Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-02-26
WET WEATHER
 SP0ILS MODEL
 FRENCH CAMP
Former Popular American Camp in Continuous
 Fight With Mud.

respondence of the Associated Press) HWhen the first American troops
 reached this base in June and July
 of last year. they were outspokenly
 delighted with the camp which lies
 three or four miles from the seaport.
 Most of the men had come from long
 months in Texas and Mexico, and
 they could not say enough about the clean. wooden barracks and the mild 1 pleasant weather.
 All succeeding troops that have disembarked here have been quart | cred for time at the same camp, which between times has doubled its capacity and acquired number of | new features, but never {: word of praise escapes the soldiers now, for as a wet weather and winter camp it has developed disadvantages with which it's authorities have constant ly to wrestle.
 It's very distance from town, which at the beginning was regarded as an advantage because it took the sol diers out in the country, away from the city, and gave the men healthy hike, is today disadvantage. All permanent troops at the port includ- ing the 5000 negro stevedores, must morning and evening travel the three and fraction miles in motor trucks that tear up the roads faster than they can be repaired. Though loads, of crushed stone are constantly being distributed, they are but drops in the bucketfuls of mud and the ruts with which the roads are corrugated
 The camp was originally believed to be unusually healthy because of It's position, overlooking the harbor, high above the town. But the site it. self which is on a sort of plateau. is perfectly flat and every bit of rain that descends remains on the plain. The weather this winter has been pe- cullarly rainy, and the shacks in which the men live have, with the earth floors, become ever and again seas of mud through which the men must wade and over which the men must sleep. And the roofs have been round to be so faulty that rain streams in until the inhabitants of each shack have to set up their field tents over the hunks in order to keen dry. .- As a result the carpenter force of the camp has been kept busy all win- ter making repairs, though ' it has 3besn difficult and generally impos- srble to substitute wooden for the earthen floors. When the weather has been really cold which it has been part of the time, it has been found that small stoves with which the shacks were first equipped were entirely inadequate to heat the build ings properly.
 Great strides have been made in providing recreation and amusement for the men. The camp, which will hold 10000 men if necessary, now mas two Y. M. c. A. "huts," which really are big double halls arranged so that the men can play basket ball on one side-or give entertainments on the portable stages while on the other they have libraries and writing rooms, canteens and social rooms.
 Each hut" has it's outdoor athlet- lc field also where baseball and foe,,- ball are the rule fine leisure day. TWO Y. M. c. A. men, assisted by several women workers, lare in charge of the motion picture shows and in general look after the Well fare of the camp.
 The camp authorities nave rieidly divided the camp in such a way man ner that all the colored soldiers who live there permanently shall be by themselves. with their own ouarters ana even their own Y. M. c. A. buildings, which are in the process of construction now.