The weekly soliphone., 1917-07-26
TROOPS IN FRANCE
 ARE HARD AT WORK
Pershing's Men Are Putting In Eight Hours Daily At h.
 tensive Training.

Dy any meanS-and they have al ready made themselves thoroughly | at home, so much so that this sec tion of France looks like a little bit of America
 The correspondent made an ex- tended visit to the encampments this morning and found the men fit and in good spirits and full of praise for the friendly cooperation of the French people, who have willingly and gladly given up many of their own comforts to accommo- date the army The available hous- es, however, are not sufficient for those who have arrived and so the countryside is dotted with newly erected barracks that have sprung mp over night and make even more picturesque this beautiful neigh bOrhood.
 Water is abundant here, but un- certain as to purity, so the troops are adopting Altering methods by means of bags suspended from tri- pales. which astonish the local hab- itants almost as much as the Am ericans' inexplicable thirst for wa ter, which is unknown to wine drinkers, many of whom seldom touch water. A task which the army has taken upon itself is the clear ing up of the entire countryside, and at the present pace the whole district will soon look like a we'll ordered garden.
 BATHS SURPRISE NATIVES.
 Such prisoners as are under ar rest for minor infractions of the regulations are employed each morning in making headquarters spotless and are bringing such a de- gree of orderliness into the place that the original residents are amazed. Likewise they find it diff cult to understand why the sol diers take so many baths, for the men make for the nearest stream and dive in as soon as they are at liberty
 The presence of the soldiers here has naturally introduced many nov cities, but probably none is more welcome than the daily evening concert, which attracts people from far around, people chiefly who have never heard lively American and who have been without music since the outbreak of the war.
 An attractive feature of the camp is the lion cub, who occupies a cor ner in the camp of a certain regi- mont. The cub was presented as a mascot by American residents in Paris. He was young and playful and harmless a short time ago, but is growing astonishingly and is a veritable terror to the stownspeo- pie and now a source of doubtful amusement to the soldiers, many of whom bear scratches to testify to the nature of his playfulness.
 An even more strenuous course of training is in force here than at the original camp near the land ing point of the troops. The men work minimum of eight hours daily; the officers from twelve to sixteen. In addition, they take tre- mendous hikes to get into condi- ton. Here and there one falls by the wayside from the eXertion, but the majority are standing the gaff in way that speaks volumes for the efficiency of the system, e ENTHUSIASTIC FOR AMERICANS
 Plans are rapidly developing for regular and constant training in cooperation with the French troops encamped in this district, whose long experience has been placed at the disposal of the newcomers. The French and American head quarters are in the same building, and there is constant cooperation between the two forces, which will soon be so developed that the Amer jeans not only will have guidance and instruction from French off cials, but virtually there will be an experienced and trained mentor for each trooper They will be will ing mentors, too, for the French are so enthusiastic about the Am efcans that they even march about with American flags attached to their bayonets.
 An amusing, but not altogether happy feature of the inauguration of the training camp was the con fusion into which the telegraph of flee was thrown when it found it. self confronted with numerous newspaper despatches to handle in plase of occasional brief messages, The length of the despatches even though they were all too brief completely upset the operators at the beginning, and their unfamil- iarity with the English language increased their difficulties. The sit uation is improving.