Evening star., 1942-03-18
Mail From Home
Is Military Asset
Says Army Is Expeditins
Delivery Of Letters
To U. S. Troops

70 the Editor Of The Star:
Scarcely day passes that some girl or
woman does not ask me: what can we
do to help with the WARP" Every girl or
woman can contribute an important fac
tor to the morale Of the Army, and
there is nothing more important than
keeping up the spirits Of the troops, by
writing frequent letters to every man
away from home.
The only army with which was ever
associated which saw the vital necessity
OF this was the japanese army to which
I was attached in 1904 and 1905. Much
as we dislike the Japanese methods of
conducting war, we still can learn a great
deal by the study Of their efficiency and
how they maintain morale among their
troops. when I was with Nogi's army at
Port Arthur in 1904. noticed that the
moment a transport docked at Dalny,
the base for the Japanese army beseig-
ing Port Arthur, the mail was swung over
on the dock even before the gangplanks
were put down for the troops to dis
embark. 1t moved ahead Of replacements,
munitions, and even medical supplies. I
saw mail carriers brought from Japan
crawling through shallow trenches drag.
ging sacks Of mail behind them and ac-
tually delivering letters to the troops to
within hundred yards of the enemy
lines and within an hour of an attack.
Every soldier knew that If there we're
a letter for him from home he would
get 1t.
This was largely overlooked by the
American army in France during the
last war. and there were tens Of thou
sands Of sacks Of mail lying at the bases
though the soldiers often went two and
three months without having q letter
from home
= 1t must always be remembered that
many OF the boys who 60 overseas are
taken from the family circle and arrive
in a strange country homesick and lone
ly Every girl and woman should realize
that the only restraining influence on
them Is the constant maintenance of
their home ties. I have so often seen SOL
diers waiting about for the mail and
when they hear nothing, they became de-
pressed, drank when they could get
liquor. and ran around with girls.
War is the negation OF almost every
human instinct and it is only too COM
mon to hear the soldiers say, What the
hell, I'll probably be killed anyway.
never hear from home and what does it
matter what I do"
Just now. all women want to help and
this they can do by never losing touch
with every boy In uniform. The Secre-
tary Of War. who was himself a soldier
In France, full we'll realized this when
few months ago he started the reorgani-
zation Of the mali service. and as he him.
self has stated. food and letters from
home are the dominant factors in main
tanning morale and that accordingly,
hereafter. the mail will move on the
ration trains for obviously the soldiers
must be fed, and equally, they must be
kept in touch with their families.
That this organization has now been
perfected is manifest from the fact that
the last contingent Of American troops
to reach Ireland found their mail from
home already awaiting them and many
Of them said that they were the first
letters they had had for two months.
This writer well knows what it means
as on one occasion he went four months
without q letter from home and again
in France he was once sixty-five days
without q letter and then received
seventy-two in one mail. To the average
boy away from home for the first time
this means apathy as to what he does
and even indifference as to whether he
is killed or not. Every woman and girl
should realize this and do their part in
winning the war by writing encouraging
and affectionate letters to the boys.
Every home can now know that due
to the new postal arrangements their
loving thoughts reach the soldiers as
regularly and as promptly as does their
food. Rations are food for the body, but
letters are food for the soul. Though not
as spectacular as munitions, tanks and
airplanes, they are even more vitality
important to the happiness OF those who
are away and fighting willingly for the
defense Of their country.
STANLEY WASHBURN.
Yakewo0d N 7