The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-06-11
UNITED SPIRIT PERVADES MEN IN
 NATIONAL ARMY Arthur J. Good, Formerly of The Times Tells Process
 of Making Soldiers.
MEN OF ALL NATIONS
 UNITED IN AMBITION
Bridgeport Men at Camp Upton Fast Developing
 the Real Soldier Type

!
 Arthur J. Good, former managing editor of The Times, writes from Camp Upton to friends on the paper regarding his two weeks experience as a soldier in the National Army. Good is with the Depot Brigade and says while it is a decided change from newspaper work, he like the life and is settling down to be a soldier.
 Of the Bridgeport boys he says. After two weeks training the Bridgeport boys at Camp Upton un- der the leadership of Capt. Van Thum and Sergeants DurEin, Fitzpat- rick, Burdett, and Jackson act like seasoned veterans. The red-haired Irish non-com Fitzpatrick is fast teaching the boys the intricate man ual of military drill.''
 Continuing he says: Thanks to camp life I am feeling better than I have ever been before. Allow me to tell you that any person who decries or finds fault with the treatment of men in the army is either a chronic kicker or a liar.
 ''The food is exceptionally good and so ordered that the men have a vary ing diet. Yesterday noon the dinner consisted of boiled chicken with broth, stewed corn, bread and butter, coffee and ice cream. Bear in mind this is by no means an exception to the gen eraI rule of good meals.
 '"The training makes one fairly ra- diate energy. Despite the short time some of the men have been in camp, they now comport themselves with an air of manliness, where formerly some were slovenly and shiftless.
 'T am in the infantry and can truth fully say that like the life very well. commissioned are gentlemen, most fair and impartial.
 ''It is but natural that the sudden transition from civil life to the rough army existence should hit a chap rath- CT hard at first but after the first few days are weathered and you begin to experience the benefits of your new mode Of living you pitch into the work with real pleasure.
 Probably no more heterogeneous mass of draftees can be found any where in Camp Upton than. those comprising the Bridgeport contingent. They come from every known nation and the surprising part of it all is that despite their widely divergent ideals, beliefs, opinions and bloods, all were comrades in less than "A hours after striking camp. t'In the bunk to the left of me sleeps a Lithuanian. .He admits he will do his best to defeat Germany from a selfish standpoint of view. He wants his brothers in Russia freed of German domination and their coun- try established at the end of the war a republic.
 Animated by a similar spirit, a youth from Bohemia across from me fights for a free Bohemia as well as to safeguard the interests of his adopt ed country. The liberty loving Poles and there are a number in the com pany, swear by the venerated shades of Pulaski and the other immortal pa ] triots of their nation that a victorious | United States, a free Poland and a broken Germany shall emerge at the continuation of this conflict. I could go on indefinitely relating to you the sentiments of men in this company all of whom spring from lands now | torn by the agonies of war. The Italian, the Czech, Bulgarian, Russian Hungarian and so on. Each differs ir blood, but all are training hard to fight and if need be to die, for the I Nf 41,r defeat of Germany and the better ment and safety of the lands that gave them birth and their adopted country America. Truly they are worthy to be called an Army of Dem | ocracy.'
 "One little instance which struck me forcibly was the conversation l had with Chinaman in the company. He didn't know just what he was fighting about but he was born in America and loved the land of his birth. He didn't think he would make much of soldier, but he could help make the embryo fighters of his company stronger and filter by aid- ing them to obtain the best of cook ing. He's in the kitchen now doing his bit.
 I've are all prone to look upon the German military machine as the last word in efficiency. I have spent sey- eral days mastering in men who have 1 just arrived at the camp. The meth cd of listing draftees, of ascertaining their capabilities, their fund of knowl- edge and the various branches of the army service where their talents may be utilized to the greatest advantage truly astonished me.
 eff the method of mastering in and listing soldiers typifies the efficiency of the general prosecution of the war I do not hesitate to say, though but a ! layman, that there will soon exist nc more competent war machine in the world than that now in the making My regards and best wishes to MT Tucker.
 "The following First Lieutenants are drilling the Bridgeport boys: Will liam Van Thum, John H. Hahan; sec. ond lieutenants, August Cchroeder Loyal I. Greedy, Wm. H. Roberts ant Walter B. Royse."
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