Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-01
SAMM|ES LONGFOR
OLE SW|MM|N' HOLE
Hot Sunday Makes American
Boys SweIter in Camps
in France. !. 81
III AN NRAnR AAIR
PLAY CRAPS AND BASE BALL
BY JUNIUS B. WOOD.
Especial Cablegram to The Star ana
Chicago Daily News.)

Especial Cablegrsm to Tho Star and
Chicago Daily News.)
Copyright. 1917. by the Chicago Daily News
Company
AMERICAN FIELD HEADQUARTERS
IN FRANCE. July 20 delayed. 1t was
a hot Sunday without a swimming hole
in sight for the American boys It was
the first day that could be called really
warm since the landing in France. The
sun blaZed like huge calcium light
from a cloudless sky on the toy VII
lagos. hills. forests. valleys green with
waving grain and the smooth white
carry away the dust stirred up by
strolling French families and jogging
carts.
In the camps in the broiling fairy
land our boys were resting or playing.
Some tramped through the shady for
ests, stopping at out-of-the-way viii
lagos and drinking bottle of vino
offered by some hospitable French peas
or lounsed around the camps INDUCING
IN games ranging from craps to base ball
Base Ball Game Attracts.
The center of attraction at division
headquarters camp was the Young
Mems Christian Association tent and
the athletic field where a hot contest
was in progress between two rival COM
panies- frequently exciting comment
which is not usually heard on Young
Mems Christian Association premises.
as when RED" famed or Shorty failed
to steal third. The diamond was laid
out on the big field facing the tent
Nearby were punching bags and hori-
zontal bars. Two husky. bare-armed
privates were pummeling each other
much to the edifcation of a ringside
crowd OF French soldiers and children
getting their first sight Of the manly
art The bats. balls. mitts and boxing
gloves were furnished by the organiza-
ton. Paris was secured for the meager
supplies. Many thousands Of dollars
worth of equipment of this kind was
lost on ship torpedoed by a sub
marine.
The tent. borrowed from a British
branch. is painted with a blur Of greens. ,
reds and yellows, so that it Is indis-
by hostile aeroplanes. Inside. crowding
around long tables were soldiers writing.
playing checkers and other games and
listening to monographs. The latest lux
Sold including $500 packages OF cigar
cts 2,400 cakes of chocolate and several
hundred boxes Of caramels A number Of
testaments were to be distributed under
the auspices of the Lord Roberts Associa-
ton, but the condition that they be read
twice daily had a somewhat discouraging
effect.
Living Quarters Planned.
Eventually" said C. N. Brownall Of
Buffalo. n. Y. the secretary. I'VE shall
have permanent living quarters here. and
we hope to have women like Mrs Theo- .
dore Roosevelt and others prominent in
our organization come to take an active
part in the field work. We plan to have
similar tents and athletic fields at con-
venient places along the line of camps"
Work among the soldiers is also being
planned by the Salvation Army. Thirty
officers. including the colonel of one resi-
ment, piled upon motor truck early in
the morning and cheerfully endured jolt
ing for fifty miles to have the pleasure Of
visiting some American nurses-the first
women from America they have seen since
camp life started.
The marines, at the outermost end of
the long line, are sufficient unto them
selves. A strange country is no fncon-
venience to them. They have their own
band and everything to make a foreign
camp homelike, even to a chiropodist.
They have the only dentist in the field
for - work.
Eighteen sacks Of mail coming from
home added to the satisfaction Of tho
day. Three army post offices under the
American Post Office Department have
now been opened in France. R. L.
Maddox, superintendent of the foreign
mails department, has been in Europe
for months Investigating the plans in
use in the other armies and establish I
ing the offices now open. He made a
tour of the British front, studying their
system, and held extended conferences
with the French postal officials.
Same Conditions as at Home. !
In consequence of his work letters
are passed by the censors at these Of
fees and mailed at the same rateS&d6
under the same conditions as q homo.
The French government waived all
charges for carrying the mail of sol.i
diers and all others connected with the
army. Letters between home and armyl
offices go and come az domestic letter.
rates. A letter between home offlca
and French post Office costs cents.i
between home and an army post omcaI
cents American stamps are on sale,
and also money orders. Civilian postal
into uniforms to operate the of1ceA
The only concession which the Amer.j
lean government makes Is that solS
der instead of using a stamp. which inI
the field Is usually unsecurable, mayl
write on the envelope Soldiers lettesa
and 1t will be carried to it's destfnat1oaI |
The price of the stamp. however, ynlI
be collected from the recipient at nj
other end. 4I
Correspondents in America can staai
themselves of the lower rate and ll
pedite delivery by addressing ~
the army Offices. The offio9x
the port,of arrival is designated q ~
post office. No. l. The one in the cit &
which most Of the mail is distribute 81
No. and that for the base OF ~
troops in the field, No. 3. These mum
and not the names OF French I'd
are the only designations permitted
the army authorities Twice day II
Is free rural mail delivery, and
collections made number three a day
each regiment and company in the u -.
line of camps. Much Of the sorting .