South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-20
THEIR HOT BATH IS
LUXURY Of BRITISH
TERRITORIAL ARMY
Huge Beer and Sugar Watts Are
Converted in NatatOriumS
and Each Soldier Gets a
Turn" Every Ten Days.
by f. Ashmead Bartlett.


the outbres = OF the war almost every
one in England had complete conf
dence in the British small regular
army and felt certain that it would
give a splendid account OF itself on
the continent. ON the other hand
there was widespread mistrust OF the
capabilities OF the new TERRITORIAL
army, either for purposes OF home de-
Tense, or for service abroad Will
give my own impression from what 4
saw during my visit 10 the front, and
also the opinions OF various generals
without mer 'ioning names Whlcn
IS forbidden by the cenSOr-under
whom they have served.
The vast majority of the men who
I'll the ranks OF the territorial forces
are drawn from a different class 10
those who enlist IN the regular army
There are clerks from London imam
cial district holding good positions
There are men who come from be
hind the counter, and others who MI
positions OF q highly important and
confidential character as secretaries
accountants. and mechanical eXpeTtA
Every branch of trade and industry
IS represented in the ranks. They are
men who have Joined the force IN
times OF peace out of a sense OF duty,
because they feel that every able
bodied man should play some role
however small, in the defense OF his
country.
Many have been obliged 10 throw
up employment which was Drihslus
them in large salaries, and now sup
Mort their homes and families on the
Kings shilling and separation allow
ances Some Of the battalions sent
10 the front had to meet their bap-
tism of fire under the most Trying
circumstances.
French Il Delighted
~ Cfr Tobu French himself is de-
lighted with them A corps command
or said TO me: Il consider the terri
forial battalions under my command
the equal Of any of the line DattaI-
ions Let them send me out as many
as they can. 1 can ask for no DelleI
t~oor,s otter they have had few
weeks of experience in the face OF
the enemy" g,
to,rs. "Nlv territOTials are Wonder-
ful lot / never saw finer troops. me
mon are wonderfully tnteiHSehC;
Thev are as keen as mustard, anu
are acquiring a remarkable shlh III
trench warfare
rake the case of crack corps,
IKE the artists rifles our losses
IN of5cers has been SO heavy that Slr
John French decided on Ihs No.
this famous battalion behlnu the my, /
and training all ranks as oInceIS; AS
tbe,r reached a certain standard u
progress they were given com IIiIss'iOIiI
and drafted TO regular batlallOhs,
r,ade careful inquiries as TO now IlllS
experiment. had worked out IN PIeO
tice one corps commander Jold me
he had received a large NUMBER OF
theso new officers from the dItlSlS /
rifles and that with extremely lew
exceptions they had turned out au-
mirably. 90 tho
q love of cleanliness is one oil the
strongest traits in the Ans-o-odAOl |
- rgbe hest OF troops speedlly
Lose their pride and self respect Il /
tbav are obliged TO live IN hlthy SUI
roundings, amidst which II Is lihpo9-
sible for them to clean theiilse. ~, -
their uniforms and equipment Ahe
cCnditions in Flanders throushouI
- Inter have been about as rad as
an, troops have ever had TO face. Inc |
grr,v medical corps took the prOp-
lem in hand. and have shown feIldI n
able skill and ingenuity IN It's SolU-
ton. r,t
Scattered over northern France ana
Flanders are many factories IoA nll"N
Inc beet sugar and beer. Ihese
,,Cssess enormous watts SUCH as Ihost
~ us are familiar with in breWerles
at home As their legitimate ocCuPo
ton. in the case of those slIudOeu
close 10 the fring line, Is now gone
they have been utilized for the pul-
$50 Of washing the British army
rbis experiment of cleaning every
,,,,r in an army several hundreds ol /
thousands strong once IN every ~
davs has never been tried before III
war. Yet so complete Is the oIsdnI1 |
zation that. except under eNcePuOOhdI
circumstances. every man tlnu -,
IL sure Of his hot bath every 10 uays =; |
battalion comes off duty ana
marches TO rest in its billets. the men
and their uniforms covered Win lll"N' /
Above all. il is necessary 10 chahse
their shirts and under clothes
let IL not be supposed thaJ the |
only enemy our men have 10 race Is |
found i'm the trenches. There Is an |
other who carries on horrible
nerve-racking form OF guerilla var /
fare in closer proximity 60 YOU AFTER
a few days spent in the mud-
His peTtinScity and NllaAN -
amazing. He requires 10 times SIS
,,rcb killing as any German, but our /
medical service has proved equal 10 /
The task OF cirCumVenting his WiIeS- /
rrbe battalion is paraded and march- /
Cd 10 the nearest bath. Otten TINS Is
under shell FIRE. and the shrapnel =
..rearnfn- overhead. But no one
heeds such trihes as these. Each man
strips and throws his shirts, under
clothes and socks into heap. Ills
uniform ne takes of. and ties TO his I
TIN Identification disc. At word OF
command groups of il nude forms .
with a wild howl OF JOY rush into /
each of the steaming tubs From /
these arise a chorus OF screams and .
char as the men soap or duck each /
other in soap suds.
Meanwhile the uniforms are placed /
in another vat. and steamed for 10 /
minutes The heat is so great that /
no evaporation takes place. and they I
come ont perfectly dry. Each man \
as he emerges from the bath after his 4
allotted sDan is handed a towel and a i
fresh set OF underclothes.
He then dries himself. puts his \
new garments on. and claims his uni \
form. recognizing 81 by the identih- I
cation disc The underclOthes which 4
ne took OF are then boiled or steam
ed IN great watts and then handed