The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-01-13
Censors Laud
y. S. Soldiers

WASHINGTON-UP- The L. s
Armys morale in Italy is high
Nobody knows this better than the
censors.
Our boys write about the war
as though It were a cream-putf
duel according TO lst 1t. Frank
r. Mather OF Q5l7 Hawkins ST.
Nashville. Tenn.
Mather supervises the work Of
a number Of regimental censors OF
a regiment in the 45th division.
composed OF Colorado, New Next
co, Arizona and Oklahoma former
National Guardsmer. The chief
lstter.writing characteristic OF
American soldiers is to understate,
he declared In a report from Fifth
Army headquarters received here.
They rarely dramatize or men
ton the horrors OF total war" he
said. They're content to grippe
about small things, such as not get
ting enough chocolate candy In
their rations, and will gag about
bombings and artillery attacks.
ITO me their letters indicate that,
come hell or high water-and they
have been getting both-theyre
stu able to laugh.
zone man recently spent three
quarters OF letter giving his opin-
ions on the situation which he con-
sidered hopeless to the Germans.
| defeated so mucn | thought 1t
would be best TO return the letter
TO him for rewriting. His next let
ter got around the whole thing by
advising his family to ignore the
newspapers and start reading Glib
bon's Decline and Fall OF te Ro-
man Empire"
One Of the most trying problems,
according to 1st 1t. Charlie l.. Ben
nett of (613 n. Broadway Hugo,
Okla, comes up when man wants
to write home about friend who
has become a casualty.
From the standpoint Of the In
iured man, there's good reason
why this shouldn't be done. His
actual condition Is likely to be ex-
aggerated, causing the family I'M
necessary anxiety"
Army rumors are so spohtane-
Gus and so subject to exaggeratton
that letters to kin OF casualties are
only permitted when the facts are
fully substantiated, and only after
II is reasonably sure that an Of
fetal notification has reached the
nearest kin.
The censors know they are run
ming neck and neck with the first
sergeants in the Army's traditional
unpopularity sweepstakes
Il know I've been called every
name In the book, not to mention
4 few choice references ad-libbed,
LIST 1t. John Tltko of (2065 Was
cana Aye.) Lakewood, o., said. 81
can sympathize with the men. I'm
sure this is one of the most thank
less Jobs in the Army
Titko cited the example OF
soldier trying to tell his family
why he was so happy, describing
infinitely a nice bivouac area, olive
groves. lush countryside, and nam
ing town.
He'll drag my name through
the Italian mud when he gets the
answer to this" Titko said.
Soldiers are forbidden to iden-
tify places where they are or men
ton commanding officers of the
rank OF colonel or above. These
rules only make common sense, LIST
1t. William P. Calvin Of (410 w.
c2nd ST. Cedar Falls, Ia, declared.
ANY soldier has pretty good con-
ception OF information that would
be valuable TO the enemy. II he
would only develop writing from
that standpoint censorship would
become practically an extinct art
Because V-mail is photographed
in reduced size, censorable lines are
obliterated with pencil. Censors
make deletions from enclosed let
tors with scissors. For that rea-
son soldiers correspondence must
he on only one side OF the page.
Each company appoints one OF It's
officers mail censor. and he. in turn,
olicits whatever aid he can from
his brother lieutenants. The lob Is
strictly extracurricular. being in
addition to an officers regular
duties.
LARAMIE, Wyo.-INS-District