The Washington herald., 1918-06-16


with Our Troops.
He has been with our troops at
reception camps. supply and naval
bases and concentration points behind
the line. Ho has observed closely
the men Of divisions holding sections
of the front and studied Intimately
small groups Of Americans fighting
side by side with British or French
regiments in other sectors. The Amer
lean soldiers bIlleted in little French
hamlets seemed to interest him par
ticularly because they must maintain
their morale under conditions that
offer no suggestion OF American life
or institutions.
"of the morale Of our fighting men.
heard only uniform approval
throughout France" said Mr.. Per-
sons. They are maintaining that
morale under conditions which. be-
cause OF loneliness. strangeness and
remoteness, do not. in themselves,
predispose to buoyancy Of mind. II
Is obvious that we in America must
do certain things that will help d.
rectly to overcome the absence In
such surroundings Of anything sug-
gestive OF American life. The Eng
lish and the French military authori-
ties are fully awake to the tremen-
dous benefit to morale Of maintain
ing home interests and satisfying the
homing instinct Of their soldiers.
They, therefore. make a ten-day fur
Tough every four months q reg
ular feature OF their military sys-
tenn and make II possible, II not
obligatory, that the leave shall be
used for a visit home. Our soldiers
cannet come home for such visits.
Therefore. as far as II Is possible
to do SO. We must take the American
home to them. must keep them con-
stantly in touch with American life
as we are living It from day to day
in city, town or rural district. The
recreation agencies and the canteens
maintained by the Red Cross help by
supplying the American articles they
like and particularly by giving con-
tact with those who speak English
and who really understand what a
young American means when he talks
about back home
Importance Of Photographs.
Very important in keeping the
American home a living reality in
France are letters from home
cheerful letters giving complete
news-personal news not worth a
line perhaps in any newspaper but
OF real moment to every member
Of that particular family group.
These letters must come regularly
and frequently and leave no gaps
in home history. And this serial
story OF the home life should be
Illustrated with plenty of snapshots
and pictures. News and frequent
pictures OF the children are pecul-
iarly important Those at home see
the children daily. But from a dis
tance of 5000 miles and in a war
environment. II is difficult to imag-
inc a two-year-old as a three year
child. or to make a satisfactory
mental picture of how a child left
in curls and rompers looks as a
real boy with hair cut short and
sticking his hands into his first
pants pockets. Such home news
keeps brother, father or uncle
buoyed up and in fine fighting
spirit. Its absence may send him into
battle worried. blue or morose and
in no mental shape to take care of
himself or do his full part in pro-
tecting his trench mates.
Maintenance Of Amerieanism.
After hearing all about his home.
the normal American wants news
OF his friends, his neigbborhood. his
community and his State. That he
is kept in touch with local civic
affairs has a very direct bearing on
his citizenship when he is returned
to civil life. His Americanism must
be kept steadily up-to-date; his
love for American institution must
be maintained in surroundings
which offer little suggestion OF his
own local community. Not only
must the home fires. but the fires
of democracy be kept burning. For
at the close OF the war the soldier
is to return and have a citizens