The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-26
SECRETARY DANIELS IS MUCH PLEASED
 WITH BREST CAMP
Spends Two Rainy Days at Camp Where Over 50,000 Troops Wait for Elm
 barkation Home
By Associated Press

l By Associated PreS
 Brest. Monday, March 2L-secre- I tary Daniels this morning, after his
 investigation of conditions at Brcst.
 gave the Associated Press the fol- 1 lowing stntement;
 1 T have spent portion of two rainy days in the camp at Pontanezen, and it rains 330 days out of the year here. have seen more than 50,000 American troops encamped here waiting for em- 1 barkation home and have conferred with scores of officers and mary men just from the front.
 | This morning I walked for miles on a solid board walk, from tent to tent. | in which the marines are quartered, | and in the wooden barracks, where the soldiers sleep I visited the mod | ern kitchens and dining rooms and saw where dinner for 5000 marines was pre- pared in one of the 12 Kitchens. Th's large number Is fed in 40 minutes. and i just as many are fed in the 1 other | kitchens.
 q sat upon the beds of the soldiers land ate my midday meal with them. Tho l meal was we'll cooked. palo table and | plentiful and tasted as goo1 as any | meal l ever ate in my life. The midday meal consisted of large helping of roast beef, mashed po- | tatoes. stewed carrots. rich meat | gravy, bread pudding with ratslns, two large slices of white bread and a large cup of coffee. Over the entrance of each of the dining halls :s a large sign in French, which, freely trans lated, means that you can have as much l food as you want and go home right | away. Few asked for secon1 helping, for the first helping more than most of the soldiers could eat at one time.
 . 'T noticed a few rosy-fa ceI young chaps who came for another helping, just they had been accustomed to do with the food that mother usedt to serve them. It was hard to tell at the | mess hall whether the most popular phrase was as much food as you want or home right away but when I spoke to the soldiers I found no difficulty !n understanding that home right away was the note that touched their hearts, brought the most beamng smile and the heartiest cheering.
 SOLDIERS HAPPY l The soldiers were happy when told them that Rear Admiral Halstead had just received a message that the first
 of the German transports to carry
 American troops home had been coin
 missioned with navy creS and that others would follow the navy personnel already having arrived on this side to a man them. It heartehed tlfsn 10 know that in the harbor of Brest was the mighty Leviathan ready to carry 12.o0o soldiers home and that folir battle ships were being coaled preparatory to talYing soldiers back home.
 'Srhe bigness of Pontanezsn camp is hard to understand until yot see the tented and barrack covered city. Speak ing of tents, I went into score of them. Not drop of water can fall into @l. h. r1t and each one has a stove and is warm and comfortable. The men come and go by the thousand. It is city of movement. certainly as far as the pop ulation is concerned.
 'As an illustration Of the magnitude of it's operations as many as, s00o troops are received some days and as many as 11,o00 are embarked in single day Twelve thousand will embark on We'd nestiay on the Levathian alone. I do not know which to commend the high est. the spirit Of the sailors who patriot lically remain in the naval service in oreer to bring these soldiers back when good positions invite them to civilian life or the returning soldiers, the heroes Of hard fought battles. whose courage and sacrifice helped so much to pre- serve the liberty and civilization of the world. They are brothers in valor and ir cheerfulness.
 "The outstanding impression I brought with me out of the rainy days at Pontan- zen is the buoyant and cheerful spirit :. of the 50.0cO men I saw in camp there. Seme of them carried heavy packs as tkey marched into the camp fresh from the scenes where. in the grim business of war they had looked unafraid into the face of death. All of them had seen hard service Their eyes had thought ful seriousness except when you spoke of home and then they fairly danced with happy anticipation
 War is grim business and these men lived hard lives. but they have the con scious air of the modest man who knows he has performed the hardest job in his- |tory efficiently and victoriously | EAGER TO GO HOME
 And now they are eager to go homo and continue the service of making better world.
 "In two trips over the camps here I walked about while 1t was ra ming, but 70 miles of board walk made 1t possible to visit all parts of the camp without inconvenience Every man in camp has a bunk. mattress and five blankets Fly cry tent is squared by wooden framing and has a wooden floor and stove. | found an ample supply of fuel available for all the stoves in the camp found bathing facilities sufficient to give each lnan in camp two baths week and laun- dry facilities ample for clean underwear twice week.
 T found IF amusement places in opera Ition which last week entertained 1S0.mo lrren. I found the water supply ample. can see no reason for criticism of this leamp but more to praise than in any cc mp have visited in the United States. II found the camp well lighted and saw Ithc beginning of operations for a corn- ,pitte lighting system.
 q wish to congratulate the war depart ment on the ability of Maj. Gen. E. A.
 Hc,n,ick, who is the commanding general of the base section of the American ex- DC ditior ary forces. He has executive abfi- uy. vision and discipline with sympathy. iThe commanding general of the camp s Brig. Gen. Smedley D. Butler He is steam engine in brooches and his work here is monumental
 When the history of Generals Helmick land Butler and their capable and en- thusiastic assistants here in Brest IS written, what they have done here will win the praise of all Americans who take pride In big achievements.
 If the mothers of America could have ! been with me yesterday and today they would have been happy that their sons have such leaders What the generals iI.u. il. ruty aOualed hy the eXCel-