Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-06-09
Eager to Get to Business End
Of Line, New Arrivals Un-
easy When Ordered to Train
ing Zones.
ADJUSTMENTS HELPFUL IN
KEEPING MEN C0NTENTED
Those Who Have Been to Front
Lines Not Required to Drill.
as Much as 'UnbaptiSed'
Ones,

10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wiRsl
Behind British Lines in France
June S.-The young soldiers under
orders TO embark for the first time
who pictures to himself a future which
Will be all fighting days and sees him
self step from troopship to be rushed
to battle as did the first British di-
visions sent to the rescue at Mons, is
doomed to disappointment.
AS a matter of fact, ne will spend
only small proportion of his time in
the front line, and even while there
will only see actual fighting at more
or less rare intervals. Life will hold
81 good deal of base" and "billets''
for him even in France.
Food Is Excellent.
The time spent far behind the lines
he will find irksome or pleasant, &C .
cording to whether his temperament
Is eager and enterprsing or the re-
verse. For the great majority how
ever billets and base camps are very
pleasant. The food is excellent, work
is comparatively light and amuse-
ments are plentiful.
The Associated Press correspondent
paid a visit the other day to a huge
artillery base camp, situated on the
French coast near some famous bath
ing beaches and within easy reach of
a big city. Within the camp, which
also serves for large number of en-
gineers and some special infantry
units are several theaters, the cam
teens of the British expeditionary
force, the lounge rooms and huts oe
the Young Mems Christian associa-
tion and various "camp institutes
and athletic grounds. Here the SOL
dier can have a fairly comfortable
and enjoyable vacation.
Impatient for Action.
Most of the men enjoy the varied
opportunities for amusement to the
full. Occasionally one meets a few
men, probably Just over from Eng
land, who are impatient at every days
delay in moving forward to the 'busi-
ness end of the line" The sergeant
major soothes them with wise words:
Don't worry, boys" he says;
there's going to be lots of fighting in
this war, enough for all of you and 4
little over to spare"
It is the custom at this base, so far
as artillery officers are concerned, to
distinguish between those who have
not yet been up to the firing line and
those who have had their baptism. :"
The former have a fairly complete
program OF daily urlllS ana are kept
occupied also with lectures and edu-
cational courses.
Must Be In Readiness.
The veterans are permitted to fore
go these trials to a large extent. They
have little to do but amuse them
selves with sports theaters, operas
and the beach. subject only to the
stipulation that they must always bc
prepared to move off at few hours
notice.
Throughout the army in the ordi..
nary course of things, the individual
soldier gets a rest period at the base
every two or three months. Some
times whole unit comes down for
rest, after an exceptionally arduous
period in the line. Then there are
specially organized sports, In addition
to the standing attractions, to help the
soldier to forget for a time that there
is war on.
Between amusements, the soldier
spends his time hunting up "towneys.'
that is, men from his own town who
are in other units at the base.