Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1918-12-27
DIR. THOMAS WORK
AT CAMP MERRITT

President John NJ, Thomas Of Mid
dlebury College this week enjoyed
three'day furlough from his duties as
chaplain at Camp Merritt, enabling
him to spend Christmas day with his
family here, and incidentally TO pay
visit 10 The Register office where were
learned for the first time some OF the
more interesting features OF his work
at Camp MerriU
Dr. Thomas Is in charge OF the Pro-
testant chaplains at that port OF dis
embarkatiOn, and has his Office in
Merritt Hall which is the enlisted
mems club at that camp The build
ing IS the social headquarters of the
camp and includes a large cafeteria,
soda and ice cream parlors, pool room
OF 3S tables, large library, and
reading and writing room
Though originally disappointed at
his failure to get to France, DR., Thomas
feels that he has an unusual oppor-
tunity in his present post, as he is
privileged to greet the constant stream
oi men who are returning now in large
numbers from France From six to
ten thousand soldiers are being disem
barked daily at Camp Merritt, and
during their stay there for a period of
from three to ten days there is a fine
chance to learn some OF their stories,
and to be inspired with their own high
feeling of patriotism upon returning to
the good old U S. A. DR.. Thomas
says that the men are eager to tell
their stories and very fond OF all men
in ehaplain's uniform because they
have stood by them heroically. 1t
would do anyone good to see how
nightly confirmed in patriotism all of
the returning soldiers are and how
much more they think of their home
country now that they have seen Eng.
land and France, They all say that
business and labor conditions of all
kinds are vastly better in this coun.
try, and our poor cannot be compared
with those among the French people,
and the French girls ARE not in it
with those at home,
Il don't believe any of US have any
idea of what kind OF a hell war is"
said DR.. Thomas when he remarked
that he had talked with many ser
geants who had been in command OF
battalons because all OF their senior
officials had been killed off, at Cha
teau- Thierry and in the Argonne II
talked with one lieutenant who be
lieved himself one OF seven men left
from the officers in his regiment, and
even he was badly crippled. He was
in charge of casual company of l42
men, everyone of whom had been
wounded, One night | had the privi-
lege OF taking 30 men to a beautiful
home in Euglewood for a home even
ing, and everyone of those 30 men had
a wound stripe, 1t is really great
privilege to help in welcoming home
these men who have been in the thick.
est of the fight"
Last Sunday DR.. Thomas conducted
services at the base hospital at the
camp accommodating 5000 wounded
men, and there ran upon Edward Cur
ran, former Midd student in the
class OF l9, who had been gassed, but
was recovering slowly At the hospital
there were men with all kinds of
One man had as a souvenir a
piece OF steel as big as an ink bottle
which the surgeons had pried out of
the thick of his leg. There was a vast
number of other souvenirs of every
variety. One wounded soldier had a
German breastplate weighing fifty
pounds, but which had been apparent
y useless, for three machine gun bull
lets had penetrated it, There were
helmets galore, German rifles and auto.
matte trench knives, and large num-
Der OF vases which were made out of
the French IS shells and very beauti-
,ully wrought by the French soldiers
Many men also had German belts with
The familiar legend "Gott Nit Uns"-
and the home corners say that the Ger
mans believed this motto until the
Americans came