South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-07-03
!. N. {. A. NOW
AIDING MEN Of
NAVY At BREST
There Are Almost as Many
Sailors as Soldiers in
That City.
BY DIR. JAMES L. GARDINER.

or occurring each day to the thou
sands OF soldiers who are passing
through Camp Pontanezen. before
sailing home from the port OF Brest.
The thought. however. that in an
other week we shall leave Brest. 20
Ell some engagements elsewhere.
suggests that a word OF two IN re-
gard 10 the difficulties OF travelling
in France might be of interest 20
the readers OF The News-Tlmes.
Travelling in France is not a very
pleasant task 20 "a member of the
A. e. F In fact. the experience re-
quires much patience. II one would
preserve his good nature and ac-
customed pOise II is always well
in many cities absolutely neces-
sary-that you begin operations the
day before II you wish 10 leave on
schedule time
Travelling Under Difficulties.
Let me briefly describe the move
ments necessary on the part OF "a
menb Der OF one Of the welfare or
ganizations. II he would make a trip
from one city 20 another. We shall
say that ne is a y. NJ. G. a. secre-
tary who desires 10 20 from, Brest
10 Paris. First ne must secure
request for movement from the
head OF the particular department
religious. entertainment or athletic
under which he is working This
request is then presented TO the
regional secretary who gives him
Y. NJ. q. A. movement order from
Brest 10 Paris. He must now take
this movement order" 10 the as
sistant provost marshal "a =. NJ.
who grants him a military permit
allowing him 10 travel from Brest
TO Paris With this Y. NJ G. A.
movement order" and military
permit" in hand ne proceeds 10 the
railway transportation officer OR.
T. o.. who furnishes him with
ticket about the size OF "A sheet OF
the average daily newspaper. This
ticket he must now take TO the
French ticket agent. who tears off
half OF the same. And now with
movement order military per-
init" and the other half Of the ticket
he again reports 90 the A. p. NJ
who registers him "out"-that is,
the perspiration from his face. tries
10 look pleasant. gra las his baggage
and makes a dash for car, having
a compartment marked First class
Difficulties i'm Paris.
Upon reaching Paris he cannot
rush out and call a cab at once He
must hr3t get IN line AMI march TO
the A. p MS office. located in a
certain room in the depot. Here the
A p. NJ. registers him "in'-as
having arrived in Paris.
The process of registering a man
lin" when he arrives. and out
when he leaves a city. may not be
very pleasant experience. but in this
way the L. :. army keeps "A record
OF the Whereabouts. not only OF
every Y. NJ. g. a. secretary. but OF
every member of all other welfare
organizations. and also of every OH.
Ger and enlisted man IN the A. +. r.
Talks OF the Navy.
In the various letters which. we
have written for The News-Times
we have said nothing I'm regard 10
those noble hghting men who during
the war and since. have served in
the American navy. This omission
has occurred simply because our
speaking mission has been primarily
TO American soldiers.
At Tours. at ST Aignau, at
Gievres. at Bourges. at Nevers. at
Verneun. at Les Mans. and at other
great camps. we have visited during
the past few months we have been
brought in daily - ntact with thou
sands OF soldiers. Here at the port
OF Brest. however. we meet every
day the sailor as we'll as the soldier.
Everywhere we go. on the street.
along the docks i'm hut. in restaur-
ant or hotel, we see the American
fghting man clothed in the blue
uniform.
Even as we write these lines. we
may look out OF our window in
Brest and sec scores Of American
sailors hurrying along the street.
and in the evening when the
o'clock Curfew sounds you may see
hundreds OF men in blue uniforms
making a mad dash for their re-
spective boats. for the naval law,
which here aItereth not. demands
that the sailor be on board his yes
sci at 3. or else the IS p
sailors police-may give him a free
ride 10 headquarters IN a patrol
Brcst Homo of JaClSics.
Brest Is surely at present writing,
the home OF the American SAILOR.
and the rendezvous OF the American
ship. We look out over the water
and I can see "A half dozen great
transports like the Impcrator and
the Great Northern loading their
precious human cargoes We can
see out IN the port SOME distance
from the docks. the oklahoma. the
Arizona and other great battleships.
] can see six or eight American de-
stroyers like the Conner. and in
constant sight. OF my window. ever
since I came 10 Brest. is the George
Washington. waiting impatiently for
asr most distinguished guest who.
during these weeks has Leen Amer
ica's chief spokesman at the peace
table at Versailles
had the pleasure the other day
OF being a guest or Lieut. Com
mander Chapline az dinner served
on board his boat. the Conner on
N