The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-05-08
WEEKLY WAR
NEWS DIGEST
Discouraging Letters
Cause Desertions
From Army Camps

rTOHl army lamps
In a recent statement the War De-
partment strongly advises against
discouraging letters to soldiers:
Recent reports from commanding
generals of certain divisions indicate
that one of the fruitful causes of SOL
diers absenting themselves without
leave is the discouraging letter from
home. Such letters frequently give
alarming and exaggerated reports of
conditions surrounding the soldiers
family, that some member is desper-
lately i'll, that all are starving, or that
they are being in some way harassed.
In instances such letters have so prev
ed 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-
aggerated.
Meanwhile the soldier had been alb
sent without lcave-a serious military
offense. His problem then became
one OF facing the penalty or getting
deeper into trouble by deserving.
Sometimes a mans pride or fears has
led hi INTO desert.
Every soldier wants to receive let
tiers from home. They should be fire.
qucnt, cheerful, hopeful, and appre-
ciative of the sacrifice that he is max
ing for his country. They should be
full of family incidents and cheerful
home. gossip. They should protect
him from the trifing alarms and the
small annoyances of everyday life.
They should encourage him by giving
full confidence that his family and his
friends stand behind him in the great
enterprise he has undertaken.
The value of such letters to SOL
diers is beyond estimate. The harm
that discouraging letters from home
do to him is clearly indicated by re-
ports at The Adjutant Generals Of
flce. Here are some extracts from re-
cent reports of division command.
ers:
i find, also, that many of the
families of the men write to them of
unsatisfactory conditions, at home.
sickness of relatives, and how much
various members of the family wish
to see the soldier. These letters, so
far as sickness, etc, are concerned are
often overdrawn, but, combined with
the homesick feeling, often result in
the man going absent without leave
and finally being dropped as de-
serter.
1 am now, through the newspa-
pers OF Indiana and through lecturers
III Kentucky, whom we are able to
reach through the office of the adiu-
tant general of that state, endeavor-
ing to advise the home people of these
men OF the seriousness of these often
ses and that their efforts should be
to assist every man in performing the
duty that has devolved on him, to
tighten his worries and, above all. to
regard desertion in its proper light.
! shall also attempt to get the West
Virginia papers to institute cam
palgn of education along similar lines
A division inspector submitted the
following in this connections: l.
/ While stationed at Columbus
barracks, Ohio, last year l was a
member of a general court-martial
that tried approximately 100 men en-
listed tor desertion from National
Guard regiments stationed on the bor-
der. | believe l am safe in saying
that at least 90 per cent of them gave
as their reason. for desertion the fact
that they had received letters from
home to the effect that wife, sister,
or mother was either dying, very i'll.
or in destitute circumstances, and
begged the man to come home at
once. Many of them admitted that
when they arrived home they found
that the writer of the letter had ex-
aggerated conditions
Many young soldiers, fresh from
home, suffer from Inconsistencies. no
matter how Army officers NAV trv to
make their surroundings pleasant and
comfortable and provide proner
amusements. Extraordinary meas
ures have been taken by the War De-
partment during the past year to keen
the young soldier actively engaged
while i'll camp with sports, amuse-
ments, and comforts that a whole
some some psychology might be sustained
pun, type of soldier will yearn for
nome and fall into broodinp mood
II IS obvious how wonderful to him
ana to the service discontented let.
ter from home might be-"
, priSounr. ae VI