The evening world., 1917-12-20
SOLDIERS SUFFER
NO HARDSH|PS At
CAMP WADSWORTH
Exaggerations of Conditions
Give the Folks at Home
Erroneous Impressions.

lsr~-ial ~ IN. E-cnins wwid =


CAMP wADSwoRTH. SPARTAN |
BURG, s. c., Dec. 2o.-Some OF tho
men In camp who write TO their rela-
tives and friends at home and some
OF those who 20 home on furlouFh
like TO tell OF the hardshlps OF camp
life. and perhaps they exaggernte. In
this way some erroneous impressions
have gone out at times. and manv
letters and kilograms are received
here from relatives or friends OF tho
soldiers asking for tho truth as TO
conditions.
There has been exceptionally cold
weather. OF course, and a good deal
OF snow. II has all been disagree
able. but there has been no real suf-
fering In camp. and there has been
wonderfully small amount of sick
ness. The health record of Camp
Wadsworth continues 20 be better
than that OF any other training camp
in tho country.
A tent in an open field Is not as
comfortable as n steam heated house
in a city. equipped with hot water
and Eas. to be sure. But the men in
camp here have been living In the
open air for months. and they are
hardened to outdoor life. This win
| ter they can endure hardships and
exposure which would have killed
them last winter. They arc new men,
| and while they may not bo very en-
| thusiastic about the weather for the
past ten days. they are more healthy
than they would have been at home In
civilian life. In other words. there
is less sickness among the men in
Camp Wadsworth than there is
among the same number OF men in
civilian life anywhere In the country,
Taking OF testimony in the court
martial proceedings against Lieut..
Harold Leroy Whitney, Battery +,
lO4th Field Artillery, charged with
striking an enlisted man OF his bat
terry, was concluded yesterday af-
ternoon. The court has rendered its
verdict, but under military usage the
verdict cannot be made public until
after II has been reviewed and ap-
proved by proper authority. This
being In this case Major Gen. O'Ryan
proved by proper authority, this
not be for ten days or two weeks yet
In the meantime lieut.. Whitney will
remain under arrest and be confined
to camp. He practically admitted
his guilt. but entered a plea OF ex-
tenuating circumstances.
A telegram from tho AdJutan'
General OF tho army, received here
to- day, says that owing to the con
gested coalition OF the railroads, MOI
more than per cent OF the enlisted
strength of any organization should
/ In .Nf N b.
holiday season.
Private William q. Smith, Com.
pany II. 106th Infantry has been con,
victed OF desertion and sentenced L
, Ave years at hard labor at Fort Jay
: Governors Island, N. Y, at tho ex,
piration OF which he will be dlshon
. orably dismissed from the army
smith was one OF a party OF four sol
diers who made a spectacular at
tempt at desertion some weeks ago
They forced local automohil,
owner TO drive them TO Henderson
Vile, n. c.. at the point OF pistol.
Private Cornelius Vanderbilt ir o
the Division Headquarters Troop vii
leave tomorrow for New York on
furlough. He will undertake 10 max
the trip through the country In hi
automobile.
New assignments OF regimenta
chaplalns here were announced to-da
as follows:
Lieut.. Peter s, Hoey. TO be chaplal
OF the lo5th Machine Gun BattalioI
and continue as assistant chaplain O
the l07th Infantry.
Lieut.. Francis A. Kelly. chaplain I
the 1O4th Machine Gun Battalion.
Lieut.. John c. Ward. chaplain I
the l06th Machine Gum Battalion
Lieut.. Edwin S. Reeve, charlain, 1
permanently assigned TO tho 27th nj
vision and for the present viii b
with the trains and military police,