Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-01-03

George Manley received the follow
ing letter last week from his son,
Byrne:
November "a, 1918.
Dear Father Well today is Faith
ers' Day. and we on this side so for
tunate as to have fathers are permit
ted, in fact directed, to write anything
and everything of our experiences
"over here" that might prove of inter-
est to him. The privilege does not
mean so much to you and ! as it does
to many another less fortunate for Ill
the past five months you have known
where l was located and a fair idea or
the work l happened to be doing. /
have received mail quite regularly from
YOU and from others at home keeping
me quite well informed of your doings
and good health. For those same
privileges | have been most earnestly
grateful and / know it has made the
time of our separation many times
easier to bear.
1t seems at times to be almost an
impossibility that we really are to re-
Think most of us on this side had be-
gun to accept our chances of return as
being rather "a long shot, and "a
mighty poor bet although we hest
tated to admit it in so many words.
The one topic of conversation now
a-days is. when will be be home and
who are to be the unfortunates in the
army of occupatiOn?" AS for myself
and present work. think | am safe i'll
saying that there will be no commits
sion granted in this school and the eX-
pectations are that it will soon be
abandoned. Supposedly, men will be
returned TO their original OrganlZa-
tionS.
Personally ] am just as we'll salts
fed. considering the reasons, and am
only to anxious to return as an enlisted
man, so long as ] do return. AS the
necessity for soldering passes, so does
my interest, which | hope is not who'll
ly deplorable. Find myself quite often
trying to picture just how it will seem
to again be just plain civilian OF the
old L. s. A. In prospect, at least. 1t
does not seem wholly disagreeable.
My buddie an Englishman, is already
planning on British West Africa and
an old job with a Trading company of
that name. Jobs That too, is an i'm
portant question in our speculatlons
on the future but with my old failing
of leaving anything outside of the
present and immediate future, take
care of itself. / am thinking only OF
home.
Was at the V tonight bought some
cigarettes, hot chocolate and saw
Western fl IN. All conversational
parts appeared on the screen in French
and suppose the same picture has been
shown in the French Y. Nj. c. AS
knowing the French as l think / do
now, l wondered at the time just what
kind of mental picture they would
form of the people in that section OF
the U. S. A.
Well although the year l have spent
in France might have been spent else
where more to my personal advantage
surely do not regret it and am glad
10 nave DclDett III IL way tIIC LliI-
filling of the purpose for which we
were sent and am sure there is no
question but what it has been fulfilled.
Am certain at the same time we as
a nation are to be benefited in more
ways than it is possible for me or any
one else to see at present. Was speak
ing but today OF what a country the
old q. S. is today as compared with
other nations and even with herself of
a year or two ago.
We are but about 20 miles from
Lyons and had the opportunity OF
visiting it for few hours last week.
Did not see a great deal of it, for be-
ing the second largest city in France
requires two times to do it thoroughly.
Ny very best love to yourself and
everyone at home and most surely eX-
pect to be with you again before many
days.
Your son,
SERGT. 3. J. MANLEY.
LIST Plat, 18th CO.,
LaValbOnne. Ain.
A. e. f., France.