Evening star., 1919-02-25
FINDS AMERICAN
SOLDIERS CONTENT
Col. E. Lester Jones Says
Boys in France Are Well
Cared For.
VISITS FIFTEEN POSTS

| American soldiers in France are
well fed. we'll cared for. faithfully
luinistercd TO when sick and in every
way properly and hurnanely treated.
| Col i. Lester Jones. superintendent
of the United States coast and geo
detic survey. said today. Col Jones
recently returned from France. where
he inspected the posts. hospitals and
camps at or near the front.
Col. Jones said he had not inspected
the camp at Brest and was unable to
give any opinion on the management
there. But at none of the fifteen
posts he had visited abroad did he
find any cause of complaint or any
thing in the conduct of the officers of
any of the departments meritfng ad-
verse criticism.
Help at Home Counts.
"The war for the United States, be-
gan well, progressed spIendidly and
ended gloriously," said Col. Jones.
But, the colonel said. had it not been
for efficiency and fidelity at home the
valor of the soldiers on the field
would have been unavailing. He de-
clared that the supply service direct
ed by Gen. GoethaIs in the United
States and administered by Gen. Har-
bord in France was in every way ex-
cellent.
But what I want to particularly
impress on my friends is that the
faithful men and women at home
made possible the triumph of Amer
lean arms in France" said Col Jones.
II am afraid that the character of
the work nprfnru0pH hpYp M
who would dearly love to have gone
to France is not sufficiently appre-
ciated in America
1T is appreciated by the boys in
France. They know that the men who
directed affairs here made it possible
for them to get good food, good cloth
ing, necessary hospital supplies and
all other equipment"
Surprised at Contentment.
Col. Jones said he was much sur
prised and greatly delighted to find
that there was general contentment
among the enlisted men. He said he
didn't confine his Investigations to
conferences with officers or to the
reading of official reports, but went
among the men, talked to them,
"jollied" with them and in other ways
sought their confidence.
Il wanted to know how the men felt
and / was sure the only way to know
it was to go among them as com
rade," said Col. Jones. "Some persons
talk of the men being neglected. ! de-
clare l found absolutely no evidence
to support this charge. j remember
going into a mess tent one morning
and I found the men eating oatmeal,
beefsteak and fried potatoes, white
bread and good butter. l am unable
to provide myself with such a daily
breakfast.
return to the United States as soon as
the armistiee was signed. Who
wouldn't want to return to this great
country? There was impatience, to get
home, but no discomfort among the
men regarding their treatment.
10000 at Camp; None Ill.
sI visited one post where. $4,000
men were located. | asked the
colonel how much sickness there was
In the camp. He surprised me by
stating that there was none. Every
body was healthy and everybody
seemed to be happy"
Col. Jones visited more than a hum
dred cities and towns, in France. He
visited Verdun. the Vosges. ST Mihiei
and other places made famous by the
military exploits of sthe Am ericans
He also visited the American hospital
at Bordeaux and hospitals in other
sections <of France.
s~rffe hospitals are wonderful fnsti-
tutions," said Col. Jones. "Spotless1y
Clean efficiently managed, equipped
with all necessary means for caring
for the wounded and sick they would
be well worth a visit by every ATneri-
can. I would especially like to have
some of the prominent critics of
Americas management of her part in
the war visit these wonderful insti-
tutions.
aBut the efficiency of the supply di-
vision is beyond all praise" said Col.
Jones' This division always antiei-
pated the needs of the Army. Sup
plies were never lacking and they
were always placed where they were
most urgently in need and where they
could be most easily obtained. 1t
was the supply division that Kept
the Army in fighting trim and in
robust health. There is not a healthier
body of men in the whole world than
the American sexpeditionary force in
Esra