Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1918-05-17
WRITE CHEERFUL LETTERS
TO BOYS IN ARMY CAMPS.


In recent statement the war
department strongly advises against
discouraging letters to soldiers:
Recent reports from command
ing generals OF certain army diyis-
ions indicate that one OF the fruit
full causes of soldiers absentinR
themselves without leave, is the dis
couraging letter from home. Such
letters give alarming and exaggera-
ted reports OF conditions surround.
ing the soldiers family, that some
member is desperately ill, that all 1
are starving, or that they are being
In some way harrassed. In instan-
ces such letters have so preyed upon
the minds of soldiers that they have
absented themselves without leave
TO go home, only to find that con-
ditions had been grossly exaggera-
ted.
Meanwhile, the soldier has been
absent without leave-a serious mill /
itary offense. His problem then
became one of facing the penalty |
or getting deeper into trouble by
deserving. Sometimes mans fear
or pride has led him to desert.
Every soldier wants to receive
letters from home. They should be I
frequent, cheerful and hopeful, APP
preciative OF the sacrifice he is max
ing for his country. They should |
be full of family incidents and of
cheerful home gossip. They should /
protect him from the trifling alarms |
and small annoyances of everyday
life. They should encourage him /
by giving full confidence that his |
family and his friends stand behind |
him in the great enterprise he has
undertaken.
THE value of such letters to a |
soldier is beyond estimate. The
harm that discouraging letters from |
home do to him is clearly indicated
by reports at the Adiutant Generals
office Here are some extracts from
recent reports of division command
ers:
"I find, also, that many OF the
families of the men write to them
of unsatisfactory conditions at
home, sickness of relatives or how
much various members of the fam
ily wish to see the soldier. These
letters so far as sickness, ETC., are
concerned are too often overdrawn,
but, combined with the homesick
feeling, often results in the man
going absent and without leave
and finally being dropped as de-
serter'
az am now, through the news
papers in Indiana and through
lecturers in Kentucky whom we
are able to meet through the Office
Of ad1utant general of that state,
endeavoring to advise the home peo-
pie of these men of the seriousness
OF these offenses and that their eff
forts should be to assist every man
in performing the duty that has
devolved upon him, to tighten his
worries and, above all, to regard de-
sertion In it's proper light. / shall
also get the West Virginia papers
to institute a campaingn OF educa-
ton along similar lines
A division Inspector submitted
the following in this connection:
"While stationed at Columbus
Barracks, Ohio, last year l was
q member of a general court-martial
that tried approximately 100 enlist
ed men for desertion from National
Guard regiments stationed ON the
border / believe am safe in say
ing that at least 80 per cent of them
gave as the reason for desertion the
fact they had received letters from
home to the effect that a wife, sis
ter, or mother was either dying,
very i'll, or in destitute. cfrcum-
stances, and begged the man come
home at once. Many OF them ad-
mitted that when they arrived Of
home they found that the writer OF
the letter had exaggerated condt-
tions'
MANY young soldiers, fresh
from home, suffer from homesick-
ness, no matter how army officers
try to make their surrounding as
pleasant as possible and provide
proper amusementg. Extraordinary
measures have been taken by the
War Department during the past
year to keep the young soldier &C
lively engaged while In camp with
sports and amusements and conn
forts that q wholesome psychol-
ogy might be sustained. Still, a
type of soldier will yearn for home
and fall into a brooding mood. II
is obvious how harmful to him and
to the service a disconnected letter
from home might be-"