Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-05-09

A -
DaEensat sreosly advises against -
soulssaas asttses b SOLDIER:
Recent rg1ostD from eommandana
ssosfals Of csfta1a army divisions u
0eats that 90 e u fruitful sanen
Of soldiers ah6sntiAg thsnselvss wlsA
out leavs 10 he dlscoazaelae ,lseoss
from home. SucA lsttses hsqusntl,
dve alarming and skAozEetsa fspsrts
Of conditions suzzeandins ~ suadisrt
'fAmily. that some member = 0sspsr.
'atsay III. that ~ an, starvang. Or that
they are being IN sone way Aasassed.
In instances sucA lsesWs havs %
ipreyed upea ths minds a sesaiQp that
they have abssntsd thsnssavss WIN
out leave to 20 home. only 10 Ald
that Conditions had been grossly Cd.
iaggerated.
Meanwhile the soldier had been a.
sent without leavs-a serious milftaey
ofrense. His problem then became
soos Of facing the penalty or gsttins
deeper into trouble BY desert1ne. some
times q mans pride or fear has led
him to desert.
Every soldier wants to receive 1t.
ters from home. They should be IT.
qusnt cheerful, hopeful, and apprs.
cdative Of the sacrtace that he IL
making Tor his country. They should
be full Of family incidents and cheer
full home gossip. They should pro.
tect him from the trifling 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.soldiers
lis beyond estimate. The harm that
discouraging letters from home do to
him is clearly indicated by reports at
the adjustant genesnl's Office. Here
are some extracts nom recent reports
!Of division COMMANDERS:
ind, also, that many Of the fam
lilies Of the men write to them Of un-
satisfactory conditions at home, sick-
ness of relatives. and how much va.
rious members Of, the family wish to
'see the soldier. These letters, 30 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 a de.
iserter.'
4 "I am now, through the newspa-
!pers OF Indiana and through lecturers
In Kentucky, whom #e are able to
reach through the Office Of the adj
jutant general of that state, endeavor.
ing to advise the home people Of these
men Of the seriousness Of these Of
fenses and that their efforts should be
to assist every man in performing tbs
duty that has deyolved on him, to
Tighten his worries, and, above all, to
/! regard desertion in its proper light.
u shall also attempt to get the West
Virginia papers to Institute cam
patgn Of education along similar
lines
"A division inspector submitted the
following in this connection:
While stationed at Columbus bar
racks, Ohio, last year I was member
OF a general court-marttal that tried
approximately 100 enlisted men for
desert1on from Nationah Guard regi-
iments stationed on the border. I be-
lieve I am safe in saying that, 1t least
80 per Gent Of them gave as. their rea.
son for desertion the feet that they
had received letters from home to the
! effect that wife, sister, or mother
was either dying. very i'll, or in @es.
titue circumstances. and begged the
man to come home at once. Many OF
J the men admitted that when they ar.
rived home they fbund that the writer
of the letter had exaggerated condil
tions.'
/ "Atany young soldiers, fresh from
/ home, suffer from Inconsistencies. no
matter how army officers may try to
make their surroundings pleasant and
comfortable and provide proper
amusements. Extraordinary mess,
ures have been taken by the war de.
partment during the past year to keep
the young soldier actively engaged
while in camp with sports. amuse
ments, and comforts that wholesome
psychology might be sustained. Still
ia type of Soldier wiA yearn for home
and fall into brooding mood. It is
obvious how harmful to him and tc
the service discontinued letter. from
home might be-"
The enrolment Of more than TO2 O0o
boys between sixteen and twenty-one
years iof age for farm work this season
in the boys working reserve 0f the
United States employment service has
been made by six states, according to
ian announcement by the department OF
labor. The states Arst reporting were
J California, $1,000; Indiana, 1885; II
linois. 25.0O0; Ohio rR,O0O; Tennessee
q 4.2O0s Wisconsin, $4,000.
In Rhode Island high school boys
are being enrolled In the reserve
I trained in handling farm machinery
and sent IN groups by automobile t.
farmers to demonstrate their ability.
Mems colleges and universities arr
maFing prompt response to the re
quest df Secretary Of Labor Wilson
/ tnat their students be enrolled In the
public service reserve and PLACED o.
farms this summer to assist n. food
production. They will be placed with