Evening star., 1918-04-07
i GEN. PERSHlNG TO WOMEN OF AMERICA Il
!. A Letter to
. Mothers of Soldiers
f+4F+++++t+++F+++tS

1y here, whore hs lights In ths s1ss&
war. -.
mother. and VIII help 20 nrnsis,ng maas ny th@se
days and nights in France because you
SO inexorably forced him to go Gown 70
the dentist upon Saturdays ana AteSr
school back there at home. Tnet 10 ~
of the ten thousand reasons why no con.
tinually thinks of you with such aneo-
tion now that fate has brought htm
here to France to fight.
He is mighty proud OF niS AneE.cs y.
smother is the American soldier here N
France-proud Of her and growtngiy
1ond of her and anxious to get back 70
her. He is grateful to her for the Ia
telligent care she took OF him IN youtn
When you kneel down to pray Tor him
tonight do not forget to thank Al.
mighty God for his clean mouth.
Inoculation is playing an immense pac
in the wars medica! side. I,r ~ iS usoo -. :,
typhoid and several other ailmen1A Y
the paratyphoid vaccination the fTeoe3
found new value for calomei. ana ~
ready the Americans are taking full 20
vantage Of this one Of many ivaluaoie
French discoveries which have been mAoe
under the stimulus Of war
American soldiers health will be his high
and developed intelligence. That IS wner9
we gain an immense advantage from the
fact that we are SO nearly q umvefIAQ
iiterate nation. and from the fact tnax
our literates are such eager readers OF
the newspapers.
The American fighting men won't nav
much more pneumonia than they na1 -
home before they became soldiers; they
won't have typhoid at all they WIZ havS
some measles mumpS and scarlet lever
but not much, for these diseases were noN
waiting here in France to pounce upon
our boys, but were imported with them
fY,,yIa the states,
Trench fever is being studied with e.
pecial care, and it is hoped that We anA1
and the French. 1t is not Serious
danger to mems lives The Carrei-De1n
treatment for the sterilization OF wounoA
purely American and one OF the gfee{
achievements of this wartime, nj 49,
thousands Of lives for US.
In some ways an average American oo9
is better of here than he was at homes
for here it is his patriotic duty 20 Keep
well. II he wakes up In the morning iesl-
ing mean he is very sternly ordered-an-
deed, he is certain-to report the crcuna-
stance to the doctor. He was not cercam
to do that when he was at home, ana tnue
here he may be less likely than ne 49,
at home to let little ailments grow -
big ones.
Now let us consider food. When your
SON. afling is taken to one OF our VT
time hospitals in France he VIII get me
about the same diet that he would -
American surgeon tells me, much pscse.
On the whole, mother. shouio ~
that it would be better for you to gt~e
up the idea of sending to your son 1904
or any other specific things. sena
money to him or to some pse1eetS
managed fund established for the ben-
eft of him and all his fellows. II y00
want to spend enough to buy II seno =
leather vest to him, but don't be ang1y
If he never gets it. For while tnexo
will be difficulties about the delivery -
Individual soldiers of specific parcotH
II he doesn't get 1t some other fefiuW
will who probably will need 1t worno
than he does. And no matter who mey
an American soldier wears It,
-
Boiled down my message to Americas
mothers and American womanhood il
general interested in our expedtttophfy
force soldiers therefore is:
Don't worry at all about the mornlA
of the American fighting men in Franco
Reprove severely every man or woins
eany who says anything in public. or IN
private which might lead to anything
like pessimism with regard to the mof.
al influences which surround America1
soldiers in the war zone
Chide with a contempt as bitter -
such things ought to make you feel
those who cast aspersoins on the morals
of our fighting men. II any organizes
tion persists in this stop giving funds
to 1t.
Don't worry any more than would b
justified at home about your soldiers
health.
Keep him cheered by news from
home that you are determinedly behind
him and absolutely trust him.
Keep him informed of home political
affairs, particularly with regard to
those men who prove to be efficient or
inefficient in their management of the
. conduct of the war. 7.f-
Copyright by Edward Marshall Syndicate. 1s1o.1
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