Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-03-18
ANTI-WAR TALK
To Make 1t Uncomfort-
able for Those Who
Make It
Maine Committee on Public Safety Is
sues Bulletin Covering This Point
Advice to Dependents-the Cover
nor's Letter

The Maine Committee on Public
Safety, of which Harold NJ. Sewall OF
Bath is chairman, in bulletin issued
Saturday calls upon all members OF
local public safety committees to make
it uncomfortable for persons who make
anti-war talk.
I'VE are confident says the state
ment, that the majority of our citizens
do not understand that in many local.
ties Of the State there are men and
women in different stations of life, who,
while too cowardly to indulge in word
or deed for which they may be pun
ished by law, are making such effort as
they dare to discourage patriotism OF
the rugged kind.
Such vary from the mildest pacifist
to the crank and near agitator. We
wish to call on our public safety COM
mttees in every locality to use means
and methods to meet each individual
situation, and to make it uncomfortable
and unhealthy for people of the char
acter above described. Suppress it.
1t weakens the morale of our citizens,
encourages the Stacker and may pave
the way for overt acts. Nip it in the
bud.
Advice to Dependents.
The bulletin of the Committee on
Public Safety further says:
I'VE feel it very important that
every young man who goes into the
service of his country in this great war
should go with his mind as free as
possible from anxiety and worry about
home affairs. We strongly urge that
the public safety committee in each
locality, through it's chairman or secre-
tary. have friendly talk with each
forming him that the Public Safety
Committee of his town will gladly as
sist in any possible manner to arrange
soldiers business affairs so that he
may leave home with his mind easy.
where legal advice is necessary the
committee will endeavor to have the
local member of the Maine Legal Ad-
visory Board give drafted man in
formation. and the committee pledges
that it will take deep and friendly in
terest in the affairs of our soldier boys,
and see that nothing unfavorable hap
pens to their dependents by prompt ac-
ton of the committee.
Gov. MilIiken's Letter.
Governor Milliken has written to US
on this matter as follows:
! Nothing would add more to the eff
ficiency of our soldiers in cantonments
and overseas than the knowledge on
their part that each mans family at
home was provided with first friend
to give advice and assistance in case of
need. l am anxious that the Public
| Safety Committee in every city and
/ town should take up at once the
project of furnishing a first friend to
every soldiers family. This has moth
| ing to do with financial assistance,
which can be provided in other ways
| But it would be very real contribu-
ton to the welfare of our fighting
forces if such an organization can be
completed within our State and the an
announcement sent to them, that every
soldiers family has some definite per-
son assigned to the task of protecting
and caring for the family in the SOL
dier's absence.
THE first service which these first
friends can perform is the assistance
| of the dependents of soldiers and
sailors in making out their application
| for federal aid. They are all entitled
to aid from the federal government,
and very few of them know this fact
or know how to make out the necessary
application blank. Any assistance that
can be rendered by the adjutant gem
erals Office is freely at the disposal of
the local public safety committee in
| carving out this plan"