Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-16
RESERVES AWAIT
BAPTISM Of FIRE
On Arrival From England They
Are Sent to Camp for
Few Days.
NEVER LONG TO WAIT
Newspaper Man Permitted to
NEVER LONG TO WAIT
Newspaper Man Permitted to
Visit British Base "Some-
where in France"

Especial Cable to The Times-Dispatch.I
| LONDON. May 15.-A fortunate
French correspondent gives the follow
ing description OF what he was per-
mitted to see at a British base of ope-
ration somewhere" in France.
| II first visited the camp of reserves
where tho newly arrived troops of
Kitchener's armies are kept few days
| before they are distributed among the
various bodies of troops already at the
front. They have all been wonderfully
we'll trained before they left England,
and are in every way ideal soldiers.
lacking only the baptism of fire, for
which they never have to wait very
long.
| The number OF men in the camp
varies greatly, for no more soldiers are
sent to camps of this kind than are
| actually needed. There are, however,
other camps in various places to which
are sent an endless mass OF troops
who are increasing the British army.
and will extend it's front the moment
the great advance begins.
PICTURESQUE CAMP
| ON IMMENSE PLAIN
THE camp I visited is an immense
plain near several railroad lines. and
was exceedingly picturesque, with It's
| thousands of white bell tents. Nat
urally. the approaches to the military
zone are closely guarded by French
az we'll as by English sentries. but, my
papers being in order, l was allowed to
pass in very few minutes, and was
taken before the camp commander.
II found him a splendid type of a
soldier, TALL slim, with gray hair and
mustache, for he had seen thirty years
service. He greeted me most cordially
In faultless French, which made me
feel very much ashamed Of my own
poor English.
I shall ask noncommissioned Of
ficer to show you around. he said. and
when you return I shall be pleased to
give you any additional information
you may desire.'
The tents and barracks are placed
I In. blocks separated by excellent roads
or streets. most of which have been
constructed by the troops since their
arrival. Each tent contains fourteen
men. and Is we'll fioorcd with smoothly
planed boards raised a few inches from
the ground The officers are quartered
in wooden barracks. each officer hav-
the others by walls of white canvas,
and large enough to contain a camp
bed. chair, a washstand and a trunk
The military offices are located in
other barracks, which remind YOU of
SWISS chaiets, surrounded by well-kept
Hover gardens. in which the officers
take great pride.
Canadians are easily recognized by
their big. soft campaign hats of gray
felt. Australians are strappine big fell
lows. walking with a peculiar stride.
me indians wear turbans. and the
| Egyptians a brass sphinx on the left
shoulder.
I'm the open bodies OF soldiers are
drilling. artlllerists are handling their
guns with marvellous swiftness and
deNterity, and infantry are practicing
with the bayonet, flerccly piercing man
nequtns stuffed with straw Endless
conveys pass.
Everything i done in the most
businesslike and orderly fashion, and
the discipline is so perfect, the various
operations performed so wonderfully
we'll. that it Is almost impossible to
realize that few short months ago
none OF these men had ever worn a
uniform or expected to wear one
From the camp OF reserves 1 went
ing first the place where food is kent
Imagine shed 1900 meters long
and 100 meters wide. surrounded on
three sides by quays on which vessels
are continually unloading the produce
coming from England. Powerful der
ricks deposit thousands of boxes and
bags. which are Immediately carried in
side Of the shed. This is divided into
six immense compartments One Of
these contains flour and cereals and an
other canned goods of all kinds. Each
OF these compartments is again sub
divided into many others and the
goods are arranged so practically that
IL takes no time whatever to find any
particular thing wanted. Each depart
ment is under the charge of a uni
formed clerk. who keeps q scrupulous
record of anything coming in or going
out"
JOURNALIST SURPRISED
By VARIETY OF GOODS
What surprised the French Journalist
most was the immense variety OF
articles OF food. as It naturally would
man who himself has been a French
soldier. and knows how exceedingly
plain and monotonous is the fare sup
piled to the men lighting for France.
This description from the hand OF a
foreign observer gives a very good
idea of the immense organization work
| that has been done by Lord Kitchener
and few practical military assistants,
and ones admiration OF what he had
accomplished grows when one knows
the Kind OF old fogies. tangled up in
red tape, who used to sit and sleep In
the various offices OF the War Depart
mcnt. while this was in the hands OF
amateurs and politicians
Most of these useless old clerks and
heads OF departments are still calmly
sleeping on in their old Offices, Lord
Kitchener having simply ignored their
| existence. and left them to turn over
leisurely useless documents. while tho
actual work has been and Is being done
by Younger and moro nractical man