New Britain herald., 1918-02-01

49, ~ ~ n3s, SSl!l. l. .lAg 3 III ID
-i,tst ,veIcone that noticg sornetimek
an their anxiety, for there is no grief
worse than such terrible uncertainty
There is nothing that they can do
hut walt. Connections have been
broken as completely as If the absent
boy were in another planet.
Then they remember that his let
ters home have been written on Young
Mems Christian Association station
erv. with the familiar Red Triangle in
the corner. Perhaps the Young Mems
Christian Association knows some
thing about their son. They deter
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 II
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 ourea"
of the Young Mems Christian Associa-
ton. 1t follows missing soldier ano
sailor bows almost round 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 received
thirty-fiVe letters, and was able 10
trace twenty-one Of the boys.
No detective agency ever worked on
s,1cb neagre clues as the bureau OF
missing soldier and sailor boys must
do. Sometimes only the boys name IL
given, Often, the sole hints are sucn
bits as these: MY boy graduated from
Yale in 1916" "Charley sailed from
America, on the 'Espagne' June 49,"
.oThe lad was in Ambulance Section
2S. but dropped out, to try to enter
aviation"
IT 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 header the heart-of the bu.
reau to trace missing soldier and sail
,or boys there is a woman Miss A.
Evelyn 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
answers as soon as she can, knowing
how that answer is waited for al
home. w.
The method of following clues de-
pends largely upon the information
given in the parents letter. Some
times the University Club in Paris,
Rue Richelieu, can give aid some
times the steamship company record:
are of help, sometimes the aviation
headquarters supply the missing IN
formation. The Army Register han
dies a huge location department. II
helping the homefolk to keep the ties
unbroken and the Red Cross has cabi
net cases full of filing cards on thu
problem, Both cooperate warnll.
with the Young Mems Christian Asso
citation in the effort to trace missing
SONS. and a day never goes by withou
manv inquiries being exchanged.
Bv far the greatest number OF let
+ers deal with boys whose correct ad
dress is supposedly known as, for In
s+ance. ''Is there any military reasol
Univ NV son IN - Regiment, - En-
oirnars can not write me, or recelV
letters from home?" In these case
n ia a. question of verifying the al
dress. Often the Young Mems Chr1st
ian Association bureau finds that IN
,ddraes is correct, and the perilou
all service dCCOu ACA 0'iN '''@>N~
Of the father or mother. or the fau
may lie with the son, who mas 1alie
to write through neglect.
The Y. M. G. A. writes both to tn
bow, asking him to write home ana [
the mother, saying that the son ma
been communicated with, and wa
found safe and well.
Some letters come to the burea
that have knocked nearly around tn
world A Canadian bow was traced t
France, then to Palestine, then to Gal
lipoli. and on board another transpoI
for Egypt. Then the trail was los
Did hn 20 down on the Hispanola?
he @hipWrcc5"1 on an island, or
prlaorcr il n German U-boat? Ar
C'Hor lad c"mc to France as an ambU
lance driver. At the taking over {
. Ambulance by the American Arm
l dropped out Of sight. His chul
bad received a postal from some hc
III in Paris. When last seen, he W.
sconsoTting with some mysterious VIZ