In the following problems which are designed for practice in framing field messages, we should adhere not only to Griepenkerl’s advice, but also to the hints, forms, and cautions of Chapters I and II. Remember that each time a faulty form or expression is used, some commanding officer is halted or hindered, retarded or confused. The highest premium should be placed upon correct form and expression. With the selection of material from the purposely misleading and sometimes ill-stated problems below, you may, however, have difficulty. Certainly all of the long narrative, often in soldier jargon, cannot be placed in the message. Some facts must be eliminated as unessential. What you should let your commanding officer know can be determined sometimes only by technical experience. However, Major General Morrison’s[3] caution along this line should be repeated here for your help: “We all recognize the fact that, as a rule, the sooner information reaches headquarters, the more valuable it is. But this applies only to information which really has value. If you are in doubt as to whether or not information would be valuable, give headquarters the benefit of the doubt and send it in.” So you see that if you are not quite decided about stating a detail, it is better to give the information than to withhold it. Therefore, exclude only those items which would on the ground of common sense be pointless. In extracting and writing your messages from the problems given, it will be assumed that you do not know whether or not the recipient is provided with a map similar to your own. It may be taken for granted, however, that he is acquainted with the names which appear on your map. It may also be assumed that you have drawn a sketch on the reverse side of your message sheet. In reading your map the signs and abbreviations, explained in Appendix 4, Field Service Regulations, will aid you. A scale of yards is at the bottom (the south) of your map. By the use of a slip of paper, distances in yards may be measured off from place to place. Wherever it is stated in these problems that a person writes a message, the student should construct that same message. In so doing: (1) Assemble your information in proper sequence, (2) Give it proper and unmistakable expression, and (3) Inspect it thoroughly in order to be positive that you have given it proper sequence, and proper and unmistakable expression. _Hold yourself strictly accountable for every expression which could be put into better form._ Caution.—The hour in the heading of message is the _time_ of _signature_. PROBLEMS