^ * ri^ni
BY OUR OWN P
r\ well al
// l\ laet yere wa
f member al m
/ a . | was i mene
fii~ \jcL| nusses this 3
^ . their wont b
^"w 'fTnv^j 411 *?ne 61111
V v * \Z.y /f?^ me hay al 01
Jfo f me ah
< * hear in this
' YTV\ J\\A wishing 1 wa
\ JI I ]V you are theii
V--V' ulk^K^M 1 everything.
^U^J but 1 know
the,r 80 wha
Rr-j^fnl ime hear ft i
I I 116 be 840818
I /r^V^Cxi vl* beside what
v # ilc*v^y YE i of ever felt
"WhfATEjIn" 'wk me41 wen y?
] WWWC jir? w* per day even
Aggie at hon
J or pendlslduB ile be satisfide beside
by beeing down hear as a soldger i
UBICIU^ iu UUU UL unnug IU gv UO'
from what la beeing ced heai
ennywelgh aa the me8t aargint la pli
aawdoff treea out of the wooda in t
put on a d'ubbel fire garde so they
mail/it pretty mutch like home only
*- alnt or the old man flont alt arqund
out aide of haveihg your foaks a ro
peepil that your thinking aumthini
sell them 8umthlng or maik your boi
*.. you are worth, it 8hood be a grate
far a8 I can maik out no one ia beein
this criamua ft that ought to maik
was a kid the moat successful criar
junk from sandy claua. after a wi
pile i got so much as the pile i gave
well al by both those piles the
? hes geting al a lady rushes out of
coat ft i beeing next to the car witcl
aura city she throws her arnjs about
shes not that kind & ced you dear
much & wandering what we can do
it was sum fur coat she had on 1 coo
ft 1 ced that is very nice but we havi
^ course not but you are defending ou
did vary little defending only offend
weigh we ladles are making up bos
you like best, well al it sgunded Ji
my littel sister millle when i was a
- a tool chest or -a pare of donaho'
is up to you we of got so we talk eye
we are libel to. wear them as unde
man A i lit a cigaret havelng no eon
their is dozens pf wimmcn lik
theyre a grate trantch al they sertai
tulling in that fur coat for a cnppe
the other nite whoced the wlmmen
k, we will know al on the twei
5 thousands & millions of peepul who
. . the foaks can get stufT to us & we ci
ime not detaled on dubbel Are dui
with the candels on it. crismus coc
& the other pile that were giv
up to me to pull no sob stuff about
\ its not as much as lots of the poor
into this.here army"al i give them e
it is. well al mary crismus as we
; offls. . ? ' your f
iKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKKrtteKKHKKHjI
HER CF
BY ROSCOE
DO not pity me n.
* Indeed you are in et
Glad that I bore and gla<
Glad that my Wood may I
- "Somewhere in FranceV
v ne near a a i cm*, my ny*
6 And now 'tis Christmas And
earth's most preciou
8 No, do not sympathize?J
Indeed, you do not utidei
>^ gave him freely?as m;
And noto ho doleful so.n$
5 No! Help me to be bravi
Think of the glory and a
For this is Christmas Day
And over seas of space I
(Copyright Curtis Publishing Coi
|l INSIGNIA FOB SECOND LIKUTEN
onia
Second lieutenants now are an
thorized to wear a distinguishing in
signia. A gold bar. as distinct fror
the silver bar of the first lieutenanl
will denote the lower rank. On th
overcoat sleeves the second llenten
ants may wear single knots of brat
one-eighth of an inch wide.. The die
tinguishing feature will be its coloi
brown.
"Mary Crismus"
UNG W.VLARDNER
hear it la geting clost to the day witch
m wen we got oar bonenuases you reilyan
was ten dolars moar that what yrs
crismus ai but their wont be no boneere
al ft perapps It Is jfast as well that
e no bonenusses. mlyun last yere was
yweigh by new yeres ft what did it get
aly a better drag with Aggie you know
itter you are lafflng to think i will be
tranelng camp sitting on my thum ft
s wear i aint witch wood be home wile
ft haveing a big time with the girls ft
probly i will be wishing i was home al
there aint-mutch chants of my geting
ts the ust of laying around ft wishing,
guest it wont be so bad after all.
wont be geting no bonenuss of munny
Ide to know their are other bonenusses
Ore mnnny sutch as fealing better than
befoar. witch Is sum bonenuss beleev
iur In good heltb ft geting 3 good meels
if ime not home if i know everybody &
3d is-o. k. ft not sick with newmonyou
i knowing that ime doing the rite thing
n the stead of loafing around all day &
ck to the offls the next day.
r wo wont have sutch a poor crismus
inning sum feed & we are haveing little
he bareux wear we can-lite them up &
wont burn down the bareux witch will
nothing is like home wear your mother
ft cuss out the neckties ft bum seegars.
und tho what is crlsihus al but showing
g other about them be sides trying to
is think your worth 20 dolars moar than
s time then for us_soldgers al beeaus as
ig thought moar about than the soldgers
us feel pretty goo#al because when i
nus was when i got the largest am't of
le they maid me see that It wasent the
soiager nas got no kick. take tne pne
a limazene the other day In a big fur
i had come into the trancing camp from
my neck al like i wish Aggie wood .only
soldger we are thinking a bout you so
to maik crismus nice for you. well al I
d ieel the dplars in the seelskin allmost
a never met befoar have we. she ced of'
ir homes arent you & i ced so far i have
ling the sarjint. she laffed & ced enny:es
for you boys out hear & what woodl
list like the old man when he wood ask
kid to find out what wood i rather have
w skates, well 1 ced yourself lady it
srything. only dont maik the box so big!
rclose. she ced you .are a nobel young
teback vou know me al.
a that al" rushing, a-round & beleev me
nly are bighearted & 1 beleev after nes1
of seconds that the guy was rite hear
will win this here war.
ity fifth of this month that their aye
are with us & even if we can get home
in get stuff to them & ennyweigh i hope
,y to watch.that tree outen the woods
168 but onct a year, hay al.
Ing isent so small either al but it isent
what ime giving becaus its not mutch &
1 ducks have had to give, wen i joind
lyself & they are welcome to It sutch as
ust to say the nite befoar leaving the
riend, PRIVATE JIM.
g
[RISTMAS
GILMORE STOTT ft
or call me sad.
tor?I am glad!
i as well f gave;
help to free, to save,
'E'en that I do not know; fi
close whispered: "Go!" . 5
Day?and he is there? 5
s hour I've learned to share.
four eyes are wet!
'stand?or you forget.
y cheerful gift?
r my voice shall lift,
i, deny my tears;
llay my fears;
in every land,
touch his hand.
mpany) X
- GEN. PERSHING'S AID HERE
Lieut. Col. Nelson E_ Margetta,
i- personal aid to General Pershing, has
h returned to the United States with
six army officers who also have been
at the front. They will map out and
. conduct at the training camps here a
e course of. Instruction In European
i- war methods.
d Col. Margetta says the progress of
h American soldiers has been unusual.
\ He says the men overseas nre eager
for their mail from home
iND CAMP
U. S. First To
Morally /
BY JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER, JR.
At Present Serving as a Y. M. C. A.
Secretary at Camp Dlx, Wrightstown,
N. J.
One of the most encouraging things
in connection with America's entrance'
into the war is the fact that,
through the Commission on Training
Camp Activities, established as a department
in the offices of the' Secretary
of War and the Secretary of the
Navy, with Mr. Raymond B. Fosdick
as its chairman, the period of military
training of such large numbers
of our young men is to be used to
bring about the highest degree of de
of these splendid youths.
A highly Important feature of this
work is being carried oifc at the request
of the Commission on Training '
Camp Activities, by the War Camp
Community Service, whose particular j
field of endeavor lies in the 126 com- .
munltles adjacent to our great train- (
Ing campB, to finance which work an
effort Is now on foot in five thousaffd
communities throughout the country
to raise the sum of $4,000,000.
Fighting Loneliness
Experience has shown that-, when ,
enlisted men have free time many of <
them want to get away from camp :
routine and seek these nearby com- i
munities. Within the camps they ?
are under strict discipline. When
they are on leave they are free to do ;
as they choose. The War Camp Community
Service is seeing to it that the i
recreation provided for them in these :
communities adjacent to tne camps is
clean aid wholesome. It is opening
up channels through which the soldiers
may find substitutes for the
normal relationships of life from
which they have been suddenly cut |
off. It is making it possible for them :
to meet the townspeople and provid- :
ing antidotes for. the depression of :
social loneliness, which is so real a I
menace to the moral strength of the |
men. i
This work should not be confused
witA the splendid efforts of the
Young Women's Christian Association,
the Knights of Columbus and <
other organizations under the direction
of the Fosdick Commission inside
the campB. The work of the
War Gamp Community Service outside
the camp is supplementary to !
D. S. SOLDIERS' CHRISTMAS
CONTRAST WITH COLD, (
THEIR FORE
Christmas in trench and camp will
be very different this year from the i
Yule-tide known by our soldiers in 1
the war between the states and in the I
Revolutionary War.
This year, greens, welcome packages
from home, entertainments, dinners
and cosy gatherings in recreation
centers will mark the Christmas
festivities. Quick transportation, a
highly organized mail system and
telegraph and telephone communication
will bring substantial gifts and
tender messages.
Through the untiring efforts of the
Quartermaster's Department, the
American soldier today Is not only
well fed but warmly clad and comfortably
quartered.
Think of the contrast between the
Christmas of today and the Christmas
of Civil War days. Following
are a few facts from the "Reminiscences"
of General John B. Gordon,
C. 8. A. t
"A Melancholy Wreck"
"My men were winter-quartered in
the dense pine thickets on the rough
hills that border the Occoquan.
Christmas came, and was to be made r
as Joyous as our iurroundings would 1
permit by a genuine Southern egg- 1
nog with our friends. The country <
was scoured far and near for eggs, <
which were exceedingly scarce. Of 1
sugar we still had at that time a rea- i
sonable supply, but our small store i
of eggs and the other ingredients i
could not be Increased In all the
country round abput. Mrs. Gordon i
superintended the preparation of this <
favorite Christmas beverage, and at j
last the delicious potion was ready, i
All stood anxiously waiting with t
camp cups In hand. The servant start- i
ed toward the company with full and l
foaming bowl, holding It out before
him with almost painful care. He t
had taken but a few steps when he 1
strnck his toe against the uneven i
floor of the rude quarters and stum- c
bled. The scattered fragments of s
crockery and the aroma of the wasted <
nectar marked the melancholy wreck (
of our Christmas cheer. 1
Organize |3|S
Against Enemy PP!
these efforts, and Is done in order I
that much of the benefits derived ||
from them may not be lost. H I
We non-combatants cannot set up U I
moral standards, for the fighting men |
that we are not living up to ourselves.
I Relieve that It Is our pre- HJU II V
eminent duty to live cleaner lives, to ,
Bet a higher standard of morality for ^^3
ourselves, as one great means of
neiping me ngtiuiig meu. n iu? uuu- ,y
combatant8 will do this. It will be a JF^MV^JI
tremendous support to the soldiers in
Prance and will be a mighty factor [1/ fVOJfl
for military victory. For it has been lllj I ]j *11
estimated that soldiers, physically ? I
and morally clean, mean an active I I // jj IIU
army of at least twenty-five per cent yjL^J^ H
more men on duty. A[W?fl|^nJ .
Helping to Win the War Ujl ft W jjlj
It is a splendid thing to be able to BJlUjjflu/
say that the United States is the first jflTJu JjU
nation in the history of the world to P-Jw II LI
organize morally against the enemy. KHKkmLH
That is the meaning of all this work ml fln Bo?gn
under the direction of the Fosdick ?|jjji ffi] wj
Commission, inside and outside the jc=2^?-~<itu
camps. Its purpose is to help win the fflj
war, to help win it in the shortest IM llll IH Jjjj
possible time, and to win it with the wtm ffjf jju
sacrifice of a minimum number of
lives. It is a work which will affect IfegjnW ml
directly the character and the spirit ffjB Im
of the men behind the guns, that will / \)II
Keep men ciean 01 miua auu uuuj, > a in
that will prevent them from being in- \ /dTfm IN
capacitated through disease, and that 1^1111* Iu
will bring them home an asset to the BlliTl'"|
nation and not a liability.
I want to emphasizo the fact that
the work of the War Camp Community
Service is entirely constructive VH
and in no wpy restrictive of the sol- BT jfl
tiler's liberty. At home he has bis HI j III
friends, his clubs or associations, his VfJ I IB
local dances, moving picture theatres, UJI
books and outdoor sports. This or- MrKxJx^flfl
ganization is supplying him with sub- HI
stitutes to occupy his time when he >vH
is on leave from camp. It is building w^\ [ l(ifl
him club houses and recreation build- ymitttJ
ings, comfort stations and swimming w
pools. It is giving him books to read. H HI III
jocials and receptions, smokers, HkH^H Ug
vaudeville, athletics, concerts and |j|il
motion picture shows. All these will HI uW~wEwl
be at bis disposal. He is free to H||| UTfJy
choose them or the unwholesome- RH Hlifl
some amusements which scar the *
body and sear the soul. No one ques- fffl
tions what the choice of the average 'III
.hnlnumt manlv American bov will O W
TODAY IN STRONG |f??
HEERLESS YULETIDES SrpH*
FATHERS SPENT IN FIELD |||B
"The winter was a severe one and
the men suffered greatly?not only k-wWtfW
for want of sufficient preparation,
but, because those from farther south ^
were unaccustomed to so cold a ell- Hf
mate. There was much sickness In
:amp. It was amazing to see the
large number of country boys who +
had never had the measles. Indeed. It*
It 'seemed to me that they ran {jFjf/
through the whole catalogue of complaints
to which boyhood find even ||rYC-jJ
babyhood are subjected. They had I
3verything almost except teething, T ( \rJL.
aettle-rash, and whooping-cough. I [>
-Qthor ihinir anmo nf them were af- Y
aicted with this latter disease." /IgiPAfifc
Barefooted In Snow C\^\JfJn
Piske, in his history of the United '
Hates, says, "The dreadful sufferings ?J
)f Washington's army at Valley
Forge have called forth the pity and Vwjrj k"*"
idmiration of historians, but the point p9 j '
if the story is lost unless we realize 7 4
:hat the misery resulted from gross \? v
nismanagement rather than from the V \ ' <
poverty of the country. As the poor V i
soldiers marohed, their route could \ f .
)e traced fh the snow by the blood - I J
;hat oozed .from their bare, frost-bit- ?1 J
:en feet. On the 23rd of December. I
Washington Informed Congress that H| f
le had in camp (2,898 men unfit for ,
iuty because they are barefoot and /1
itherwise naked). For want of blancets
many were fain to sit up all BlW
light by fires instead of taking comortable
rest in a natural and com"Cold
'and hunger daily added
nany to the sick list and in the
:rowded hospitals, which were for the
nost part mere log huts or frail wig- ~ ,
vams woven of twisted boughs, men I I 11
lometimes died for want of straw to
>ut between themselves and the II II
rozen ground on which they lay." j J
Montgomery tells us, wnue Howe j
ind his officers were living luxurious- L
y in Philadelphia, Washington's p
nen, naked and starving, were dying | U
>f putrid fever on the frozen hill- It I I
ildes of Valley Forge. They were U ft
lying, too. before the good news LI" ^
:ould reach them that the French 3
ling would certainly aid America."