The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1918-09-05
WHAT MISSING
IN ACTION" MEANS

family comes when q soldier IA ~
ported missing In nction," says sir
W. J. Castle. Director Of the Burea,
Of Communication. Washington. an,
this uncertainty Ia due 10 the fac
that the report may mean any oil
several things II may mean that 4
soldier has been killed. or that h,
has been injured 10 seyescly that
Identification Is not possible for IN,
time, or II may mean that he wal
taken prisoner. In the greater mum
Der OF cases II will turn out that
men who are reported missing In nc.
ton have been captured by the Ger.
mans. This informant ia further
quoted in the press,
THE Bureau Of Communication
does not wait for an inquiry from
the family when n soldier Is reported
missing in action. The name, rcgi.
ment. and company Of the man are
sent Mt once 10 the scarchers in all
the hospitals. Effort IL made 10 find
the soldier who saw the missing man
last. and II is likely taht survivors
Of the engagement in which the man
disappeared may be found in some Of
the hospitals. Those who took part
in the engagement are asked, when
found, whether they knew the missing
man. whether they saw him at any
time during the fight; if not. whether
they have any hearsay knowledge Of
what happened to him.
"Thc evidence obtained, no matter
how conflicting, is forwarded 10
Washington, where bulletins, success
sively, are issued to the family, with
a caution as to what information Is
hcrcsay
while this Investigation is going
on among those American soldiers
who were in the same engagement
another is being conducted to deter.
mine from German sources whether
the man was taken prisoner This is
done through the international Red
Cross at Geneva. AS soon as an
American soldier is reported missing,
the name is sent 10 Geneva and
thence the request for information
is sent 20 the German Red Cross. A.
the German Red Cross il DESTROYS Of
obtaining reciprocal information as
to German prisoners captured by the
Allies, we find that prompt attention
Is given to our requests.
Information as TO prisoners cap
tured by the Germans IA generally
received by us. through the Interim.
tional Red Cross, days. sometimes
weeks, before report is received by
the State Department or the publ
cation of the official lists by Germany
In few cases we have received in.
formation that n man reported mis-.
sing Is a prisoner IN Germany within
n week after he disappeared but usu.
ally the time required u five or six
weeks. The Germans often permit
us TO send cards TO their families stat
ing that they have been captured.
"The prisoners IRE first sent TO
central camp in Germany; thence
they are distributed. When they ar
rive Mt the other camps the Prisoners
Help Committee is permitted TO send
a notification 10 the American Red
Cross In Bern, Switzerland In order
that regular food-supplics may be
promptly forwarded. The American
Red Cross maintains n warehouse ut
Barn, with supplies Of food and
clothing from the American Red
Cross and the Quartcrmaster's De.
partment Of the United States Army
There are also stores Of clothing from
the United States Navy.
-Four parcels Of food are supplied
to each American prisoner Of war
every two weeks. Clothing is also
sent, as needed, and tobacco, A self