Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-05-23
ROBERT JONES Is
ONE OF 200 WHO
WILL MAKE TRIP

Selection as one of the two hun
dred soldier newspapermen in the
American Expeditionary forces by
the United States war department
to make inspection tours of several
thousand miles through France and
the German border country, is the
good luck which befell Robert A
Jones, son of Mr.. and Mrs. d. A
Jones, 412 Nineteenth street, Mo-
line. Jones had been in newspaper
work in Moline before he entered
the service
In an account of the way he was
chosen and of his duties as a mem
Der of the squadron, Jones writes to
his parents the following:
'9The whole thing came as a thun-
derbolt. About six weeks or two
months ago 1 sent in my name to
Stars and Stripes when the latter
asked for names of former news
papermen and their experience. I
thought at the time it might be
some movement toward lining up
connections on the return but when
the 200 men came through last
week the real intent was known.
1.-The main idea of the trip is to
give men who are in the writing
game some first hand knowledge as
to what is going on over here, what
was planned to be done, and what
has been accomplished in that di-
rection.
There are so many varieties of
tales going back. both good and
bad, that the government, i'm
agine, decided It would be better TO
have the newspaper tales that have
the foundation than those obtained
from second, third or fourth hand.
Pretty good idea at that
"At least with oranges, bacon,
oatmeal and wheatcakes for
breakfast, roast pork and apple
sauce, French-fried potatoes, green
peas, mashed potatoes, lettuce and
pears for supper, topped OF with
gum and chocolate bars, l am IN
favor OF continuing the march.
Perhaps this does not sound en-
ticing to you, but after weeks and
weeks of good old faithful corned
| Willie, Stewed rice and a bean now
and then, the change is almost such
that 1 fear for the effects of the
shock.
'The journey began Thursday
afternoon in Paris. Brest was the
first stop. The special is like Red
Cross hospital train, SO sleeping
| facilities are great. Brest was a
mud hole last fall, due to the rain
and to the fact that neither men
nor materials could be held there
when both were necessary at the
| front
NOW the place is a paradise. Nc
roads but that have walks or cor
durOy highways, ideal billets in
barracks or tents, marvels of mess
halls and compulsory theatrical
performances. Imagine 'em making
men attend the showsi Perhaps the
well known hell that was raised
had some effect. Anyhow, it is q
changed place over here since last
year, so all say who were here be-
fore.
| To-day we were in ST. Nazarre
The port is busy one, both from
the standpoint of shipping freight
and human freight. The Montoil
railroad yards outside of that place
built entirely by the United States
army, on swamp that had to be
drained, is the largest railroad
yard in the world.
Twenty miles of warehouses
there. Least advertised place in the
American expeditionary forces. No
body in the crowd knew anything
about the spot before but it is one
of the marvels of engineering in tbs
American expeditionary force anC
gives one new idea of the enter.
prise of the American forces.
II am pulling for an assignment
to see how the navy does it's work
and am willing to investigate dur
ing six day journey to the United
States of America on the Leviathan
Fair enough, is it not?"