Chapter XII: Official Correspondence—explanations—lectures

Text size

_Official Correspondence_ includes official letters, rolls, returns, estimates, requisitions, and routine reports.

The _Official Letter_ includes (1) letters to persons in the military service, (2) letters to persons outside the military service, and (3) official telegrams.

Number 1 has its particular military form which must be precisely followed. It consists of

{ The Brief
{ The Body
{ The Ending
{ Indorsements
{ Enclosures

_The Brief_ consists of the following in the order

{ The Heading
{ From Whom Sent
given { To Whom Sent
{ The Subject

An example of a _Brief_ would be:

Hq. Eastern Department,
Governors Island, N. Y., May 21, 1940.

From: The Adjutant.

To: Captain James L. Douglas, 99th Inf.
(Through C. O. Madison Barracks, N. Y.)
Subject: Delay in submitting report.

Another example would be:

Company A, 99th Infantry,
Madison Barracks, N. Y., Jan. 9, 1940.

From: Commanding Officer, Co. A, 99th Inf.
To: The Commanding Officer.
Subject: Insufficiency of shoes.

Another example of a _Brief_ would be:

Madison Barracks, N. Y.,
Jan. 10, 1940.

From: Captain James L. Douglas, 99th Inf.
To: The Adjutant General of the Army
(Through C. O. Madison Barracks, N. Y.)
Subject: Request for leave of absence.

The heading consists of the name of the office, place, and date. In the first example the name of the office was “Headquarters, Eastern Department.” In the second, “Company A, 99th Infantry.” In the third, there was no office named because the letter was written by an officer as an individual and not as an executive of an organization. The place is the post-office address of an officer’s station in any case. “Indefinite expressions of locality, which do not indicate where the letter was written,”[19] should never be used. The date is written on the same line as the place, except where no office is designated; and it is written _not_ as in communications dealing with combat, but in the ordinary way.

The “From” in the _From Whom Sent_ begins one line (if typed, two lines) below the heading and at the left-hand margin. It is followed by the official designation of the writer, or in the absence of any official designation, the name of writer with his rank and regiment, corps, or department. The rank is written before the name; and the regiment, corps, or department after the name.

Directly below the “From” is placed the “To” in _To Whom Sent_, followed by the official designation or name of the person addressed. What follows “To” is written in the same manner as what follows “From.”

Directly below the “To” comes the word “Subject” which is followed by an expression which will give the gist of the _Body_ of the letter. This expression will be boiled to a minimum and will not exceed ten words.

The words “From,” “To,” and “Subject” will be immediately followed by colons, and the “F,” “T,” and “S” will be on the same vertical line.

The _Body_ of the letter will comprise one subject only. A leave of absence and a decision, for instance, will not be requested in the same letter. Two separate communications will be written. This procedure is merely that of carrying out the principle of unity in the whole composition. A violation in this regard causes endless worry to the receiving office and a deserved rebuke for the writer.

When typewritten, the body of the letter will be single-spaced. Double spaces will be used between paragraphs. The body should begin on the second fold of the paper.

The paragraphs will be numbered, will each contain _one_ topic, and will be arranged in a logical sequence of topics.

Thus if we were to write out the _Body_ of the letter for the last illustration of the _Brief_, we should have it appear about as follows:

1.—I request a leave of absence for five months to take effect on
or about February 1, 1940.

2.—My reasons for this request are very urgent at this time. I have
had ten years of continuous service without a leave of any kind,
and I feel the need of more than an ordinary rest. Besides, my
private affairs are in such shape that the matter of straightening
them out will require at least all of the period requested.

3.—My address while on leave will be care of Astor Hotel, New York
City.

_The Ending_

{ The Signature.
consists of { The Rank.
{ The Regiment, Corps, or Department.

“Official communications will be signed or authenticated with the pen and not by facsimiles, and if written by order, it will be stated by whose order. Signatures will be plainly and legibly written. By virtue of the commission and assignment to duty, the adjutant of any command transacts the business or correspondence of that command over his signature; but when orders or instructions of any kind are given, the authority by which he gives the order must be stated.”[20]

“The _Body_ of the letter will be followed by the _Signature_. If the _Rank_ and the _Regiment_, _Corps_ or _Department_ of the writer appear at the beginning of the letter, they will not appear after his name; but if they do not appear at the beginning of the letter, they will follow under his name.”[21]

To illustrate fully what we have said, let us write the _Body_ and _Ending_ of the first illustration of the _Brief_:

The Department Commander directs that you submit without delay the
report of your recent inspection of the Organized Militia of the
State of New York, and that you also submit an explanation of your
failure to comply with par. 6, S. O. 25, c. s., these headquarters.

J. L. Thurst,
Lieut. Col., 24th Cav.

One-half inch below the Ending of the letter comes the first of the _Indorsements_, and the succeeding _Indorsements_ follow one another serially, with a space of about one-half inch between _Indorsements_.

Letters in the military service are not answered in the sense in which we use the term in civilian life. In other words, the person who receives a letter does not retain it and reply thereto by another. Instead he states what he has to say in an _Indorsement_, which is put down in continuation of the original letter. Thus everything which has been written in regard to the contents of a letter appears as a part of the letter when it is finally filed.

When Captain Douglas’ request for leave of absence, for example, reaches the headquarters of his regiment, it has added to it the Colonel’s indorsement which appears as follows, provided the Colonel wishes the Captain to obtain the leave:

1st Ind.

Hq. 99th Inf., Madison Barracks, N. Y., Jan. 11, 1940—
To the Comdg. Gen., Dept. of the East.

Approved recommended.
E. F. Hush,
Colonel, 99th Inf., Comdg.

The serial number of indorsements, the place, the date, and to whom written, will be written as shown above. When typewritten, they will be written single-spaced, with a double space between paragraphs.

Should one or more additional sheets be necessary for the _Body_ or _Indorsements_, sheets of the same size as the first will be added. Only one side of the paper will be used for writing.

Indorsements of a routine nature such as referring, transmitting, forwarding, and returning papers, will not be signed with the full name, but with initials.

When the letter of the Department Commander to Captain Douglas reaches the Commanding Officer, Madison Barracks, N. Y., who is also Commanding Officer, 99th Infantry, the latter may do either of two things. He may simply forward the letter to Captain Douglas without comment, because he deems the letter sufficient for the purpose; or he may add a disciplinary word also.

In the first case the indorsement would appear as follows:

1st Ind.

Hq. 99th Inf., Madison Barracks, N. Y., May 23, 1940—To
Captain James L. Douglas, 99th Inf., Forwarded,
A. D. T.

In the second case the indorsement would appear as follows:

1st Ind.

Hq. 99th Inf., Madison Bks., N. Y., May 23, 1940—To
Captain James L. Douglas, 99th Inf.

For compliance.

By order of Colonel Maish,
A. D. Thomas,
Capt. 99th Inf.,
Adjutant.

The _Body_ and _Indorsements_ of letters are signed by the Adjutant when the letters are addressed to those lower in rank than the Commanding Officer. They are signed by the Commanding Officer himself when addressed to those higher in rank than the Commanding Officer. Letters are never addressed to adjutants.

In connection with indorsements it might be well to quote what Army Regulations say in their regard.

“Communications, whether from a subordinate to a superior, or vice versa, will pass through intermediate commanders. This rule will not be interpreted as including matters in relation to which intermediate commanders can have no knowledge, and over which they are not expected to exercise control. Chiefs of War Department bureaus are intermediate commanders between higher authority and the officers and enlisted men of their respective corps or departments, who are serving under the exclusive control of themselves and their subordinates. Verbal communications will be governed by the same rules as to channels as written communications. When necessity requires communications to be sent through other than the prescribed channel, the necessity therefor will be stated.

Communications from superiors to subordinates will be answered through the same channels as received.

Except as provided above, all communications, reports, and estimates from officers serving at a military post, and communications of every nature addressed to them relating to affairs of the post, will pass through the post commander.

Officers who forward communications will indorse thereon their approval or disapproval, with remarks. No communication will be forwarded to the War Department by a department commander or other superior officer for the action of the Secretary of War without some recommendations or expression of opinion.”

It may often be necessary to enclose other letters, certain documents, or even bulkier material with a letter. Such addition to a letter is called an _Inclosure_ and is submitted as part of the letter. _Inclosures_ to the original communication will be noted on the face of the letter at the left-hand margin opposite the signature, thus:

2 Incls. J. L. Douglas,
Capt. 99th Inf.

The inclosures themselves will be numbered on the outside. The two inclosures of the above example would be marked 1 and 2.

If others are added when an indorsement is made, their number will be noted at the foot of the indorsement and upon themselves, as just described for the original communication.

If few in number or not bulky, inclosures may be kept inside the original paper; otherwise they should be folded together in a wrapper marked “Inclosures.” If kept within the paper they lie between folds _a_ and _b_ below.

Now that we have discussed in order the different parts of an official letter to a person in the military service, let us see how the various parts appear when assembled.

+--------------------------------------------------------------+
{| |
{| |
{| 2039 Company B, 40th Infantry, |
{| Fort William H. Seward, Alaska, July 19, 1912. |
{| |
_a_ {| From: The Commanding Officer, Co. B, 40th Inf. |
{| |
{| To: The Adjutant General of the Army. |
{| (Through military channels.) |
{| |
{| Subject: Philippine campaign badges. |
{| |
{| |
+······························································+
{| |
{| Inclosed are lists in duplicate of enlisted men of |
{| Company B, 40th Infantry, entitled to the Philippine |
{| campaign badge. |
{| John A. Brown, |
{| 2 Incls. Capt., 40th Inf. |
{| |
_b_ {| 824 1st Ind. |
{| |
{| Hq. Ft. William H. Seward, Alaska, July 19, 1912— To the |
{| Comdg. Gen. Dept., of the Columbia. |
{| S. F. Thomas, |
{| 2 Incls. Col., 40th Inf., Comdg. |
{| |
{| (Stamp) Rec’d Western Dept., July 30, 1912. |
{| |
+······························································+
{| |
{| |
{| 8043 2d Ind. |
{| |
{| Hq. Western Dept., San Francisco, Cal., July 31, 1912— To |
{| The Adjt. Gen. of the Army, Washington, D. C. |
{| |
_c_ {| Arthur E. Green, |
{| 2 Incls. Col., Gen. Staff, in absence |
{| of the Department Commander. |
{| |
{| (Stamp) Rec’d A. G. O., Aug. 5, 1912. |
{| |
{| |
+--------------------------------------------------------------+

+--------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| 512 7th Ind. |
| |
| Co. I, 50th Inf., Camp Keithley, Mind., P. I., Oct. 4, 1912— |
| To the Comdg. Gen., Dist. of Mindanao, through the C. O., |
| Camp Keithley, P. I. |
| |
| 1. Inclosed are extracts from the post orders and morning |
| report of this company, which contain all that there is of |
| record regarding the service of Corporal Doe referred to |
| herein. Inclosed also is affidavit of Corporal Jones as to |
| Corporal Doe’s service. |
| |
| 2. It is believed that the records of the headquarters, |
| District of Mindanao, may contain the information desired. |
| |
| (3 incls. added.) Edward French, |
| 5 Incls. Capt., 50th Inf., Comdg. |
| |
| (Stamp) Rec’d back, Camp Keithley, Oct. 5, 1912. |
| |
| |
| 8th Ind. |
| |
| Hq. Camp Keithley, Mind., P. I., Oct. 5, 1912— To the |
| Comdg. Gen., District of Mind. |
| |
| 5 Incls. A. C. Douglas, |
| Maj., 50th Inf., Comdg. |
| |
| (Stamp) Rec’d back, Dist. Mind., Oct. 6, 1912. |
| |
| |
| 3467 9th Ind. |
| |
| Hq. Dept. of Mindanao, Zamboanga, P. I., Oct. 12, 1912—To |
| the Comdg. Gen., Philippine Department. |
| |
| There is nothing on file at these headquarters bearing on |
| the service of Corporal Doe referred to herein. |
| |
| William Jones, |
| 5 Incls. Brig. Gen., Comdg. |
| |
| (Stamp) Rec’d back, Phil. Dept., Oct. 23, 1912. |
| |
+--------------------------------------------------------------+

The dotted lines on page 1 of the model represent the creases between the folds _a_, _b_, and _c_. _a_ contains the _Brief_ in the relative position shown and is folded away from _b_, the crease between the two being toward the reader. _b_ begins the _Body_ and may contain it or only a part of it according to its length. _c_ contains the continuation of the Body or the whole or parts of indorsements, as the case may be. _b_ and _c_ are folded toward each other, the crease between the two being away from the reader.

Page 2 contains the body or indorsements of the letter. All pages are folded as page 1 in three equal folds.

When foolscap is used instead of the ordinary sized letter paper as above, the only difference is that there is an extra fold. Imagine this fold to be tacked on to the bottom of page 1 in the example and to be marked _d_. _d_ and _c_ would be folded just as _b_ and _c_. The page would contain a third crease and be a fold longer. Otherwise the letter would be the same as the first one described.

The number at the upper left-hand corner is the filing number of the office.

It will be noticed in the seventh indorsement that three inclosures have been added. The whole transaction is noted in the proper place. The eleventh and twelfth indorsements should be noticed in the same regard.

Where “stamp” appears in parenthesis, the word does not actually occur in letters. It indicates that the office which received the letter noted by means of a rubber stamp at that particular place on the letter the date on which the communication was received or received back. In other words, what follows “(Stamp)” was placed there by some one of the office force as soon as the letter was received in that office.

The writing on all pages should begin one inch from the top. The pages, beginning with the first will be numbered serially. The number will be placed half way between the edges and one inch above the bottom of the page. In referring to an indorsement by number, the number of the page will also be given, thus: “5th Ind., page 3.”

All ceremonial forms at the beginning and end of letters such as “Sir,” “I have the honor,” “I would respectfully,” “Very respectfully” and the like will be omitted. In referring, transmitting, forwarding, and returning papers, the expressions “Respectfully referred,” “Respectfully transmitted,” “Respectfully forwarded,” and “Respectfully returned,” will also be omitted.

“An officer will not be designated in orders nor addressed in official communications by any other title than that of his actual rank.”[22] Wherever appropriate the name should be supplanted by the title, such as “Commanding Officer, Co. A, 99th Infantry” in place of “Captain James L. Douglas.”

“All letters and indorsements which are typewritten, excepting letters of transmittal, reports of taking leave of absence, periodical reports, and communications of a similar nature, will be made with two carbon copies. One copy will be retained for the records of the office in which the letter was written, and the other will be forwarded with the communication for the files of the first office in which a complete copy is required for the records, but such copy will not be regarded as an enclosure. It will be initialed by the person responsible for the communication.”

“In official correspondence between officers or between officers and officials of other branches of the public service, and especially in matters involving questions of jurisdiction, conflict of authority, or dispute, officers of the Army are reminded that their correspondence should be courteous in tone and free from any expression partaking of a personal nature or calculated to give offense. Whenever questions of such character shall arise between officers and officials of other branches of the public service, and it is found that they cannot be reconciled by an interchange of courteous correspondence, the officer of the Army, as the representative of the interests of the War Department in the matter involved, will make a full presentation of the case to the Secretary of War through the proper military channels, in order that the same may be properly considered.

In order to reduce the possibility of confidential communications falling into the hands of persons other than those for whom they are intended, the sender will enclose them in an inner and outer cover; the inner cover to be a sealed envelope or wrapper addressed in the usual way, but marked plainly “Confidential” in such a manner that the notation may be most readily seen when the outer cover is removed. The package thus prepared will then be enclosed in another sealed envelope or wrapper addressed in the ordinary manner with no notation to indicate the confidential nature of the contents.

The foregoing applies not only to confidential communications entrusted to the mails or to telegraph companies, but also to such communications entrusted to messengers passing between different offices of the same headquarters, including the bureaus and offices of the War Department.”

We have so far discussed in this chapter official letters to persons in the military service. We now come to consider the second form of official letter—the one to persons outside the military service. Often an adjutant or quartermaster is called upon to write to individuals or firms not conversant with the military forms. For a variety of reasons, the business form in that case is best.

In general the two forms present the following differences and likenesses. The headings are the same. The business form substitutes the _Address_ of the _Recipient_ and the _Salutation_ for the _From Whom Sent_, _To Whom Sent_, and _Subject_ of the military form. The _Body_ in each case follows the principles of paragraphing, and unity and coherence of the whole, as set down for the military form. In the business form the paragraphs need not be numbered. The business form has a complimentary close before the signature, rank, and organization of the writer. Letters are retained by the recipient and answered by him with a new letter, the sender retaining a carbon copy. Indorsements are not used in the business form.

An example of a good business form appears below.

Office of the Quartermaster,
West Point, N. Y.,
August 7, 1930.

Messrs. D. C. Johnson and Company,
312 High Street,
Boston, Massachusetts.

Gentlemen:

In reference to your letter of the 5th inst., I desire to inform
you that there is no need here at present for the roofing mentioned.

I regret that we cannot at this time become customers of your firm,
but we shall hold you in mind when the necessity for roofing arises.

Yours very truly,
J. H. Smith,
Major, Q. M. Corps, U. S. A.
Quartermaster.

The entire _address_ of the recipient had best be written before the _salutation_.

Other proper _salutations_ are:

My dear Sir:
My dear Madam:
Ladies:

Other proper _Complimentary Closings_ are:

Yours truly,
Yours respectfully,

Stick close to the forms of the model above. A very slight departure will make you appear crude. For instance, to say

D. C. Johnson,
Boston, Mass.
Messrs.—

would be entirely wrong.

As to the _Body_ of the letter, however, write it your own way so long as you use words, phrases, clauses, sentences, and paragraphs, of a kind we have striven to attain throughout this work. Do not make your letter telegraphic; complete your sentences.

The instructions given for the attainment of the proper forms in ordinary business communications are in no sense as rigid as those given for the military communication. Many officers now use the military forms for their correspondence with business firms, and, indeed, many of these firms have themselves adopted the military form.

The third type of official letter is that of the official telegram. It does not differ in principle from the ordinary telegram, and therefore does not require separate practice. Those who have conquered the field message should have no trouble in its composition.

It is written on an official telegraph blank which may be obtained from the Quartermaster. The blank is for the purpose of having the message go at Government expense. Army Regulations state that “telegrams will be followed by official copies sent by the first mail in cases of financial transactions of more than trifling importance, and in cases in which chiefs of bureaus of the War Department may deem it necessary themselves to send, or to require officers serving under their immediate control to send them, such copies.” It is a good thing in any case to mail a copy of a telegram.

The other kinds of official correspondence which need no letters to accompany them are _Rolls_, _Returns_, _Estimates_, _Requisitions_, and _Routine Reports_. A study of these forms of communication belongs properly to the subject of administration. They are, therefore, simply mentioned here.

The principal Rolls with which the novice in the military service is confronted are the _Muster_ and _Pay Rolls_. The former is rendered every two months and the latter every month.[23] Full instructions as to what is required in each set of rolls are found on the last page of each form. On application to the Adjutant General of the Army, a list of _model remarks_ for the rolls will be furnished.

The principal _Returns_ with which the novice should become familiar are the _Ration_, _Clothing_, _Ordnance_, _Company_ (monthly), and _Field_ Returns.

_Estimates_ and _Requisitions_ are used most frequently by the Supply Departments. But organizations must prepare _Estimates_ of what they will need, and must prepare _Requisitions_ for the desired articles when needed. The _Clothing Estimate_ and _Clothing Requisition_ are two common and important forms.

Among the _Routine Reports_ in the military service should be mentioned the _Morning_, _Inventory_ and _Inspection_, _Sick_, and certain _Reports_ in official letter form.

The form of _Routine Report_ which is most common is the _Morning Report_.

EXPLANATIONS

As we took up in each case after written work pertaining to combat the similar verbal task, so now after we have discussed written correspondence we are going to dwell upon the ordinary verbal labor incumbent upon officers and non-commissioned officers in the military service.

In war or peace a military leader is useless without an effective tongue. We have demonstrated his uselessness in combat; we shall see that he is just as unsatisfactory in training men for combat.

The work of any military individual in command of men is not only that of _doing_ but also that of telling others _how_ to do. The _Explanation_ of the efficient leader is a continuous process from morning until night. He is constantly called upon to make his words count. If he halts, he loses time. If he hesitates, he makes his men restless. He must speak straight through to the end in a clear-cut way, never hedging or repeating; and when he has finished, the listeners should feel that the subject has been completely covered.

If he does not form the habit of so talking, he forfeits his power of leadership. For what good is an intelligent or inventive officer, if he cannot put his intelligence or invention out through his lips? The military profession is one which depends upon quick instruction by word of mouth. The officer who does his own work and the work of his sergeants too, is plainly inefficient. He has avoided the harder task—that of teaching others how to carry on the work. He has done worse. He has lessened the value of his organization as an automatic machine. When he leaves it, it will either fall to pieces or place a weighty burden on the officer relieving him.[24]

There is one caution which a military man should observe in his speech on the drill ground, in barracks, or in the field. He should not repeat unnecessarily. He should not allow his men to gain the idea that if they do not listen at once he will tell them later. It should be an understood fact that his _Explanation_, once stated, stands. Of course he may reiterate during his talk for the sake of emphasis. But he should by practice be so capable of telling everything so unmistakably the first time over that no reasonable question can be asked.

Good explanations make for attention on the part of his men, and attention makes for an increase of good work. Sooner or later the achievements of his organization contrast it favorably with other organizations and his brother officers say, “He has made a success.” Much of that success has come to him because he has set for himself, and followed these simple rules:

(1) “I will try today not to say anything which is not exactly expressive of what I mean.”

(2) “I will try whenever I write to make myself unmistakable.”

(3) “I will try whenever I speak to make every word distinct from every other word.”

(4) “I will try whenever I read to see how others express themselves so that I may at the next opportunity imitate that part of their style which says most in the simplest way.”

(5) “I will make every good new word my own, because the vocabulary of my present life is limited.”

(6) “I will do all this because by so doing I shall develop myself in my profession, and because I may some day fail that profession if I neglect that development now.”

LECTURES

_Lectures_ are but extended _Explanations_. Officers are more and more being called upon to appear before large audiences of educated people in order to give to the country military knowledge. Training Camps and war are increasing the necessity for the delivery of lectures.

Because the _Lecture_ takes more time, it should be more carefully developed than the _Explanation_. The subject should be divided into its various parts in a logical way. It should be bound together coherently. And each part should have in it only what belongs there. This process is simply that of following the rules of English with which we are already acquainted. The purpose is speed and clearness.

There are other elements which enter into the betterment of a long talk. Since an audience is human, there is reason in helping it through a dry subject. The treatment of the _Lecture_ may in this way, besides aiding the interest, make the points stick longer. Two qualities which help to attain this treatment are _Humor_ and _Presence_.

Ordinarily the American does not need to be told to cultivate humor. He reeks with it. But there are some instructors whose minds work along so impassively that it is difficult for them to be wakened from their gravity. To them the conscious development of the short anecdote, homely illustration, and incongruous phrase is a splendid aid. The great majority, however, must be guarded in the use of humor. The quality itself may be overworked so that the proportion of matter in the Lecture is small in comparison to the witticisms. Humor is but a means to an end. Its sole object should be to lighten the talk in order to help the subject into the auditor’s mind more easily. Fun should be incidental and made without effort.

As to _Presence_ more can be said in its favor. It is an indispensable quality in a speaker. If his diaphragm is in his mouth during his delivery, or if his heart action is violent, the audience cannot be fooled. It will be made uncomfortable. A speaker should have such ordinary fluency of accurate expression through practice that he entertains no fears of obscure or halting language. He should be so familiar with the sensations of looking into a number of faces that he will feel at ease. He should impress his audience that he enjoys standing before them for the purpose of imparting interesting knowledge. Such _Presence_ can be attained only by taking advantage of every opportunity for correct public and private speech. The military novice should enter every impersonal discussion he can find, and should urge himself to speak whenever possible to more than a dozen people at a time.

He must be more than an ordinary talker, for he must have speed and interest as ready agents of his ideas. To gain those qualities is a matter of constant attention to speaking and to writing exactly what he wishes to say.

We have now covered the territory of military communications. We have seen the necessity for correct expression, and the difficulty of its attainment. What we have done should be but a beginning. It may be a long struggle to gain brevity and clarity—the terse and the unmistakable. But achievement will come with practice and will repay us fully in future satisfaction, and increased worth in our profession.

APPENDICES[25]

Previous Next

Comments

The English of military communicationsChapter XII: Official Correspondence—explanations—lectures

0%22 min left in chapter