pamphlet have careful study
10y the people ef the country and the
Boy Scouts, acting as despatch bearers
directly under command of the Presi-
deni, will place the document in the
kah If five million citizens Of every
e.i.y. town and hamlet of the country,
with specific instructions that Its con-
xents IL carefully considered and that
use reader then make it his personal
responsibility 70 see that at least one
other citizen Of the community also
reads the copy. By these means
minimum of ten millions of thoughtful
ist.izens will have had this important
ans-4ssage impressed upon their minds or
",:l have been refreshed in memory as
IL she principles Of the war as express
e-1 by the President on September Is.
The pamphlets will be sent through
the mails to the Individual scouts and
in each package there will be a manual
for the guidance Of these yaang Govern
shest messengers. Acting under the
socal apstructiens Of the Scoutmasters
the desna tch bearers will deliver sue
Ix.s.tsd Eetsar as may be issued from
time to tine by the Comrnittee on Pub
lie Information IL citizens, carefully
avoiding duplication. They will accept
signed receipts from tins parsons visited
:snd 4sso their personal ASSURANCE that
rhey Mag comply with the requests
male. particularly to aid distribution
by passing tl;e documents to others.
Each Boy Scout &c provided with an
ideL' tification card, bearing his name,
troop number. city ana State, and de-
caring lis appointment as - aide to
the Com vi .tee on Public Infora.a ton
to serve as despatch hearer for t;,e
Government during the period covered
by his registration, psaser the direction
of the Matt nal Council, Esy Scouts of |
America. President Wilson's letter re-
q resting the service is reproduced in |
facsimile on the reverse side of the |
identification card.
Each Scout despatch bearer will have
access to franked postal cards, return
able to the Committee on Public Infor- !
mation, by means Of which any citizen
may order mailed to him any of the
various war pamphlets which the Com
mittee on Public Information has pub
lished during the war.