The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-31

r making sure that connections renal
unbroken. One week the family read
: and rereads, laughs over, and pretend
not TO wipe its eyes over, the usual let
ter from the boy in France, letter full
of brayado and gaiety, light hearted re
counting of the details of camp life
cockiness about its hardships, conviction
about the outcome of the war. The mex
!, week the letter doesn't come. They tel
each other that it has been delayed, tr,
not to listen for the postman's ring, anS
refuse to meet each Others eyes wheI
the postman has come and gone. So III,
week drags by, and the next week comes
and the next, and the weeks after that
He may be in the hospital, he may
have been transferred, he may even be d
prisoner of war. He may be dead, al
though they have received no notice OF
his death. They would almost welcome
that notice sometimes, in their anxiety
for there is no grief worse than such
terrible uncertainty There is nothing
that they can do but wait. Connections
have been broken as completely as if the
Then they remember that his letters
home have been written on Young Mems
Christian association stationery, with
the familiar Red Triangle in the corner.
Perhaps the Young Mems Christian assoc
citation knows something about their son.
They determine to write and implore its
help in getting into touch with him once
more. Sometimes it is the father who
writes, asking that the bad news, if
there is any, be kept from the boys
mother. Sometimes both father and
mother write, unknown TO each other,
each trying to save the other pain.
1t was these heartsick letters from
the home folks, mostly mothers, that led
to the creation of the new bureau of the
Young Mems Christian association 1t
follows missing soldier and sailor BOYS
almost around the world sometimes, TO
bring back word of their safety to their
people at home. 1t goes even into the
prison camps, TO ascertain their where
abouts. During the last month the bu-
reau received 80 letters, and was able to
trace 81 of the boys.,
No detective agency ever worked on |
such meagre clues as the bureau OF miss |
ing soldier and sailor bows must do. |
only the boys name is given |
Often, the sole hints are such bits as |
these: MY boy graduated from Yale in |
1915" Charley sailed from America
on the 'Espagne' June 49," "The lad |
was in ambulance section %, but dropped
out. to try to enter aviation"
1t takes infinite patience to follow
such clues to the end. just to bring com
fort to the hearts of anxious mothers
back home. Perhaps only woman
could be expected to understand how
other women worry about their soldier
boys. At any rate, at the head-or the
leart-of the bureau to trace missing
soldier and sailor boys, there is wom-
In, Miss A. Evelyn Newman who for
seven years directed the Studio Club for
5irls, in New York. MY boys she
alls the missing soldiers and sailors,
md every letter that comes from their
antilles at home she considers personal,
nd answers as soon as she can, knowing
low that answer is waited for at home.
The method of following clues depends !
argely upon the information given in,
he parents letter. Sometimes the Uni !
ersity club in Paris, s Rue Richelieu,
an give aid; sometimes the steamship )
records are of help, sometimes q
he aviation headquarters supply the u
Kissing information. The Army Regis
er handles huge location department, a
! helping the homefolk to keep the ties
and the Red Cross b"s c~h;-,o4 z
Uses full of filing cards on the problem. "
9th cooperate warmly with the Young
lens Christian association in the effort
, trace missing sons, and day never
pes by without many inquiries being C
ichanged.
BY far the greatest number of letters e.
aal with boys whose correct address is
ipposedy known, as, for instance: as :
lere any military yeason why my son in {
- regiment, engineers, cannot
rite me, or receive letters from home ?"
/ these cases it is question of verify
e the address. Often the Young Mems 6
hristian association bureau finds that 3
e address is correct, and the perilous 3
all service accounts for the anxiety of &
e father or mother. Or the fault NAV :,
with the son, who has failed to write
rough neglect. :.
The Y. NJ. c. A. writes both to the y
". asking him TO write home, and to !,
e mother. saying that the son has been {
with, and was found safe /
ID well. C
Some letters come to the bureau that y
We knocked nearly around the world :,
Canadian boy was traced to France. g,
en- to Palestine. then to Gallipoli, and &C
board another transport for Egypt.
zen the trail was lost. Did he go down =
the Hispanola? Is he shipwrecked =
an island. or a prisoner in German -
boatY Another la came to France as ~
ambulance driver. AT the taking el
er of the ambulance by the American
ny he dropped out of sight. His chum IA
4 received a postal from some hotel g
Paris When last seen, he was con- ~
ting with some mysterious woman ~
uld the Y. VI. C. A. possibly locate SO
n and get him homes di
lnother sort of letter occasionally N
mes to the bureau from the American
]. She wants 20 know whether any 70
n in the American expeditionary :
ces would enjoy receiving letters from y
girls AZ home. and requests The names u
any such soldiers. To all such en- an
ries the Young Mems Christian asso- m
ton replies that the writing II such :.
ers j. absolutely discouraged b. the y
ociation. a. well az BY army officials