Memorandum from Adjutant General Robert C. Davis

1058. GENERAL headQuarters AMIRICAN FORCES France, February 14, 1919. : Adjutant General. To : Comanding General, 2nd Army. Sibject: Morale in the American Expeditionary Forces. 1. General Pershing directs me to enclose herewith, excerpts fromin a memoruncum on morale in the American expeditionary Forces which was prepared by Mr. Raymond B. Fosdick, at the suggestion of the lst Sect- i at G.H. 2. The Commander-in -Chicf has been much impressed by this memorandum as being very suggestive and of great value at this time, espucially to professional soldiers, for it gives, as few papers do, the point of view of the American civilian, and we must not forget that it is the American civilian who has not been in the Army for more than a year and Wilo hopes and expects to \return to civilian life in the very near future that makes up the major part of the officer and enlist- ed personnel of our Army to - day. It is necessery, therefore, that we understand and appreciate this point OI view in order that we may keep our men healthy and happy and return them to the United States enthus- iastie over their military experience. 2. TheCommander-in-Chier - desires, therefore, to call this memo- randum to the especial attention of your staff officers. By command of GENERAL PERSHING: ROBERT C. DAVIS, 1 Incl. Adjutant General. ARCHIVES AND 'NATIONAL M II M 0 R A IT D U M RECORDE ON MORALE IN the AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES of SERVICET Prepared by. Raymond B . Fosdick. February 1, 1919. (1) The morale of the A.E.F. can be effected by two sets of fact ors; first and obviously, stops taken by the Army itself, such as the improvement of billets, the extension of leaves, the encouragement of athictics and entertainnent, etc., and second, a stimulation cf the activities of the non-military Societies, such as the Y.M.C.A., the K. of C. and the Red Cross, that are supplying a large part OI the re- creational and relaxational service to the troops. (2) In considering this problem of morale, the importance of the machinery now being built un by tie G - 1 Section of the General Staff cannot be over-emohasized. (3) At preaent there are large gaps and whole units of troops are either inadequately served not served at all, while in other places there is duplication and competition between the Socicties III... its rations of this can be furnished from many parts of Prance. For examplo, in the 35th Division, which is scattered through villages and