Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-07-03
SHIPPING HOME 100000 men A
MONTH IS SOME LARGE SIZE JOB
Hilarious Happiness Of Doghboys at Embarkaon Ports France
Is infectious Enough to Make Stone Dog Wag
His Tai-DffcuItes of the Task Inter-
estinqy Described

lantic seaboard In france. 1t Is cold,
disagreeable rain, which chills the
bones and makes mud ankle deep.
This means that warm accommoda.
tons and hot food must be always
ready.
Then they must await their turn to
sail. Some may remain in the concen-
tlatiOn camp six weeks. 1t all de-
Ponds upon the ocean transportation.
If they arrive in units-such as regi-
ments, battalions, etc.-they must be
kept together and sail together.
Not all soldiers come in regiments
or battalions, either. There Is the
problem of the casual" for instance.
This man Is problem even to him
self. He started. out in the army as
a member of certain unit. But In
the necessary shifting, reducing. In
creasing and separation OF his and
other units or outfits, he became de-
tached
Whether coming in regiment or
alone, too, each man must be carefully
checked Upon entering and leaving and
also at the dock before boarding the
transport. This Is no small job when
$4,000 or more men are handled each
month.
Going Through the "MiIl."
Probably the only inkling that well
soldier at the embarkation concentra-
ton camps in France has that his in
ternment Is nearly up and that he will
ha 10 hnp,n &c ha 0rinr
to report at the "mill." The "mill'
is series of buildings, which trans
forms the feelings of a dOughbOy from
that of cootie. mud-pester"d indiv'd-
ual to that of care-free, wealthy
boulevard promenader
The individual doughboy receives
his order to report at the front en-.
trance. He enters a huge room with
hundreds of others, Is assigned to
place on one of the long benches which
face each other like the pews in the
large railroad station at home A big
clothes rack on rollers faces him. He
is given Red Cross comfort bag for
the storage of his valuabes, a check
with the number of his place on 1t
with duplicate on his clothes, which
he is ordered to remove TO the last
thread.
So many minutes nre allowed him
for the disrobing process. There are
others waiting. so the doughboy
strips and takes his place in line at
the side of the room. The line moves
forward and he finds himself in a
steam-clouded room with tiny streams
of hot water kissing from shower
sprays overhead.
A big sergeant shOveS wad of soft
soap into his hand as he passes and
shouts: Make II snappy. You've just
got 80 seconds" Sergeants are always
In hurry and expect everyone else
to be. The doughboy jumps under one
of the sprays with gasp, which turns
to a shout as he feels the hot water
bring a glow to his body. At the word
"all out" he steps to one side and Is
handed towel TO dry himself.
Another line is formed and quiet
creeps over the crowd. The next room
holds the doughboy's fate, and he
knows II. It's the medical inspection
room. It's the same old feeling he
had when he enlisted and came to be
examined. Doctors always were the
bane OF his existence. The door opens
and he steps through.
Medical Inspection.
An officer arises from beneath a sign
marked Chest taps his lungs and lis
tens to his heart. He says nothing,
but sits down and marks some hero
glyphics on card, which he passes to
the officer behind him. The doughboy
passes on, too. His eyes, ears and
throat are gone over by this officer.
He passes on; the little white card al
ways preceding him. He tries to
glimpse the marks, but even If he does
see them, he doesn't know whether
they are favorable or not.
He passes to the last of the six ia
bles and feels worse than he did after
the ArgOnne offensive. With the rest
he passes on into the next room, where
another sergeant with just as loud a
voice as the noncOm In the bathroom
tells him again to make 1t snappy"
and find his place.
The room resembles the first one in
size and equipment. Only the win
dows are on the. opposite side of the
building
The rack on which he placed his
clothes in the first room of The mill"
has been rolled, while he ha. been In
the shower, through side door into
delousing and fumigating room, and
inspected and put here. He grabs his
clean clothes from the rack with a
great grin. Even if his clothes have
been adjudged fit for salvage and re-
placed with an entire new outfit which
doesn't really fit, he still grins.
Why wouldn't he? He knows he is
going home now. And he is happy.
Some job, after all, shipping home
100000 men month. Isn't it2