Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-11-09
SOLDIERS LETTER BOX
A. E. F., France,
Number Six.

Dear Charlie:-
 Your letter from home dated Sept. II reached me few days ago. have wanted to write you tor some time Tn answer to your long letter telling me about your trip. Two from you right after the arrival at Albemarle and one from Bess after you got to Ashe- vile gave me the details of your jour- ney and you should have enjoyed the east-bound trip fine. altho you cer- talnly had mess ot 1t coming back home. The home-bound part of 1t should bring fond @ recoIIections to Clyde. France would be wonderful country to tour ill a car, but not pleasure car is operated Tn these days. I've done considerable travelling over this part ot the world. but hardly in as good style as the Ford Special"
 My serial number appearing on my identification tag is No. 57355S, but I've hda to dodge shell only few times, and 1 imagine the Dutch have missed about as good chances at me that they will ever have. Things are very interesting around here at pres ent, but the disaster seems to settle with the other party. Yesterday over two thousand prisoners came thru, and l have just been out to see about SIX hundred more. They say that whole battalions are just waiting for the chance to give up and this suate- ment seems borne out by the fact that they are all packed up, have their best clothes (which are the filthlest rags ever saw) on and are appar- ently delighted to be taken. One youngster who won't shave for sever al years yet winkeG at me when he passed, and l didn't see a single grouch in the whole line. When they throw away their arms. pack up their few personal belongings and come out so gladly there is no doubt but what they have had all the war they want.
 Yesterday mighty fleet of air planes came over. l counted 104 and lost count. About half of them were bombing planes and the others, while along for protection. doubtless had machine guns mounted. That's the biggest spectacle of it's kind I've ever seen. and expect the Boche were treated to a rare party before the expedition returned.
 I'm enclosing a card l had written to Frank. If he can't read it, he had better brush up on his French, for after the war a lot of little "petit gascon'' will go over to America and he should know how to tell them "hello.'
 The home newspapers must have had time with their six inch head liners about the Allied continued sue cesses and the Germans demand for peace. It's far better for us that are here to stay and do the job up in good style than to yield single point and allow their militarism to be unbroken and subsequent threat to our national peace and happiness. At any rate, we will probably be home next summer as there is no doubt but that it is just a question of time before even the most bloodthirsty and belligerent ene- my must admit defeat.
 Three or four newspapers have come thru, about two months old. Bea- ter than pie to get them here Just clip out anything of interest and put it in letter.
 Each soldier over here has received a slip which he can send home for a Christmas package. It would be nice to get something from home, but I'll not let my package swell the mails any, and some other fellow who needs it more will have better chance to get his. Some Christmas packages last year were delivered as late as April and May, and Pm satisfied would rather not expect anything than to be disappointed. You may keep anything you have until l get home and then l will be sure of get ting it and will appreciate it just as