The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1918-05-16
In q recent statement the war d..
pnrtmeht strongly advises against dis.
leftora 70 noIiIoru.

NiSosC thut Oue or the Irultlul causes
or soldiers absenting themselves with
OUT Is the discouraglng letter
from home. Such letters frequently
give alarming and exaggerated reports
OF conditions surrounding the soldiers
family, that some member Is desper.
ately III, that all are starving, or that
they are being In some way harassed.
In instances such letters have so
preyed upon the minds Of soldiers that
they have absented themselves with
out leave to go home, only to find
that conditions had been grossly ex-
aggernted.
Meanwhile the soldier had been abb
sent without leave-a serious military
ofcnse. His problem her became
II Of facing the penalty or getting
deeper into trouble by DESERVING. Some
times Il mans pride or fear has led
him to desert.
Every soldier wants to receive let
tiers from home. They should be fire.
Quent, cheerful, hopeful, and appre-
ciative Of the sacrifice that he Is
making for his country. They should
be full Of family incidents and cheer
ful home gossip. They should pro-
tect him from the tritling alarms and
the small ~annoyances Of everyday life.
They should encourage him by giving
ful! confidence that his family and his
friends stand behind him in the great
enterprise he has undertaken.
The value Of such letters 10 soldiers
IS beyond estimate. The harm that
d:Scourasins letters from home do to
him Is Clearly indicated BY reports at
;As ad.'uStant generals office. Here
Sc some extracts from recent reports
g. @tviS!on couiNanders:
/ End. also, tina, many Of the fam.
lies .! me Men write 70 them Of un.
$sG&aetory conditions at home. sick.
less .! relatives, and how much va
Tias members 81 the family wish to
s=s ths solder, These letters, So far
IS Sickness exc. are concerned, are
o1:ao overd-&w1. hut Combined with
Ss hoznasicl feeling, often result in
rhs uLo cttac tt,ssa: without leave
mt finally :,e;ac dropped ss s de-
Rh":a,.
- LII XIV, -Ar;,oeA Ire nswspa
jars u l13sus ao6 MreDrh lecturers
Il NaI-ocE9 Won re gre st!e 70
"at"A ch"nur. ~ :Ace u ne S..
.1rrst; rsoe"L, u 20. s:&:s- s~-3sSvoc.
ING = Ncrlss in* Ho-ot g'to7!s i these
n'A1 d thi s~t"lHuSlass q i.ass u.
-nl!Sn! Ill; la: -,,A.' aH a-.s should ~
a t'''slH ''"""y Hi Z 49, nr--i.e rs
uu| -itt iWt aHVo.rat " Tin -
l"ilt"l h!f vn""ieh LAG Ln?rt ~, -
f"INrt u"S."-tol i - I"o;'A. -.E.t
:"Hl u!S' u-TemN Il E": -hs Wes.
!'~!h!i NNlF2"S 4 nisti.uLt L CALL
l>!tH " .uu:u:iol ,.ioNe siIl.!t.r
INES
dlv!*tol INSPECTOR, SUBMITTED III.
following II TINS connection
'Nnir Stationed a -oiumnus prr
TH:AS ohtO las, Teu' ! was I, iIenii'e'
" { genera c"u-t.mnr!.ul :tnn, -riet
aupr"%lnnt!:i, IN .]M!!#."c lr"l -,
n."er:iui .,0n A,r-.aun. .,mu'G reg,
l1eii!s Stationed W Ii, nn,As, J ~,
s.ere rn ST.. II >i!lug t.e' ~ least
30, ~, o,~.,,1n. 3D.. +a., ~, 80,
n,I ,,c,.y,1 levers er,,, ,,,,. ', -.
,.-,,, M, wsfe .,s,s, nr ,o,,h.,
M,s .,,h.r 6yny very IN mr. in d.a
ri,Ae circumstance and hcyycd IN,
.nA. Z, come home s., onco Monv n,
me men admitted that vhen thcv ar
wed home thew found that the write,
Of the letter had exaggerated condi
tons
"Mnny Young soldiers. fresh from
home, suffer from Inconsistencies, n,
matter how army officers NAV try t,
make their surroundings pleasant an,
comfortable and provide prope
nmusements Extraordinary meas
urcs have been taken by the war dc
pnrtment during the past year to kee
<bo ~, ,olJlo, oottro1, o-