New Britain herald., 1918-02-27
VETERANS LAUGH AT
 NEW FIGHTING MEN
Few Comforts for Troops Of "A
 Compared With Today

French Front. January 31 (C,orre- spondence of the .Associated Press)- Tho veteran of 1914 who has passed - four winters at the battlefront is apt to make ironiC remarks about "featherbed soldiers" when he hears newly joined comr radeS speak of the dscomforts of cold-weather canton mcnts At the beginning of the war the fighting men were more than pleased to discover a comparatively dry spot under the trees of d forest or in drafty stable or barn in which A to pass their very rare and short periods of repose.
 Now all has been changed ana 3 everything possible is done to pro vide some sort of comfort and ols' traction for the men when they come down from the front-lne trehcheS' It must not be supposed that all Ihc modern aids to human comfort are furnished to the soldier but his lot IS < Luxurious compared with thaI uorii9 the early months of the war. T Tn every village in the immediate rear of the fighting line out Of range of the German guns 8 town major ? has been appointed, who makes 1t his , business to know of every nook and corner where men and horses can be housed When battalion or regi- nent marches in, everything Is In readiness for it's reception. Reg1- mental workshops and offices, stables 4and kitchens already are arranged, and biIleting accommodations for off, cers and men listed in such a way that the soldiers have only to go in and occupy their quarters. Some times they are lodged in the cot tages. but in general it has been found more convenient to place them in farmho ouses and barns, as the hy- 4 gienic facilities in the country houses are far from modern.
 Soldiers Kept Dry.
 Every available grange and barn has been thoroughly gone over and q made watertight by having it's roof covered with tarred paper and it's aywalls made draftproof by thick creme } lated cardboard. Electric light has been installed, every building pro- Sided with a stove and Washstands. Partitioned off is compartm ent where men may take hot and cold shower baths. In the nearby kitchens every requisite is handy for cooking.
 AS to the mems personal comfort each of them is given a trestle bed, with straw mattress, known generally as "six-foot feathers" bolster, sleep ing sack and blankets.
 In tho vicinity of tho villages sports grounds have been enclosed and marked for football games, while numerous plots of land are set apart for truck gard ening and gener- ally cultivated by old reservists who do not go into the firing line. The produce is much appreciated by the troops who, when at the front, have to content themselves with canned vegetables.
 In each cantonment a large hut has been erected to serve as a recrea- ton and reading and writing room. It is provided with a fairly extensive library and all kinds of indoor games. Every week or so a moving picture performance is given by the Army 'Theater. which also arranges dra- matic shows.
 Besides these official arrangements for the troops other efforts are made by private bodies to cheer the men between the arduouS and perilous periods of trench work. Tn almost ., every cantonment a canteen has been esta bHshed under the auspices of French, American or British women, who serve the men with hot coffee, tea, and bouillon and little food de- licacies.
 During the chilly months from September to May each soldier is given extra supplies of warm cloth ing comprising three cotton shirts, , two pairs of f1annellette under gar ments two or three pairs Of woo1en socks, three blankets. one sweater, one scarf and a pair of woolen gloves, and in the Vosges mountains and otll- CT sectors where the cold is most severe still more warmer clothing is placed at the disposal of the troops in case of need