Douglas Island news., 1918-05-24
NEVIS LETTER
 FROM FRANCE New Erslander in the Service of the Rear" Writes of Conditions
 Behind the Lines

|aucr making its journey to the yuri- ous friends Co whom it was written. Finance G Accounting Div, csc.
 Medical Department. \. E. P.
 X. p. O. No. 7lT
 France. April 10. 1918. Dear Triyuds
 Again you win have to pardon me |for Che use of bc circular letter method. but Che fact Is that thcso arc busy days and ! have very littlc time io write. or course. ! havo |to write real often Co Bcss and Che boys
 The most important occurrence since my last letter Is thc setting up of our oGicc and getting down Co Ircal ,hc work which we came over |bcrc Co do.
 We have oHlccs iu au old French |barracks which really makes quite Ia respectable ouIcc building. We verc assigned three rooms. two large land one small. We tore out Che par |ttious between Che two rooms and |tuus have one large oGicc with about ! a5 men in it and smaller oGicc for | tbc colonel and che captain. 10 is |fucd up with Che most up-to-thc- minute equipment, an thc officers 'havc desks and Che men tables We have steel filing cabinets electric flights. telephones and an other things which go Go mako up a we'll |equippcd modern office havc six ! typcwritcs and a mimcoEraph in .my department.
 My work consists oi handling an incoming and outgoing mau iu- ! |cIudme routing to' other depart mcuts. rcusoriug etc. have charge ! ef che filing mimcogrophIug and an copying work. An o6icc supplies arc iu my keeping. as well as com- pauy records. ] am also a dctach- mcut commander and have charge of che men iu au military matters. however. have been reduced Co 30 minimum.
 We arc now a part of che Chief slrecou's oGicc and are called Che Finance and Accounting Division. There arc many officers here cone ucrtcd with Che several headquarters organizations and it is not ufrc- qucut that we see ear bearing the mark of general. The other day was busy experimenting che m- packing of supplies and someone spoke to me very pleasantly ] was
 surprised when looked up Co see Che star ou his shoulder Recently General pcrshiug himself and See rotary of War Baker paid % visit Co our e.ty and went through Che moss han whore Che mon were eating thci~ midday meal Tho mon worc much
 impressed by Che dignity and sole dcrIy bearing of thc General as well las Che contrast between him and Mr. Baker
 We have bc uuccrcst weather |hcrc. Irs now tbc middle of April and s actually but lituc warmer chan It vas on tbc first or February |t Is SO different than iu good old Ncv England. vhcro spring bursts forth we'll nigh over night Horc il come. .u gradually you hardly notice Iit For weeks tbc leaves have been .rvmr to come. Nearly a month ago .a magnolia tree in a park through which uass. daily started hrayc'y
 f1 blossom We watched it witb
 great interest. when one morning a heavy frost spoiled ou Che beauty he rains nearly every day but. again. not IEe a real rain iu Gods gouu- !. .try-iu just a bit of a drizzlc.
 The social customs here arc vcry
 curious You can hardly pry your
 way into tbc family circle or On,
 real people. They arc very cyclu.
 svr. build walls about their home. and close Che shutters so tight that . not even a ray of lilht shines out at ..uirht On Inc other hand. there ar. scores Of girls and women ou thC
 streets and i'm thc cafes who arc l. elad Co make Che acquaintance of !. American officers and soldiers. Ii .is best Co keep away from them
 Some or chem are remarkably good looking and beautifully dressed !. Many affect thc deep mourning of |. Che widow but do not act as though |. they were mourning any great loss
 Some of thom are really quite stun ming Tho military authorities arc Ivory strict A soldier caught walk ling che street with a girl is stopped Hoy Che military police and am of docr who walks Che streets OF asso . ciatcs In cafes with women of ques
 uouohlc character is subject to court .mwtial. It is hardly safe Go bc seen
 even with a respectable woman.
 know nothing or next to uoth ling. probably not SO much os you .about Che war We get some mcagr .accounts In the newspapers and tb, .rcst are merely rumors. The Ger mans arc surely making m,cht