Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-03-26
DANIELS INDS
CAMP At BREST
CHARMING PLACE
Tents Well Furnished and Easy
to Keep Out of the Mud #
You Follow the Fifty Miles of
Plank Walk,

lbN MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED
Brest, Monday. March 24-Secretay
of the Navy Daniels, after his in
vestigation of camp conditions at
Brest, gave the Associated Press the
following statement:
81 have spent portion of two
rainy days IN the camp at Pontanezen
and it rains $40 days out of the year
here. | have seen more than $4,000
American troops encamped here wait
ing for embarkation home and have
conferred with scores Of officers and
many men Just from the front.
This morning ! walked for miles
on solid board walk from tent to
tent IN which the marines are quar-
tered and in the wooden barracks
where the soldiers sleep. | visited the
modern kitchens and dining rooms
and saw where dinner for 5000 ma
rines was prepared in one of the
twelve kitchens This number If fed
in forty minutes and just as many are
fed in the eleven other kitchens.
Il sat upon the beds of the SOL
diers and | ate my mid -dav meal with
them. The meal was well cooked,
palatable and plentiful.
THE bioness of PontaneZen camp
is hard to understand until you see
the tented and barrack- covered city
Speaking of tents, | went into a score
of them. Not drop of water can
fall into any of them. The tents are
well drained and each one has stove
and is warm and comfortable.
AS an Illustration of the magnitude
of the camps operations, as many as
5000 troops are received some days
and as many as 1900 are embarked
in single day. Twelve thousand will
embark on Wednesday on the Levia-
than alone.
THE outstanding impression l
brought with me out of the rainy
days at Pontanazen is the buoyant
and cheerful spirit of the 5000 men
| saw in camp there.
"ln two trips over the camps here
I walked about while it was raining,
but fifty miles of board walk made it
possible to visit all parts of the camp
without inconvenience. Every man
in camp has a bunk, mattress and
five blankets, Every 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. l found bathing
facilities sufficient to give each man
IN camp TWO DalnS week ana laun-
dry facilities ample for clean under
wear twice a week
Il found twelve amusement places
in operation, which last week enter
tanned 10000 men. | found the
water supply ample. I can see no
reason for criticism of this camp, but
more to praise than in any camp /
have visited in the United States |
found the embarkation facilities am
pie and above criticism. / found the
camp well lighted and saw the be-
ginning of operations for a complete
lighting system.
Il wish to congratulate the war de-
partment on the ability of Maj. Cen
f. A. Helmick, who is the command
ing general of the base section of the
American eXpeditionary forces. He
has executive ability, vision and dis
cipline with sympathy. The COM
handing general of the camp is Brig,
Cen Smediey D. Butler. He is a
steam engine in breeches and his work
here is monumental. What the gen.
erals have done is only equalled by
the excellent service of Admiral Hal
stead and the naval personnel in
charge of naval operations on the
coast of France"