Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-09-28
FIFTH NEBRASKA
SLEEPS IN The MUD
Our Soldier Boys in Texas Meet
Deplorable Conditions in
Training Camp.
HAVE NO UNDERWEAR

Floyd P. Gibbons, staff correspond
ent OF the Chicago Tribune, who was
in Mexico with the Pershing column
and afterwards at the Texas training
camps where the National Guard was
concentrated, is writing series OF
uncensored letters to the Tribune
about conditions in these camps.
In the Tribune on Tuesday ap-
peared one Of these letters which will
have much interest in Nebraska be-
cause it deals with the situation OF
the Fifth Nebraska.
Sanitary Conditions Wretched.
Mr. Gibbons writes:
t'Open cesspools in the ground took
the place OF incinerators for weeks
while the regiments waited for nate
rial to build this sanitary essential.
When it rained the crude containers,
as well as the latrines. became flood
ed and carried pollution all over the
camps. When it was windy, ashes
and half-burned particles of refuse
were spread about, while odors OF a
crematory prevailed When bricks
were received for the incinerators,
cement was missing. Other regiments
had bricks and cement, but no trow-
els.
company OF the First Minnie
sofa did not have enough blankets to
60, around. The Second regiment
from the same state was shy shelter
halves. The Third regiment reached
the border with an embarrassing de-
iiciency OF shirts and pants, was
told. i saw Virginia noncommis-
stoned officers drilling and some OF
them wore derby hats and stiff straw
licadgear. Some had leggings and
some did not and some wore civilian
shirts
Nebraska Boys Without Shoes.
.tAnd Bryan's state Nebraska. A
month and a half after their arrival
on the border the Fifth Nebraska i'll,
fantry was still in need Of shoes for
the entire regiment.
THE regiment had not received
cots and was sleeping in the mud, al
there were no floors. There were
two companies without blankets, and
the rest OF the regiment, before leay.
ing its state camp, had received Z
carload OF gray blankets with pink
stripes, and the officer told me tina,
three experts who examined the GOV.
erings were unable to find trace Of
wool in them The blankets were Of
cotton.
Concerning blankets, on Septem.
Der Is Governor Dunno OF lllinoi:
petitioned the War department tc
grant furiough OF ten days for the
entire First and Second infantry reg
iments,. then at Springfield, on the
grounds that the men were suffering
from the cold and did not have
enough equipment to keep then
warm. s
Month Without Underwear.
s'But there we're additional discom
forts suffered by the Nebraska regi
nens which arrived on the border or
July IA. Until August n the mcr
were without underwear. with the ex
ception OF the single privately ownet
suit they had worn when they lef
their homes. On that day they re
ceiyed the first issue OF understands
600 of which were size As, Line OF
icers OF the organization told NJ,
that there were not, 100 men in TIL,
regiment who could fit into a gar
ment larger than size 40 and that til,
greater number needed 36s. Compan,
B OF the Fifth, coming from Bryan
home, Lincoln, Neb., arrived on TIL
border lacking hats, shoes, pants am
leggings to the regulation amount.
without cots, without floors, will,
out sleeping bags, some OF the mel
without blankets. and some OF TIL
blankets without wool, and all Of tn
men without changes of clothing 0
shoes, the Fifth Nebraska had /,
make the best Of its pitiful condi
ton. In my opinion, il deserves grea
credit.
Transportation Inadequate.
Inadequate transportation only in
creased the difficulties OF supplyinl
the men. Three hundred miles .
I single track railroad is all that con
aects the lower Rio Grande vale
With; the rest OF the country, Every
,hing that reached the valley had t
ome over the single line Of the S
souis, Brownsville & Mexico. TIL
men had to be fed; consequently
rations got precedence over other SUP
plies. The food shipments, togethe
with regular shipping to and fror
the civilian population OF the vale,
almost required the entire facilitie
Of the road. osi
major General Organ, commant
ing the New York division. told m
one day that his quartermaster DE-
partment had been able TO get ahea
OF current needs by only four day,
supplies" e