New-York tribune., 1918-01-03
Some Facts From Camp
How Bad Location and Lack of
Equipment Handicap Training

Equipment Handicap Training
10 the Editor of The Tribune.
sir: In view of Congressional investiga-
t'ons and the many reports concerning con-
dltons at the army cantonmcnts the follow
ing may be Of interest to your readers:
Camp Somewhere in the United States
December %. 1917.
Dear Dad: have .ried three different
times to answer your last letter. but each
time have given it up. as it seems just
can't write any more 1t isn't because I
haven't the time to write. Goodness knows
we have time enough here in the evenings,
as there is nothing else to do; but after one
has told about the camp there is nothing
, more to write about, because it's the same
old thing day in and day out. will try to
explain the conditions here as best can
In the first place, | viii say that every
thing possible is being douc for our comfort.
We have tents, for which side walls and
floors have been provided. At present
have two blankets. and after to day VIC will
have three, they going to issue US
another one this p. The blankets are not
the warmest I've seen, but nearly every one
has an extra blanket or quilt. which he
who had home and who brought an
extra quilt, and I plying the poor un-
fortunatcs who had none to bring as know
they have suffered with the cold. There have
been times even when | have lain awake
chilled to the bone with my two blankets,
my ovcrcoat and quilt on me.
They gradually overcoming these
things though, ior, as ] have said, VIC are
being issued another blanket, and we now
have fires in our mess halls and warm water
in our lighthouses. Our food is good is we'll
cooked. and it is clean,
We have a lot of things to put up with,
bnt, Judging from things have read of other
camps, VIC arc indeed lucky.
The Location of Camp
The greatest drawback abor this camp is
the location of it, We arc in bad country
for QUITO door living | know. You can real
ize this when you know that there is so much
change in temperature between the nights
and days. Just imagine the thermometer
registers around 80 degrees in the daytime
and at night it goes down to from 10 to Is
degrees above This is bound to cause
sickness more OF less, and slight illness
often turns into pneumonia, and pneumonia
in this country is said to be incurable. There
have been quite 4 number of deaths I know.
as ! have bowed my head to any number of
been ! couldn't say, but feel safe in saying
that there have been too many. Understand,
this is not the result of any carelessness on
the part of the government in prov iding for
or taking care of us. They picked the wrong
location for u camp. that is all. and don't
doubt but that politics had Il good deal to do
with placing US here.
Now, as for the men hardly know what
TO say. except that it has been said by big
frnJ, %t,% batt
of men and soldiers couldn't be found. They
have proven their patriotism by buying
enough Liberty bonds to lead all divisions
in the purchase thereof. Every one is
n soldier and every one is glad to be sol
der, and no one wants to quit being sol
dier until the work is done but they are be-
coming a little impatient because Of lack of
equipment. Not personal equipment. but
lighting equipment. Then, too, there is a
decided lull in our training programme.
which is undoubtedly due to The lack of
equipment. We were supposed to have in
tcnslVe training here, sixteen weeks Of It,
but we arc not getting it because we have
nothing to work with. We have our horses
but no saddles and we have few side arms,
but not the kind are going to use. There
are three regiments of artillery here and
but one battalion out of the three regiments
have 3-inch pieces. These, too, are different
Irom the ones will use when we go "over'
lhls causes discomfort. 1t is bound to- as
every one IS anxious to get the sixteen weeks
training and get out of here.
Now, whether they intend to sivc us ,ia:
sixteen weeks, intensive training here or no:
don't know, but if they do it will mean tina.
We Will be here all next SUMNER This much
is true: We have accomplished nothing since
we came here except that we have learned a
little about horses, but this, is a mere drop
In the bucket 70 what we must learn.
must stop now, dad, as this is getting to
be quite a sob letter. but you asked me for
1acts and nave given them nearly as
can Afectonatelv your son.
BILL
The foregoing is from the pen of twenty
year-old volunteer. and is Submitted not as
a criticism. but Il statement of fact by
HIS FATHER
New York Dec 80 1917