South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-13

letter written to a friend in Misha-
waka Feb. 10. Ralph doesn't praise
any too highly the brand Of weather
they have been experiencing. The
most interesting parts OF his letter
follow:
France Misnamed.
The man who miscalled France
the sunny Republic" had either a
grim sense of humor, or else he
didn't stay in the country long. for
the climate is "a "whiz" when #
comes 10 unpleasantness. especially
in the autumn and spring. The
summer months are generally pretty
pleasant-and let's hope they have
said the truth for oncei
Il have been very glad several
times this winter that / didn't have a
job where 1 IA compelled TO be
constantly outdoors. Was sergeant
Of the guard not long ago. and it Of
course had 10 turn out a nasty night.
Believe me, 1 hope ! won't be de-
tailed for the job again for some
time TO come. as I can think OF lots
of pleasanter things. Have been
pretty lucky. though, in having work
which practically exempted me from
such duty. Have only had one spell
OF il this winter, and was perfectly
satisfied with one, as 1 got enough
of regular soldiers work while still
in the states. The man who sobs
about the heat while sitting at his
desk in close proximity TO a fan
should drill through a summer in
Texas.
Know How TO Forage.
I'll bet the folks back there have
felt the winter pretty keenly on &C
count Of the lack of coal. etc. They
haven't got much on US, but at the
same time il is a darned poor soldier
that can't rustic up enough wood
and odd bits of fuel 10 keep warm.
1 know there were very few times
last winter that we had to let the
fire go out for the lack of it. We
knew where the boxes were emptied,
where the coOk-shop was and what
time the cooks left, etc, and man
aged TO visit both in time to forestall
any interloping reservist who hap
pened to be nosing around.
Everybody seems TO be Obsessed
with the idea hat we are going 10
yield TO temptation and come back
a bunch Of mental, moral and physi-
cal wrecks, and right here 1 wish TO
express my small opinion of the rel
ative or friend who has no more con-
hdence in, or respect for their men
in France, than to suspect them of
such misconduct with absolutely no
grounds for the belief except that
they are soldiers in a land noted for
its temptations.
Morals of Boy Splendid.
The American expeditionary
force, as an average. are a darned
sight cleaner bunch Of men than the
parlOr-snakes remaining at home:
and even the ones who used to hit
the pace a bit while at home, now
have something more important on
their minds, and are behaving better
than when in civilian life. The only
men who viii be harmed by their
stay in France ere the same men
l nv u cit III tie states. NOulQ nave
done something worse-for they
would have no military regulations
to restrain them by the fear of pun
ishment.
TRY TO do a little bit to change
this popular feeling if you can, for
1t surely does get under ones skin to
hear some of the sentimental rot
they are spreading back there. Take
my word for conditions. for I have
given il considerable attention and
mentioned it 20 fellows who came
from other organizations. and they
say that conditions are the same
everywhere. For example, there is
a certain artillery outfit here which
had a record of not a court-martiaI
for drunkenness and not a venereal
case in the hospital. Do YOU think
you could find a thousand or so men
back in the states Of so fine char
acter2 Just slip some of the hyster-
ical ones back there that statement.
If yOu ~Dlpacafu