Charles E. H. Bates Family Correspondence, 1899-1930 - 3

U.S.S. Cincinnati, Sept. 1, 1918.

Dear Edward: — I received a card from you last week which stated that you had safely arrived "over there". I had expected as much, as the Navy has no fear of the Hun and his submarines. Nevertheless the unexpected might have occurred, so it was a relief to know that the road had been smooth.

I hope that you are enjoying

yourself to the utmost and that you find Europe, even in war time, very interesting and and instructive. I certainly enjoyed the old continent when I was there and I long for the day when the department will see fit to send me across. Some times I believe that my prospects are bright and at other times I fear the worst. However each of us is alloted a small sphere and it is there that we must do out [our] utmost. So I stand a chance now of not seeing

you until after the war. But I hope for better fortune than that.

Lesley writes that an officer's life in the flying corps is much better than that of a cadet in training. At present all that he does at March Field is to sit and suck his thumbs --- he flys [flies] everyday for an hour or so to keep his hand in --- all of them do for that matter --- but they are not ordered to do so --- it is done at their own request. He fears that the war will be over before the department decides that his presence is needed on the other side. He has a bee in his bonnet that the war will end by Christmas --- where he discovered this interesting bit of information is not known but he appears more or less sure of himself. Good luck to him.

Jocelyn is still up at the ranch and appears to be doing fairly well.

The last report from home however stated that he feared that his hogs were getting cholera which would be quite a disaster. I certainly hope that his fears are groundless because the nation can ill spare the loss of any food products --- and besides it would be a most unfortunate start for Jocelyn. He is supt. [superintendent] or some such thing and gets $100 a month and board. By the way, speaking of boards,

The local exemption board has placed Jocelyn in class three because he is a farmer and that exempts him for the present, which is a blessing as he would be a loss with his neck in the condition it is in. Moreover mother cannot stand having all of the boys leave at one time. Fortunately I have been in this outfit so long that my departure has never caused much sadness anywhere and, in fact, in some places has been the occasion of