The Sentinel=record., 1917-12-29

Washington, Dec. 28--Disease cpl denies and clothing and equipment shortages at Camp Bowie, Texas, and Camp Doniphan, Oklahoma, were de scribed to the senate military com mittee by the respective commanders of these national guard cantonments, Major Generals Creole and Wright Each officer said the epidemic at his post now was under control and that adequate supplies of overcoats had ibeen received but each gave a dis nal picture of earlier conditions.
 Each told, too, of enormous short ages of rifles, machine guns and other equipment still existing, but food has
 been plentiful end of good quality.
 General Greble's story showed con- ditions at Camp Bowie to have been the worse. He declared the lives of the many men who recently died there would have been saved had winter clothing, sufficient tents to avoid
 overcrowding and proper hospital ia cilities and sanitation been provided. ! He told how the war department or l dered twelve men housed in each tent, 1 where he said they were "so thick you couldn't walk between them"
 During November General Creole said 5000 men, or about one-third of his command, passed through the hos l pital, with dea'hs from pneumonia,
 measles and other diseases averaging | l6 daily At one time 1.SO0 men. he stated, were crowded into a hospital 1 built to accommodate 500, and that without a sewerage system.
 In September, the general said. he , protested against crowding twelve men into a tent and gave warning that sickness would result Before more tents arrived the epidemics broke out. Now, however, he added, there are only 500 men on the sick list
 During the hearing the committee also received from Secretary Baker a ! letter in reply to it's resolution rs- questing immediate action to relieve clothing shortages in the cantonments, stating the necessary steps had been taken and that he would report fully as soon as all camps were heard from. Each of the camps investigated to- day has abont 25,000 men with Mis- souri and Kansas national guardsmen , largely composing the personnel at Camp Donipnan. and Texas and Okla homa guardsmen at Camp Bowie. Health conditions that were recently reported by Surgeon General Gorgas, whom General Creole said today had made a correct report of conditions at the Texas cantonment.
 The two camp commanders were before the committee all day today testifying three hours behind closed doors regarding conditions among General Pershing's forces whom they
 recently inspected They said Gen eral Pershing is shOrt of no supplies except motor trucks.
 Although all the men al Camp Don iphan now are well clothed, General
 Wright said his command still was short for overseas service, However
 he felt confident he would get suffi-
 cient clothing upon starting for Flu
 rope.
 Mos, of the men at the camp are
 under canvass. the witness said, but
 the tents are we'll floored and are
 heated "too we'll"
 General Wright said the death rate
 was low, averaging only about one a
 day. while the sick rate was moi
 large considering that many cases or
 measles were brought to camp by
 draft men from Camp Funston.
 Most of the pneumonia cases at
 Camp Doniphan, General Wright said,
 are a result of measles.
 Army officers were not surprised at the amount of sickness, he added. especially measles. Meningitis and
 scarlet fever were unexpected deyel- iopments.
 Senator Hitchcock said all con
 gressmen had received letters from Iparents of soldiers protesting very