The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-01-22
SOLDIERS CLAIM
RIGHT TO WEAR
ARMY UNIFORMS
CLAIM PRIVILEGE is GRANTED
THEM TO KEEP AND WEAR
CLOTHING BY OFFICERS.

The publication Of the item which
we clipped from the Detroit Times,
in our last weeks issue was the
cause of several of the local returned
! soldiers coming into this office with
letters which they were given by
their officers at the time that they
were discharged aud which contained
statement that they would be allow
ed to keep the uniforms and wear
them for a stated period cf time so
long as they kept them in good con-
dition.
The following letter was brought
home by a local boy, who carried it
from his Superior officer who gave it
to him, to his mother, to whom it
was addressed:
Co. 8, S. A. T. C. u of Mich.
Ann Arbor, Michigan,
December 5, 1918.
My dear Madam:
In a few days your soldier will re-
ceive his honorable discharge and
start for home.
He is bringing back many fine
qualities of body and mind which he
has acquired or developed in the Mill
tary service The Army has done
everything ii, could do to make him
strong, fine, self-r1:ant, yet self
controlled. 1t returns him to you g
better man.
You have been an important mem
ber of that great Army of En-
ccuragment and Enthusiasm which
helped to make him and us all better
soldiers. You can now be a great
help in keeping alive the good quail
ties he is bringing back from the
Army, in making him as good citi
zen as he has been good soldier.
He will receive all pay due him. HI
may, II he wishes, wear his uniform
| for three months from the date of hi:
discharge. The Government will alsC
allow him to keep up, for the benefit
of his family, his insurance at tht
very low rate he is now paying.
His return to cilivian life will brinl
new problems for you both to solve
The qualities he brings back will hell
you now as your encouragement help
ed him while he was away, and il
your hands and his rests the future O.
cur country.
AS his commanding Officer, | an
proud of him. He has done his dut,
well. |, and his comrades, will bic
him goodbye with deep regret, an,
wish him every success after he re
turns home.
Sincerely yours,
John III. Draper,
End. Lieut.. Inf. u. S. A.
However, the following dispatcl
was sent out from the army head
quarters at Camp Custer Monday an,
Judging from this, the uniform cal
be kept and worn at intervals durin,
the three or four months time, bu
evidently the continuous wearing o
the army clothes is now allowed:
, "While Uncle Sam is considerat
in all ways toward the men now beinI
discharged from army service in al
lowing them to wear the khaki eve
/ after leaving Camp Custer or othe
. cantonments he will net tolerat
abuses of this privilege. Thisis tn
message sent out by the camp ex
ecutive office. The man who ca
buy civilian clothes but prefers Z
wear khaki, either to fiaurh his recen
service or to get his moneys worth
J out of the uniform and return what
left CT it to the army at the end o
three, months, is warned to 90 slow
! 1t was pointed out today that me-
who have been discharged are not be
: yond the reach Of the law. The
! can be hailed into federal court 70
; improper use Of the uniform and sc
lyerely dealt with"