The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-08-23
MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Write to the Wayne County Soldiers and
Sailors

land and sea.
Hardly home in this community that is not
represented directly in the military establish
ment. No home that does not number friend or
acquaintance serving in the camps at home or in
the trenches overseas.
Commensurate with the number of boys in
the service is our duty to keep in touch with
them. A letter from home is more valuable in
the sight of soldier or sailor than precious
stones or gold. 1t is the link that binds him, no
matter how great the distance to his home.
Parents, brothers and sisters keep in close
touch with their soldier boys But the home let
tiers should be supplemented by communications
from friends and neighbors. Some boys are or
phans, others have only few, perhaps no init
mate friends, who write to them with religious
regularity.
The Palladium has the names and addresses
of every Wayne county boy in the army and navy,
at home or overseas. 1t suggests that letter
writing become community affair. 1t asks that
every one in Wayne county begin writing letters
to the boys, even if you are not personally ac-
quainted with them They came from Wayne
county. That's enough. They are your neigh
bors, friends, indeed, your sons
Every family in Wayne county ought to OBJ
tain the name of one boy or two, or three, to
whom letter will go forward once week.
Telephone the Palladium office, or write a
letter. and you will be given the name and address
of soldier or sailor from Wayne county.
If you have boy in the service, don't hest
tate in asking for the name of another soldier or
sailor. His mother will be glad to know that her
boy is receiving letter regularly from some one
else in the home county
Picture the happiness of the soldier or sailor
when he opens letter from stranger in which
he starts out, 81 don't know you personally, but
you are from Wayne county and that's my home
also. Because you are Hoosier from the good
old county of Wayne, l am going to write you a
letter regularly to let you know that all of US are
thinking about you and are trying to keep you
posted on what's going on at home.''
What's that boy going to do He's going to
let out yell of joy and his heart is going to fill
with that grand and glorious feeling" And
on the next day when he goes over the top
therell be an increased punch to his bayonet
thrust, strident tone of victory in his yell of
defiance, new element in his fighting ardor
that will makesthe Huns wonder what new and
hitherto undiscovered brand of devil dogs"
come from the county of Wayne in the good old
state of Indiana.
Or again, suppose the lad is worn out and
county girl for weeks. He believes he hasn't
friend left in the world. And along comes a let
ter from an unknown friend on the banks of the
Whitewater, telling him that the whole county
knows he's over there, hasn't forgotten him, but
thinks of him and his companions every day and
intends to do so until he and his fellow soldiers
come marching back home. Isn't that Wayne
county lad going to be your friend forever and
ever?
Letters constitute line of communication
that is vitality essential in keeping up the morale
of the sailors and soldiers. They keep the home
tie intact. They do what gold and silver cannot
do-refresh the jaded spirit and animate the
discouraged faith. A letter from the home
county will arouse more cheer in the heart, slim
ulate the spirit more quickly, increase the morale
more effectively than anything you can suggest
or do. A letter from Wayne county, no matter
who writes it, is letter from HOME to the boy
on the sea or in the trench.
It's easy to sit on your front porch and talk
about the sacrifices of the boys, how valiant they
are, and how they are driving the Huns toward
the Rhine. You read your daily paper regularly,
you indulge in your pet luxuries, you've got
everything that makes for contentment and ease
You have a snap.
Did you ever stop to think that the boys over
there cannot buy contentment, even if it were
marketable commodity. That they have no
newspaperS delivered regularly. That they can
not provide themselves with the little personal
Injuries that contribute so much to ease of mind
and happiness.
DIES At UNION CITY DIES suoDENI