Douglas Island news., 1918-05-10
CREPE HANGING
 DISCOURAGED
Letters to Soldiers Should Be Free From News Which Tends to
 Create Worry

Indicate that one of the fruitful
 causes of the soldiers absenting themselves without leave ls the dls-
 courngiug letter from home. Such Ilottcrs frequently give alarming and exaggerated reports of conditions surrounding tho soldiers family, lhat some member is desperately m, that ml arc starving or that they
 are being In some way harassed. In instances such letters have SO
 proved upon Che minds of soldiers thnt they have ubsentcd themselves without leave Co go home, only to | find that conditions had been gross Ily exaggerated.
 Leads to Serious Trouble
 Meanwhile the soldier had been Iabscnt without leave serious mili- | |tary oGtnsc. His problem then be- came one of facing the penalty or gctttiug deeper into trouble by de- |scrtmg. Sometimes mans pride OF fear has led him to desert. Every soldier wants to receive lct- | tors from home They should be frequent. cheerful hopeful and ap- iprcciatlyc of the sacrifice that he is making for his country. They Ishould be fuu Of family incidents and cheerful home gossip. They should protect him from the trihing Ialarms and Che small annoyances Of everyday life. They should encour- Iagc him by giving full confidence |uat his family and friends stand behind him in the great enterprise he has undertaken
 One Commanders Report
 The value Of such letters to sol- Idlcrs is beyond estimate The harm lharm that discouraglng letters from home do Co him ls clearly indicated Iby reports at the Adjutant Generals IoGice. Here arc some extracts from rccnt reports of division command CTS:
 "I find, also, that many Of the families or thc mon write to them Iof unsatisfactory conditions at homo. sickness of relatives, and how much various members of tho family wish Co see thc soldier These let- tors. SO far as sickness, etc.. are con- ccrucl, are often ovcrdrawn. but, combined with thc homesick feel ing. oftcn result in Che man going absent without leave and finally be- iur dropped as a dcscrter %" Home Folks Advised Through Press
 '1 om now. through tho inews- papers of Indiana and through lec- urcm iu Kentucky whom we are able Co rcach through the office Of Che adiu,ant general of that state, cndcayoring to advise Che home poo- rlc of these mon of Che seriousness Of these oncuscs and that their ei- forts should be to assist every man l m performing tho duty that has de- yolycd on him. Co tighten his wor- rics and. above oll, Co regard deser- ton in its proper light. shall also Iottcmpt Co get thc West Virginia papers Co institute a campaign Of education along similar lines"
 Cases in Ohio Cited
 A division inspector submitted the following i'm this connection:
 "Whuo stationed at Columbus Barracks. Ohio, last year l was member of a general court-martial ! that tried approximately 100 en- listed men for assertion from Ma ioual Guard regiments stationed on |thc border. [ believe l am safe in saying that at least 9O per cent Of them gave os their reason for deser- ton tho fact that they had received |lcttors from home Co the effect that ] @ wife. sister, or mother. was dying,
 very ill or in destitute circumstances and begged Che man Co come home at once. Many of them admitted that
 when they arrived home they found
 that Che writer Of the letter had ox- aggcratcd conditions"
 Cheering Surroundings at Camps
 Many young soldiers, fresh from |homc. sunor from homosiclness. no matter how army officers try to make their surroundings pleasant and comfortable and provide proper amusemonts. Extraordinary meas
 urcs have been taken by tho War
 Department during the past year to keep the young soldiers actively cn- gagged whn in camp with sports, amusemcuts. and comforts that a
 wholesome psychology might be sus-
 tained. stm. a type of soldier will
 ycarn for home and fall into a brood
 ing mood. It is obvious how harm ful to him and the service a discon-
 tented letter from home might be.
 FORCEFUL AND DRAMATIC