The evening world., 1919-03-10
CAMP ON HIGHEST GROUND
NEAR BREST

In treating t'e Pontanczen Camp II
ls well 20 go back and begin at the
beginning. The establishment OF a
camp at Pontanezcn was "A mistake,
because the site is three and a half
miles from the railroad and is reached
by only one highway. However. II
should be said right here that Pont-
anezen Camp is not, as the casual
reader might infer from published
criticisms. located in a swamp. IL is
on the highest ground contiguous to
Brcst.
Looking back TO 1917 Il is easy to
say that the location OF camp at
Pontanczen was n mistake. but the
men who located the camp there were
confronted by condition which
called for immediate action. Am,ri-
can soldiers were landing at Brcst
the best harbor in France for large
transports and tho only harbor in
France which will accommodate the
Loviathan-and the one hne OF rail-
road leading 10 the interior was not
equipped 10 take the troops away as
they came ashore. II was necessary
to establish n camp where the men
could be cared for while they were
awaiting railroad transportation.
The only place available was Pom
NunfLfn M aIlbltilt Eun-
down military post dating back to the
time OF Napoleon. The barracks
wcro soon flled 20 overfiowing.
and. naturally. the camp spread
out through the fields W the form
II n city OF tents. with the old
Pontanezen buildings as the nucleus
of the undertaking. Little complaint
was heard in those days. although 'he
men passing through spent their
nights In pup tents on soft mud into
which they sank AZ they slept until
they were almost buried.
As the innux OF troops Increased
the man glut at Brest grew and grew
because the railroad. working every
engine and car available, could not
possibly take care OF the trafiic. Ac-
cordlngly the camp spread over the
hilltops about the PontaneZcn Bar
racks until II covered terrain which
may be roughly compared with the
area OF Manhattan Island between
the Battery and Chambers Street, and
the East and North Rivers. The only
road through the camp was n nation
al highway corresponding. in the
Manhattan area comparison, with
Broadway. running out OF Brest 10
the north. Side roads were built. but
there was no stone In sight which
could be used for paving, and these
side roads were little more than mud
canals. In a short time the macadnm
surface OF the main road was pull
verized by the heavy army trucks
and II too became a wide trail OF
LIQUID mud.
There were no sidewalks IN the
camp because lumber was the
scarcest material In France and II
was n long time before the French
Government yielded 20 the persistent
pressure Of our military establish =
nent overseas and began TO cut down
trees In some OF her southern forests
and along some OF her highways.
Space on ships from the United
states was monopolizcd by army ma
terlals and army food. No room
could be found for such bulky freight
as lumber. The French supply was
the sole hope and resource of the or
| nCers who were trying TO lift
! POntanezen camp out OF the mud and,
In the rush OF things, II was not
until the work of cutting down trees
| had been IN progress for some time
| that France was found tu he "A
| country practically without saWm Ills