Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-02-25
BREST CAMP NOT
BAD AS PICTURED
BUT VERY MUDD'
Correspondent Makes Pei
sonaI Trip of inspected
and Declares Men Hal
Abundance Of Food
BY LOWELL MELLETT

BRESl, Feb. 22.-Brest may ID
be the best military base in i
world, but it is far from the worI
in the opinion of officers and mi
permanently stationed here.
9 An investigation. conducted D
alton will permit, failed to substd
tiate charges that Brest is a "p(
hole" or that the men are victims
mismanagem ent. It is true that
common with much of westd
Frence there is a superabundarI
of mud, but this is due to climal
and geological conditions. This col
not be avoided, as Brest was sele|
ed as a base because of strate|
and geographical reasons. Repo|
Of shocking food and sanitary con-
tions are unfounded, according to
Inhabitants of the camp themselW
Rumors are understood to I'D
been circulated in the United Sta
that 5000 American soldiers died
Brest during September and Oc
Der of last year. The facts al
according to figures given the cor
spondent, that from November, 10
when Camp Pontanezen-where s
diers are congregated to await trai
portation home-was established,
to the first O. the present mon
there were 3,191 deaths from
causes. This includes the victi
of the pneumonia and influenza d
| demic during September and OctoH
most of whom are said to have
come infested either en- route hi
or before they left the United Stat
! 1t also includes SO who died abo}
! ship while coming over. These
ures were authorized by General
| Helmick, base commander: Gene
| Smedley Butler, commandant
| Camp Pontanezen, and Colonel @
| Edie, base surgeon. These offic
claim that the sick and death RI
in Brest, which handles more Anne
| can troops thar any other port,
| the lowest of any camp in Framed
| A private from California adm
ted that Camp Pontanezen is less
| tractive than Camp Lewis, that
| probably is less comfortable and 4
/ certainly ths streets are ipfinit
muddier, but declared thatait is 4
best camp in France"
He was asked why.
Because" he replied, they Il
/ you right here"
What do you mean by 'right?
Wen, there's lots Of it, it's sd
| and you don't have to wait for
Why, they had hot chocolate
things for us when we got, off
rain and ~ hot dinner ready wi
we got to camp although it was
the middle of the night. Don't
'em kid yo':, this is a white ma
camp"
/ Afterward. the Correspondent ia
ed with many other men in the ra.
and the opinion of the California h
regarding the camp received una
/ nous Endorsement. Personal inv
4 tigation showed that the food an
aged better than any found In
number of American, British
French camps which the correspo
ent had visited.
When Brest was first taken o
as an American base there was a
rifle struggle under frightful ID
cul.ies to get g. million men throl
this ancient, unmodernized port a
time when the only thing intolers
was delay. The problem now is t
of getting an even greater number
men home again, with health
spirits i'll act, while tolerance for
lay is not nue. greater than it
before. This is being accomplish
despite hopelessly Inadequate fax
ties--unlesS the figures given alb
are disputed. .u.., Ill.
] Copyright. 1919, BY United Pre-