The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-01-02
CAMPS GR0WovER'
NIGHT IN FRANCE
Californian Describes American
Military Base in Making.
MEN WORKING AGAINST TINE

Job Contains Qulntessence OF Haste
Methodical, Intense, Intelligent, e.
fcient-Troops Are Coming, Sup
plies are Coming and Provis'ons for
Their Housing Must 30 Made Ia
Time to Receive Them.
A Californian with the United States
troops writes from vSomewhere In
France"
Dear --: It is two weeks since
I wrote you. I have been delaying
the last few days, expecting to hear
from you by the next mail" The
bulk of the next mail' arrived two
or three days ago, but driblets have
been coming through daily since.
There's another due tonight and
here's hoping. All told I've sent you
five letters since arriving here-dont
know how many arrived.
Also I have been rather busy OF
late. I have been assisting in the pro-
motion of an epochal event-the first
American boxing tournament held In
France. 1t took place Saturday night
in strange little theater on crooked
rue in nearby city before an audi
ence of 500 Observation-Disclosures, sail
ors, marines and civilian employees OF
the A. e. T.-and 200 French, mostly
women. The feminine sex are great
fight fans over here. &c..
All the American sports have been
tried out over here already. Baseball
created interest, but football was .
sensation.
It was while I was on ticket-sell'
Ing tour for the fights that I got my
greatest insight into what Is going on
over here.
Base In the Making.
I have seen New York skyscrapel
climb toward the infinite, a story q
day; I saw square rods Of concrete
poured into forms that nodded dam
which impounded lake and reclaim
ed the fifth Of a state; I have seer
new railroads fell their way across
deserts and mountains and rivers. J.
saw the Panama Canal; before they
turned the water In the cut" More
spectacular these, possibly, but .ne
more impressive than an "Americal'
military base" In the making. And Ger
tainly no buster. -.% -"
On a certain day a few-a very few
months ago an American general
stood on certain spot and, shifting
pointing finger, said: .
'There will be railroad yards, and
there docks, and there rest caml
and that building over there will be Z
base hospital"
And from that certain spot today
one looks and sees what very soou
will be yards and docks and camps
and a hospital.
In one direction string Of low
wooden buildings stretch as Tar al
vision. They are ten abreast. Fon'
hundred and forty Of these buildings
eech capable Of housing sixty men
Twenty-six thousand troops they will
accommodate. And within an hours
march are five other such camps.
A highway parallels the waterfront
and It was on this that the American
general stood the day he swept hi
finger in the circle and conceived thu
improvements that are becoming real
tiles so rap'dly. A town was withir
the sweep Of his arm. It Is being re
moved. Houses century old are he
ing RACED. The space Is needed fol
trackage.
On the other side Of the road thu
docks are going in. bikes are beini
built quarter Of mile from shore
and dredges and hydraulic pumps arr
banking silt behind them.
Work Against Time.
The work must be done by a stated
date. It is labor against time. Troop
are coming. Material is coming. Am
munition is coming. And this must b.
ready for them. The Job contains til.
quintessence Of haste-methodlcal, In
tense, intelligent, efficient. Here arr
working thousands = Americans
French and Whitehead German prfs
oners, unsmiling, slothful, stolid, eact
gang with it's poilu guard, invariabl!
small in comparison both to hi:
charges and the long rifle he carries
supermounted with its 24-inch bayo
net.
A construction locomotive passes
with a trainload Of rails. Americat
steel! The engineer is In khaki ant
lie wears the red and white hatbant
Of the engineers.
Further along is big, four.story
stone building that was a schoolhous.
when Washington was inaugurated. II
stands with oil the dignity Of its age
in twenty acres Of groomed forest and
lawn. But now It radiates wooden ex'
tensions, extending anonymously be-
meath the limbs Of the chestnuts. Open
spaces hold barracks. A famous cha.
teau on an adjoining estate Is being
fitted as officers quarters. This Is q
base hosnital-one Of many. Its ca.
pacity will be nearly four thousand
wounded and sick-three regiments.
Thirty.Three Millions In Motor Fees.
A special congressional committee
has announced that, according to ,esti-
mate Ynoforis.ks 1x,ill rax S99 0Q6 00Q II,