The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1918-05-22
LETTERS CAUSE DEsERTIoxs.

In a recent statement the War De
Qmrtment strongly advises agains
siscouraging letters to soldiers:
Recent reports from commanding
ytnerlls of certain Army divisions in
diczte that one of the fruitful causes
~ soldiers absenting themselves
spNaut leave is the discouragins
setter from home. Such letters fire.
sxtutIy give alarming and exag.
rnr2ted reports of conditions sur
reaading the soldiers family, that
some member is desperately i'll, that
III zee starving, or that they are be-
9rs N some way harassed. In in
HEsses such letters have so preyed
Hp0a the minds of soldiers that they
aEsy absented themselves without
lseye to go home, only to find that
nonSitions had been grossly exag-
grvued.
Meanwhile, the soldier had been
Ittseat without leave--a serious mili
5ary lfepse iI.s problem theE be-.
caCle oHe of .acing the penalty or get
zsg deeper into trouble by dCgetCing
s4ueume3 a + ans pride or fear has
hd him to DESERT.
Every soldier wants to receive
ctters from home. They should be
s-cEaent, cheerful, hopeful, and APP
grBciative of the sacrifice that he is
making for his country They
ssould be full of family incidents and
sAeertul home gossip. They should
Fr1tect him from the triaing alarms
iUd the small annoyances of every
iGy life They should encourage
Sim by giving full confidence that
eis family and friends stand behind
Sin IN the great enterprise he has
Etsdyrraken
The value of such letters to SOL
ziers is beyond estimate The harm
Nat discouraging letters from home
40 70 aim is clearly indicated by re-
seEss q The Adjutant Generals Office /.
IitsF are some extracts from recent +
rvt'ueJs of division commanders:
~ lind, also, that many of the
families of themen write to themof
unsatisfactory conditions at home,
sucSEess of relatives, and how much
szrioQs members of the family wish
q sss the soldier. These letters, so
Lar IS sickness etc, are concerned,
Ers Jtten overdrawn, but, combined
'Sus the homesick feeling, often re-
s9it ia the man going absent without
4sIve and finally being dropped as n
5es5yLer
am now, through the news
JaUers OF Indiana and through lectur-
~ iu Kentucky, whom we are able {
- NC eh through the ngice o. the ad-
lut&ur general of rha! State, en-
araypring [" advise -. home DE- nile
81 steSe nen of the seriousness Of
'hsse Offenses and that their efforts
'ITG!d be to assist every man in per-
forming the duty that has deyolved
VI hlE, 10 tighten his worries and,
eh0Nv all, to regard assertion IN it's
roger light. | shall also attempt TO
aar the West Virginia papers to iu-
&I,Cte campaign Of education along
lrHiLHr lines !
4 division inspector submitted
tie following in this connection: .
-Hhile stationed at Columbus
sarG1ks, Ohio, last year l was a
of a general court-martial
xxx tried approximately 100 enlisted
uAs Tor desertiOn from National Z
snayd regiments stationed on the Z
iaraer. | believe am safe in saying $
het az least 80 per cent of them gave !
g their reason for desertion the fact l
il1r they had received letters from '
iogue to the effect that a wife, sister, [
r Elother was either diving, very i'll, !
z IN destitute circumstances, and Z
egEcd the man to come home at ]
uce- Many of the men admitted
.Gai tue writer of the letter had exag- I
eTEted conditions =
Many young soldiers, fresh fyom
aue. suffer from Inconsistencies, no
.G;lar how Army officers may try TO
rHSe their surroundings pleasant aud
nWtnrtable and provide proper c
rzUsements. Extraordinary meas n
ms have been taken by the War De-
arynent during the past year to +
esY tue young soldier actively en- n
Rgsd while in camp with sports, "
SRGsements, and comforts that 4 n
-is0iesome psychology might be sus-
.tuod- Still, a type Of soldier will "
cxtu Tor home and fall into a brood I,
~ Mood. II is obvious how harm a
- In a. I'M, nj 40, he