Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-08-04
SAMMIES MAKE
REAL HIT WITH
FRENCH PEOPLE
Men and Officers Work Eight
Hours Daily; Take Long
Hikes in Training
IR1 Annotated Pr.ssl

AMERICAN TRAINING CAMP IN
FRANCE, July 1.-THE American
troops have been here for less than a
week-they are not all here by any
means-and they have already made
themselves thoroughly at home, so
much so that this section OF France
looks like a little bit Of America
Tho correspondent made an ex-
tended visit TO the encampments this
morning and found the men fit and
in good spirits and full Of praise for
the friendly cooperation Of the
French people, who have willingly
and gladly given up many Of their
own comforts to accommodate the
army. The available houses, how
ever, TO accommodate all the Ameri-
cans who have arrived. and so the
countryside is dotted with newly
erected barracks that have sprung up
over night and make even more pic
turesque this beautiful neighborhood
Water is abundant here, but uncer-
tain as to the purity, SO the troops
are adopting filtering methods by
means of bags susRApded from trt-
pods, which astoniS& the local in
habitants almost as much as the
Americans inexplicable thirst for
water, which is unknown to vine
drinkers, many Of whom seldom touch
water.
District 10 Cleaned Up
A task which the army has taken
upon itself is the clearing up Of the
entire countryside and at the pres
emit pace the whole district will soon
look like a well-ordered garden. Such
prisoners as are under arrest for
minor attractions Of the regulations
are employed each morning in max
ing headquarters spotless and are
bringing such q degree OF orderliness
into the place that the original resi-
dents are amazed. Likewise, they
find Il difficult to understand why the
soldiers take so many baths, for the
men make for the nearest stream and
dive In as soon as theg are, at liberty.
The presence of tie soldiers here
has naturally introduced many novel
ties. but probably. none Is more well
come than the daily evening concert,
which attracts PEOPLE from far
around, people chiefly who have never
heard lively American music and who
have been without music since the
outbreak Of the war.
An even more strenuous course OF
training is in force here than at the
ORIGINAL camp rear the landing point
of.the troops. The men work. q min
imum OF eight hours daily; the off,
GERS from u TO. is. In addition they
take tremendous hikes to get into con-
dit3on. Herr and there one falls by
the wayside from exhaustion, but the
majority are standing the gaff in a
way that speaks volumes for the ef-
ficiency q the system.
Plans are rapidly developing for
regular and constant training IN co.
operation with the French troops en-
campeS in this district, whose long
experience has been placed at the
diepoRl Of the newcomers. The
Frereh and American headquarters
are.h the same building and there Is
colI,tant cooperation between the
tv4 forces, which soon will be so de-
y9oped that the Americans not only
viii have guidance and instruction
rom French officers, but virtually
here win be an experienced and
trained member for each trooper.
They viii be willing mentors, too, for
the French are so enthusiastic about |
the Americans that they even march
about with American flags attached
to their bayonets.
An amusing but not altogether
happy feature Of the Inauguration OF
the training camp was the confusion
into which the telegraph office was
thrown when It found itself con- |
fronted with numerous newspaper
dispatches to handle in place of oc- /
casional brief messages. The length
OF the despatches-even though they
were all too brief-completely upset
the operators at the beginning, and
their unfamiliarity with the English |
language increased the difficulties. |
The situation, however. is improving |
every day.
AS tribute to the marching ahil- |
fly Of the troops, it might be men-
toned that the soldiers have lost so |
many hobnails on the roads that about |
half OF the motor cars in camp have |
picked them up and have suffered by |