The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-03-14
HOW Y. N. c. A. MENDS
BROKEN CONNECTIONS
PRACTICAL SERVICE RENDERED
an FINDING LOCATION OF
LOST SOLDIERS.

Out of the fears and anxieties of
fathers and mothers, out of the broken
connections that are inevitable in war
time, there has grown up new de-
partment of the Young Mems Chris
tan association, the bureau for trac-
| ing missing soldier and sailor boys"
| To the folks back home. one of the
| big tragedies of the war is the fact
that there is no way of following the
soldier sons into the enemy's country
no way, even, of making sure that
connections remain unbroken. One
week the family reads and re-reads,
| laughs over and pretends not to wipe
its eyes over, the usual letter from
the boy in France, a letter full of
bravado and gaiety, light hearted re-
counting Of the details of camp life,
cockiness about it's hardships, convic-
| ton about the outcome of the war.
The next week the letter doesn't
come. They tell each other that it
has been delayed, try and not to listen
for the postman's ring, and refuse to
meet each others eyes when the post
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 a prisoner of war; He may be
dead, although they have received no
notice Of his death. They would al
most 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 absent boy
were in another planet.
The Red Triangle
Then they remember that his let
ters home have been written on Young
Mems Christian association stationery,
with the familiar Red Triangle in the
corner. Perhaps the Young Mems
Christian association knows some
thing about their son. They deterr
mine 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 Y. M. c. A.. 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 whereabouts.
During the last month, the bureau re-
ceived thirty-five letters and was able
to trace twenty-one of the boys.
No detective agency ever worked
on such meagre clues as the bureau of
missing soldier and sailor boys must
do. Sometimes only the boys name
Is given, Often the sole hints are
such bits as these; my boy gradu-
ated from Yale in 1916 Charley
sailed from America on the Espagne'
June 49," 1.-THE lad was in Ambulance
section 2S, but dropped out, to try to
enter aviation"
Following Meagre Clues.
1t takes infinite patience to follow
such clues to the end, just to bring
comfort to the hearts of anxious
mothers back home. Perhaps only a
woman could be expected to under
stand how other women worry about
their soldier boys. At any rate, at
the head-or the heart-of the bureau
to trace missing soldier and sailor
boys, there is woman, Miss A. Eve
Ign Newman, who for seven years
directed the Studio club for girls in
New York. MY boys" she calls the
missing soldiers and sailors, and every
letter that comes from their families
at home she considers personal, and
as soon as she can, knowing
home.
The method of following clues de-
Ponds largely upon the Information
given in the parents letter Some
times the University club in Paris, s
Rue Richelieu, can give aid; some
times the steamship company records
are of help. sometimes the aviation
supply the missing in
The army register han
lies huge location department, in |
helping the homefolk to keep the ties |
lnbroken, and the Red Cross has
cabinet cases full Of filing cards on
he problem. Both cooperate warmly
With the Y. NJ. C. A. in the effort to
race missing sons, and a day never
soes by without many inquiries being
exchanged.
BY far the greatest number Of let
ers deal with boys whose correct ad-
lress is supposedly known as, for in
tance: rs there any military reason
Why my son in --- regiment, ----
ngineers, can not write me or receive
etters from homer" In these cases ,
is a question of verifying the ad- I,
ress. often the Y. M. c. A. bureau {
nds that the address is correct, and I
he perilous mail service accounts for Z