New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1919-03-26
DANIELS PRAISES
BREST ENCAMp
Thinks 1t Better Than Other
American Camps

Brest, March 2G.-6Secretary of the
Navy Daniels. after Investigating
camp conditions at Brest, gave the
Associated Press the following state
ment:
II have spent q portion Of two
rainy days in the camp at Pontanezen,
and it rains $50 days out of the year
here. I 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 l walked for miles
on solid boardwalk 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 large number
is fed in forty minutes and lust as
many are fed in the eleven other
kitchens.
Il sat upon the beds Of the SOL
diers, and at my midday meal with
them. The meal was well cooked
palatabc. and plentiful, and tasted as
good as any food L ever ate in my life.
The midday meal consisted OF large
helping of roast beef, mashed pota-
toes. stewed carrots, rich meat gravy,
bread pudding with raisins, two large
slices of white bread, and a large cup
of coffee,
offered All They Can Eat
over the entrance of each of the
dining halls. is a large sign in French
which freely translated means that
YOU can have as much food as you
want and go home right away Few
asked for a second helping, for the
first helping was more than most OF
the soldiers could eat at one time.
II noticed a few rosy-faced young
chaps who came for another helping
Just as they had been accustomed to
do with the food that mother used to
serve them. It was hard to tell ~
the mess hall whether the most popu-
lar phrase was AS much food as you
want or Home right away but when
I spoke to the soldiers, ! found no
difficulty in understanding that Home
right away brought the most beaming
smile, and the heartiest cheering.
THE soldiers were happy when
told them that Rear Admiral Halstead
had lust received message that the
first OF the German transports to
carry American troops home had been
commissioned with a navy crew and
that others would. follow, the navy
personnel already having arrived on
this side to man them. 1t heartened
them to know that in the harbor OF
Brest was the mighty Leviathan.
ready to carry II, 600 soldiers home.
and that four -battleships We're being
coa1ed preparatory to taking soid'efS
back home,
Saw No Water in Tents.
THE bigness of Pontanezen camp
is hard to understand until you see
the tented and barraCli covered city.
Speaking of tents, | went into a score
Of them Not q drop of water can
fall into any of them. The tents are
we'll drained, and each has stove
and is warm and comfortable. The
men come and go by the thousands.
1t is a. city of movement certainly
as far as the popufation is concerned.
"As an illustra ton of the magni-
tude of the operations. as many as
5000 troops are received some days
and as many as 1900 are embarked
in a single day.
II do not know which to commend
the highest the spirit of the sailors
who patriotically remain in the naval
service in order to bring these sol
diers back when good positions in
vite them to civilian life. or the re-
turning soldiers the heroes of hard
fought battles, whose courage and
sacrifice helped SO much to preserve
the liberty and civilization Of the
world. They arc bro+hers in valor
and in cheerfulness.
"The outstanding impression I
brought with ME out of the rainy days
at Pontanezen is the buoyant and
cheerful spirit of the 10000 men I
saw in camp there. Some Of them
carried heavy packs as they marched
x into the camp fresh from the scenes
where, in the grim business Of war,
they had looked unafra!d into the
face of death. All of them had seen
hard service. Their eyes had q
thoughtful seriousness except when
you spoke of home, and then they
fairly danced with happy anticipa-
ton.
War is a grim business and these
men have lived hard lives, but they
have the conscious air Of the modest
man who knows he has performed the
hardest job in history efficiently and
, VIGOROUSLY. And now they are eager
to go home and continue the service
of making a better world.
Fifty Miles of Boardwalk.
In two trips over the camps here
I walked about while it was raining,
but 80 miles of boardwalk made 1t
possible to visit all parts Of the camp
without inconvenience. Every man in
camp has bunk, mattress, and five
blankets. Every tent is squared by
wooden framing and has a wooden
floor and stove.
81 found an ample supply of fuel
available for all the stoves in the
camp. [ found bathing facilities suf-