Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-04-02
A Reply to Miss Thompson
Army Mems Stamina Is Bosed on the Foets
Found in Pamphlets, World War Nurse Says

today as against the hardships
of Valley Forge and Manassas
and, shall we say, of the Germans
in Russia? only wish my mother
had had such series in the other
war. spent much time writing
enthusiastic letters of the won
ders of the Army to lessen her
worry about two sons at the front.
% II was nurse with the A. E. F.
In glancing over those old let
tiers I see THE most obscure
complaint is given careful at
tention. I heard a doctor tell
boy testify: My God, do you
think I keep you here because I
love you so much? No, it's because
you're not able to be around and
in bed you'll stay until I think
you're able to leave it. Oh, if
only I could make you and every
mother realize how really little
there is to worry about the boys.
1t is unusual for a man to be
without medical treatment two
hours, after he is wounded" I
wish, too, those pamphlets were
available for the mothers of my
two nephews in service today.
Giving Mother the Facts.
You ache for the grim facts of
war in those pamphlets, Dorothy.
You don't want mothers and sis
tiers and wives kidded along, you
say, so: Dear Miss Thompson:
Your son Jack has asked me to
write you that he is all right and
that his only worry is that you
are worrying about him. Mothers
like to get at the bottom Of things
and it may comfort you to know
exactly what happened. You
are an American woman and can
stand up to facts and are not
to be insulted by evasion. The
incident of Jacks wound was
very amusing. (This, Dorothy,
strikes the cheerful note for you)
He started over the top at am.
to do his bit for his country but,
unluckily, had his arm blown to
splinters at sos am. thus cut
ting short his patriotism, as 1t
we're. He crawled back on his
belly. dragging the ugly bleeding
thing. Suddenly, he says, his
mind cleared and he realized the
shattered arm hung only by a
thread OF skin. In fine rage he
wrenched the arm loose and
threw it as far as ne could. He
was found unconscious and Is
doing nicely and hopes to be
home with you soon. He sends
his love. Respectfully yours"
No, Dorothy, instinctively we
didn't tell the facts of life. There
seemed no point in it. Instead,
we wrote a brave letter dictated
by Jack that he was hunky -dory
from an amputated arm and darn
lucky to get of so easily; that
already re was the proud pro-
Queer OF a carved picture frame.
decorated flower pots and all
sorts Of things. Indeed, he threat
ened to paint her picture some
day because he was fooling
around painting everything he
could get his hand on. And he
was q whizz at winding the old
Vic for the bed patients while
another one-armer held 1t secure.
Soothing sirups Soothe.
What good can CORY details do
for a mother an ocean awayp
But what satisfaction to tell her
that Uncle Sam provides occupa-
tionaI therapists who teach rug
weaving, knitting, even embroi-
dering. for control Of shattered
nerves and exercise of limbs for
future suppleness and, greatest
of all, to re-establish Jacks self
confidence!
You scorn what you call sooth-
ing sirups for worried mothers.
Dorothy, but these sirups made
the very foundation upon which
We stood in a horrible war.
And so I'm for those PAM
phlets, Dorothy, colors and all.
They are q friendly message to
the very simple women Of Amer
lea who are unable to rational.
lie war.
Sincerely,
MARION L. BLOOM,
1924 Nineteenth st. NV.
P. $50 forestall suspicion,
Dorothy, I'll tell you I'm in the
War Department Bureau of Pub
lie Relations but in so lowly a
capacity in a section far removed
from the women's interests that
never heard of the pamphlets
until your article. You'll have
IN toka INV u,ord of hopnr that