Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-04
ALISON WRITES
FROM WARzONE
forner Boys Secretary at Moline
sends Letter Full of Interest
ing Soldier News.

rance, writes an interesting letter
TO Moline friends touching upon
many interesting points which one
does not hear OF from other sources.
Portions of the mtssiye are ap-
pended:
L have been waiting for permits
sion TO write a letter for publica-
ton for some three months or more.
Now there is general order out
permitting such a letter if we are
very careful what We say. The
folks back home don't understand
why John Smith, corporal Of Com
pany --, Umptyumpth infantry,
can write and tell what he is do
ing, where he is, etc. while Cor
poral Bill Brown, Company --,
mptyumpth F. A, or Dep bet,
can't tell where he is and what he
Is doing They write and tell Bill
all about it and implore and be
seech Bill to tell them, too. This
is the worst thing the boys in the
a. +. F. have to face 1t is worse
than the war, almost any of the fell
lows will tell you.
will you tell the folks that in
Smith, townsman of the city of PO-
dunck. steals apples and gets away
with it, doesn't afford any reason
why they should tease, torment and
wheedle Bill Brown, citizen of the
same village, or nearby one, till he,
too, visits the apple tree? Most Of
the men are loyal and the folks at
home must be loyal by concealing
their curiosity about forbidden
things, when they write to sons
over here.
We are permitted to send the
official paper of the A. E. F. back
home, and I take it the censor will
pass any information that is q du-
plicate of what we send in the
Stars and Stripes sheet. The thea
ire OF war has advance, intermedi-
ate and base points. Any soldier
who is in either Of the latter named
stations may boldly write home and
say I am located at Brest or Tours,
etc. hut a man in the zone of the
advance writes only the number Of
his pOstoffice.
This number 295620 is stamped
on two aluminium tags strung
around the neck by a half-yard Of
white tape. in event Of death, one
IS shipped away for record pur-
poses, the other buried with the
body.
Letters properly addressed usu-
ally reach their owner unless The
ship Is sunk. If they fail to arrive.
It IS not Uncle Sans fault, but the
fault CT the sender.
Censorship rests largely with
the company commander. In civil
life we are familiar with the spec
tacle OF two altogether different
opinions, handed down by two con-
Judges who, nevertheless,
couldn't see the thing the same way.
Then why Rrumble II not all COM
pany commanders read the laws of
through the same cog
giles?
There is only one thing I may
say about the war, and that is this:
The men coming from the front
never complain of the hgrdships
they have had For the most part
they are a Jolly, happy crowd, ready
make the world safe. II is the fell
low from the rear who is always
inappreciated and map
preCiative individual. I have talk
ed to ambulance drivers, machine
gunners, marines, artillerymen, en-
gineers, orderlies, dispatch drivers,
av1ators, doughboys. cavalrymen,
members Of the tank corps as well,
Belgian, Italian, and many
French. They, each, have had his
own little scene Of tragedy-hiE
own philosophy about 1t, but on the
whole they are Hght-heartad and
ready. I like that word ready.
Elmer r. GuIdner of Davenport
Is located here, he being the only
1ne I know from near Moline.
Everyone, from Texas. Washington,
Maine or Florida. Is from home, SO
friends are plentiful. l did meet
Lieutenant Gus LiDdbloom, former
y Of the Moline Y. NJ. c. A, now of
he aviation corps, on my way TO
his place last March.
Am very well located fer get
ing somewhat OF birdaeye Of the
war situation, as men Of tie var
GUS companies here at U. II. O. are
,alled on for the detail work Incl |
lent TO administration. and my
part Is that of acting as
irst sergeant TO a casual company. /
den bound toward the front bring
Jews from home. aud the base ports
If movement in the rear, The men
rom the front. resting with us for
few days before going out onto
lew sector bring the story OF the |
,attle itself.
Truck loads Of chocolate, Gig
.rets, towels, soap, cookies, oranges, .
.igars, French dictionaries and !
,rammars, papers, ma gaines, writ !
ng paper, are sold or given away |!
/ this place alone every week. 1t !
Gems funny that the 7 Is handing 7
nut cigarets. Well, perhaps. 1t is /
Iothing unusual for a respectable |
french woman to ask an American /
Older for a Cigaret for her 10 /
ear-Gld boy. The question has 4
zen asked me often, and | assure (
GU that since the men do smoke /
en. it's better to buy them at the /
T. Nj. c. A. than some at other
.laces they are for sale. When | |
ompare my own 600 healthy Y
oys at Moline with the french
oys. most of whom smoke at the
ge of 8 and wear calico aprons to
chool, until they are Is, ] am glad
hat the average American mother