Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-08-15

| One of the Augusta boyS OF the
! Milliken regiment, 1st Maine, H. F.
A., has written home from Brunswick
! describing, in interesting way, the
! thorough manner in which Colonel
! Balentine and his officers are main
tanning an immaculate camp. Not a
! chance is taken with disease or fifth.
! Col A. T. has declared war on both as
| efficient allies of the Kaiser. Every
thing from rim to rim of the encamp-
nent is spotless. If man wishes to
gamble with losing his scalp and skin
ii is only necessary to neglect to obey
to the letter every order pertaining to
absolute cleanliness.
The writer of the letter is fascinated
with the life of the camp and the war
/ like atmosphere. He understands the
meaning of actual hostilities and the
requirements Of a true soldier in
| preparation as well as in war, but he
| looks beyond to the realization of
! peace and the benefit to America of a
| shaking up" of an awakening from
its indulgence, lust. greed, and deca-
dent tendencies He feels that the
boys of the LIST Maine and the hun
dreds of thousands of others in the
country, now soldiers in the making,
are getting a new perspective. invalu-
able lessons in patriotic citizenship
and mans comradeship to man.
This writer has tried to picture to
his friends at home the enthusiasm. OF
officers and men, the great majority of
them heart and hand in the work.
ready to take what comes to them
without complaint, and with only a
very few of the dissatisfied and weak
! CT metal sort The winners and drag
: toed fellows get small sympathy from
the real men among the officers and in
the ranks. They are bound to come
up to the scratch in few short weeks.
The atmosphere Of the camp is putting
rev blood in their veins, new views in
their minds
One young officer of Battery E puts
IL this way: It's a pity ten million
young men of the country could not
undergo the discipline, training and
regular life of army camps for six
months"
That is the spirit Of Camp Chamber
lain, somewhere in Brunswick"
Maine.
Here is an excerpt from the letter:
War on Dirt.
Extreme precautions are being taxi
en- to prevent any sickness part!"uia"-
~ any epidemic in camp. That's
What we're in terror of, because then,
people would say that we made a
warm start but we were inefficient in
that we couldn't care for our men.
And, believe me, that's what we're do
ing. The head ianitor of the college,
McBain, told me today that thus far in
all the dormitories now used as bar
racks with from four to eight men in a
room. he hadn't found a sign of dam
age or dirtineSS.
The entire occupied number of
rooms, corridors, starwaNs and wash
rooms are swept. washed and busted at
S A. NJ. and 3 P. NJ. The shelves. win
dow seats plate rails, doorknobs, ban
listers and any place suggesting con-
taminaton are rubbed twice daily
with rags soaked in solution of sui
Tho-na pthol The urinals are washed
several times daily and flush closets
+ likewise the seats being disinfected
with the s. y.
The grounds are thoroughly policed
and all cigarette stubs. matches and
bits Of wood and paper deposited in
garbage cans of which we have a large
supply.
All tho ticlks-white sacks stuffed
with straw-and blankets are put out
on the lawns for a daily airing. The
mess kits are thoroughly cleaned
1t has been reported that the boys
Of the regiment say they're not being
fed well. It's strange, but, | believe.
a fact that some men going to war feel
that they must maintain status of
martyr by writing home how hard
they're working, how little they have
tc eat, what a fearful place they
have in which to sleep. and to recount
numerous other hardships to sympa-
thetic relatives. Bnt any such stories
can't be satisfactorily characterized by
any other title than lies SO far as this
camp is concerned. They emanate,
presumably, from some of our mama's
boys who enlisted from heroic impulse
but without expecting to work This
war will mean wonders to them. And
what will it mean to the millions of
others who return in safety? From
my point of view were due for a
country shaking-up that will be
Of inestimabe value to nation
stepped in laziness and self-in-
du1penco