The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1918-06-07
AN ENGLIsHMAN'S VIEW OF
AMERICAN ARMY CAMPS

The hardships of army life Gin AM
erica) are not hardships at all, ac-
cording TO the viewpoint of an Eng
lish officer, who is in this country as
sisting in the training of the National
Army. In a letter to the Bystander
(London) he pokes a bit of fun at
our passion for home comforts and
entertainment, and shows himself to
be somewhat astonished at the mag
nifcent scale on which camp life is
conducted. His letter follows:
The American cantonment is a
wonderful thing. 1t is built to con-
tain about 1000 troops, and in mag
nifcence it far surpasses anything
that we have been used to in Europe.
Everybody in it has about as many
cubit feet of air at his disposal as an
average platoon in a camp at home.
Indeed, my first question when | saw
this camp was: But where are SOL
diers to occupy this space?" Bryan's
million men would have got lost in 1t.
However, ! soon saw them. The
American soldier is not naturally a
self-effacing individual, and it was
only the vast spaciousness of his sur
roundings that for the moment led
me to overlook him. Not only in the
matter of room have they got us beat
en-, but also in all the comforts.
Everyone has a bed, and there is
abundant heat, water and lighting
for the humblest. The heating is,
IL is true, little unreliable; but on
heatless days, it has been pointed out,
one can always comfort oneself with
the thought that If the ice plant
were 10 break down they could al
ways use the furnaces.
Those American Mcsscs.
With trBe democratic principles
the officers are accommodated no bet
ter than the men. Their messes are
as the mems messes, only smaller
There are no vestfges of anti-rooms or
other such evidences Of European
Then their enlisted gnen"
(i G., "opner ranIs") feed better than
the most gorgeous of our sergeants
messes did even in the days when
England too. was flowing with milk
and honey. ] make the CONF arison
with our sergesnts' messes advisedly,
for, of course, the officers messes
never compared with them, as any
one can tell who has been in both.
There seems to be a thezter, a
community house (Which is sort of
cross between Olympia and the Re-
gent Palace), movie theater, a Y.
NJ C. 4. and department store for
every Cther man. The Knights of
Columbus and the Church Army have
huts galore. Altogether the camp
Is, indeed. "a home from hUme"-
even from an American home. Only
at times one feels tempted to wonder
if the army has been broughttto these
camps for great ''get together social
campaign or military training"
The great American public IS GER
tainly spearing itself neither effort
nor money to keep its soldiers anus
ed. There is provided for them
whirl OF amusements such as would
put even New York or pre-war Paris
to shame. For instance, l see from
to-day's bulletin of amussments, pub
lished by the divisional newspaper
(of course, there is not only a 0ivi-
sional newspaper, but most companies
also run their own magaaine) mat
the American Select" ii. e. drafted
mani has for his diversion tonight
choice between a dance. a musical
comedy with beauty chorus complete,
a cinema show, six boxing entertain
ments, an imitation into the local
Masonic lodge and lecture on Alas
ka. Strangely enough the last will
probably be crowded. The American
has a most splendid zeal for self
Every now and then some promi-
nent parsonage, such as a movie star
or an e1-President of the republic,
comes to the camp to tell them why
America is in the war Gas if they
did not knowD Then all the officers
are gathered together and the visitor
shakes hands solemnly with each in
turn and say how pleased he is to
meet him. Sometimes one begins to
have doubts about those democratic
principles. after all.
Sport is very properly a great fea-
ture of the camp life. To the timid |
however, the somewhat
manner in which It is
conducted is a little alarming Person
ally, / would rather attack a German
trench system without any prelimi-
nary bombardment than pass through |
the mixed barrages of baseballs, foot |
balls. basketballs, volly balls and in