Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-09-15
war CONDITIONS
IN north Wales
RELIGIOUS SERVICES ARE CON-
QUOTED in CAMPS FOR THE
MEN.
SOLDIERS PREPARING FOR the ERoNT

Songs Of Every Kind Are Sung and
Many Sad Scenes are to Be Wit
Rhyl, Wales, August Oath.
We have been here for over
a week now, and as l sit writing
this article, am wondering if l am
becomine so accustomed to condi-
tions over here, tha+ l am in danger
of passing over many things that
might interest the friends on that
side. Sometimes as we take little
trips into the country, from here,
pausing as we loiter through the
shady lanes, at some eminence from
whence We can see scene of pas
toral beauty that has not it's equal
in the world, it seems to me that
have dreamed that this country is
one armed camp these days, but
probably the thought has no sooner
crossed my mind than l hear the
marching steps Of the soldiers ap-
preaching, and company Of Welsh
recruits rounds the corner, tramping
past on their daily route march.
Sometimes at night too, we hear
them, having a night march of II
miles, and wherever We are We nev-
or seem to be out of sound of the
bugles. Over twenty-fives thousand
soldiers are billeted in and near this
tiny seaside resort in north Wales.
We are here, to conduct religious
services in the camps for the men,
and have already met with wonder
full response, hundreds of the sol
diers having enrolled in the army CT
the King Of Kings, at our invitation.
And when it has come to the distri'
button of the Testaments, we have
been fairly mobbed.It is a sight new
er to be forgotten, those hundreds of
grimy soldier hands reaching out for
the. little books, so fearful that the
supply will be exhausted before their
turn comes, and the cry from every
side, Here am; don't miss me,
Miss; this way, please" and so on,
and once at least some of the Y. NJ.
G. A. furniture. was broken by the
men in their eagerness. -
- Many Of the camps. are as f@ey yet
only under canvas. but in the larger
ones, like Kemmil1 camp the men
have permanent quarters, or huts, as
they call them, and their own mar
row guage railroad for supplies, and
they are building permanent roads
through the camp, which is in real
ity a city by itself. The ground on
which Kemmill camp stands, is part
of a beautiful country estate, and
many of the noble trees still remain
on the outskirts. Many of these new
Welsh recruits are miners, and many
are pitiably young; some no more
than seventeen. We could not help
but be amused at the antics of one
Of these seventeen year olds, who
was doing duty as sentry at St. AS
aph camp. Another Older. soldier
was sitting by us outside the Y. M.
c. A. tent, and this young sentry
would pace back and forth in front
of us. Whenever he came to a stand
before us the fun began, the soldier
at our side would call some taunt-
ing remark to him, and he would
turn all the way about to reply, then
he would lounge on his gun, and the
soldier beside us would call, "Strai-
ghten up there, there's an officer
coming or else he would be cram
ing his neck to see something go
ing on behind him, almost letting his
gun fall to the ground in his inter
est. This was very amusing to us,
because we knew the British sentry
is supposed to be craven image,
who looks neither to the right or
left, and never speaks a word, and
who must not be addressed by any
one. The soldier at our side, said,
rather pityingly,> after all he's only
a kiddie, but" he added, II hope
an officer doesn't catch him at his
pranks; it would be the guard room
for him."
Here at Rhyl, with our boarding
house facing directly on the sea, it
has been rather interesting to spec
ulate as to what mi ght happen if an
adventurous German submarine nos
ed it's way into the harbor and she'll
ed us, as they shelled another sea-
side resort not so very many miles
north Of US, on this west coast. Up
to- this last raid, people at these
western seaside resorts had been
considering themselves safe, although
the eastern coast resorts are prac-
tically deserted. However, when
we first ssirived, We noticed how
very strict the authorities were
about exposed lights along the shore
at night, and found our room equip
ped with three sets of window cur
tains, to shut out the light, and in
'cidentally the air, at night. We were
thankful not to be having some of
the Iowa brand Of hot nights, while
compelled to hide behind those three
sets of curtains.
AS I have previously stated, Rhyl
is given over to the soldiers, prob
ably half the private houses in the
town have been Communicated, and
soldiers billeted there, which means
that the owners must move out to
make room, and also provide food
for the men, and take care of them,
for which service they receive ample
compensation. However, there is
nothing optional about it; if the gov