Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-05-15
CHEER
FOR UNITED STATES

Mitley, England, April 24.-Let-
ter to FreemanTribune from e. w.
Getty: The one spot in all England
where the news of Americas entry
into the war was received with the
greatest enthusiasm was the Canadi-
an camp at Whitley and Bramshot.
Canadians here report their Amer
lean neighbors more like friends
than brothers" and look forward to
having United States troops shoul-
der to shoulder with them soon.
If there was one man in camp hap
pier than any other it was the Can
adam bandmaster. "The Maple Leaf
Forever" was about the only old re-
liable marching tune his military
| musicians had on tap.
American airs such as ''DiXle" and
Marching Through Georgia" an
example of Canadian neutrality
now ring through the Surrey hills as
the Canadians march, and the Off
GERS rise from their places at the ia
BILE when the band, which plays out
side their mess at meal times, strikes
up the "Star Spangled Banner"
Whitley camp is unique in one re-
spect. 1t is perhaps the only. camp
in the world where the cook is not
the power behind the throne"
The newly found Canadian eff
cheney has extended to the kitchen,
and officers and men live on war ra-.
lions that are outlined by the author
tiles months in advance, with every
detail of the cooking prescribed.
Disciplinary action will be taken
if this diet sheet is deviated from is
the ominous warning posted in the
camp kitchens over the weekly diet
sheet. Not only are the menus,
drawn up for the culinary depart
ment, but exactly how much they
shall serve each man, and how they
shall cook the dishes. outlined in
prominent black type.
'"The health of the men depends
on the cooking and cleanliness of
their food,' Mai. Gen. G. R. Hughes,
c. M. G., D. S. o., commander of the
Canadian division quartered here,
said when he issued the orders, and
the camp physicians say that the av-
erage health has improved noticeably
since the new regulations went into
effect.
/ Another result of the efficiency
measure is that the Canadians here
today are better fed than the civil
ian population of London. The, per-
centage of wheat in the flour that
makes the Londoners' bread has been
appreciably decreased, but the over
seas forces still eat white bread. Po-
tatoes, now worth their weight in.
gold throughout the country, are
supplied the Canadians without re-
straint.
It's a good thing for the Canadi-
ans that they had this health-giving
diet system, because the winter they!
have passed through has been the
most severe England has seen in 50
years, and the hills of Surrey, the
highest spot in the south of England,
have been exposed to merciless
blasts.
The day on which Canadian Pre-
mier Sir Robert Borden visited Wit
ley and Bramshot was typical OF the
season. The brigades on review
would march from bright binding
sunshine into veritable blizzard OF
sleet, the head of the column often
hidden in the driving snow while the
rear guard shaded their eyes from
the sun.
Youth is apparent everywhere
throughout the camps. The Canadl-
ans are a younger, fresher lot OF SOL
diers than any in England today.
Already tried under fire in the
|'spring offensive, they have proved
themselves equal to the finest in the
allied armies, and in short time
500 90 more of them will be going
over TO do "their bit"