The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-22
ROOM FOR 10000
Camp POntanezzen, at BreSt, Is
Big Institution.
Permanent Garrison for 1900
$4,000 Transients, Too.
1T HAS NOT BEEN FINISHED
Sixteen Areas Planned, Each
One a Complete Camp.
Has the Best Equipped Hospital
in All France.
IT HAS NOT BEEN FINISHED
1919, by the United Press.)

Copyright, 1919, by the United Press.)
Brest, Feb. 22.-Camp Pontanezzen,
where most of the homeward Ameri-
can troops are stationed while await
ing transportation. is a big institution.
The camp today contains perma-
nent garrison of 1900, which will be
reduced when the camp is completed,
rendering carpenters and engineers
unnecessary. The transients number
$4,000, which is the maximum that
can be handled-in fact, strains the
facilities.
When completed the camp will ac-
commodate 10000 comfortably.
The completed institution will be
divided into sixteen areas, each having
its own kitchen, entertainment hall,
recreation grounds and Y M {. A
hut. There are now ten amusement
halls, varying from big tents to sub
stantial buildings large enough to be
used for dances. There is an enter
tainment of some kind in at least one
hall every night, sometimes more than
one Minstrel shows by clever colored
troops are the most popular. Last
night the correspondent saw one of
these. Some of the dancers ought to
be on the professional stage and there
was jazz music that would have done
credit to Broadway's celebrate restau-
rants.
Occupy Soldiers Time.
Aside from entertainment, the SOL
diers' time is occupied in construction
work, particularly Transforming mud
roads into ma cada mixed streets. This
is nearly finished and the motor
| trucks find good going in most places
around the camp.
The billeting officers also utilize as
much of the transient labor as pos
sible in improving the billeting areas
under their charge. for there is con-
| tinual billeting competition, whereby
the winners get a weeks leave once a
month, the same as the winners in the
kitchen contests.
The health of the permanent gar
rison and the transients is carefully
supervised. The camp hospital con-
I tains 2,340 beds, tho third are unoc-
cupied. 1t is capable of expansion if
necessary.
Best Hospital in France.
at is the best equipped hospital in
the A. E. F." according to Maj. George
| H. Burke, who is in charge of it and
who might be expected to protest II
he were, inadequately supplied with
| essentials. On the contrary, he main
/ tains, he has everything that can be
expected in a camp hospital.
The hospital consists of big stone
barracks building which contains the
| operating rooms and dozens of frame
ward buildings. The staff includes
| 104 Red Cross nurses. 1t was different
| in the days of the pneumonia and IN
| fluenza epidemic last fall when there
were only thirty-seven nurses.
The only reason we didn't have
| more nurses is that they weren't to be
|, had" said Major Burke. The war
| cleaned out the American supply of
nurses. We got all we could. In adj
| ditiOn, we combed out the men in
| camp, finding many for temporary
/ duty"
/ The major spoke glowingly of the
way the nurses worked during the cpl
| denic, saying, They never thought of
sleeping and sometimes worked "a to
| Sc hours straigh
! Blanche Jones, head nurse, whom
| Major Burke described as the great
est woman in the A. E. F." has been
recommended for congressional recog-
| milton