Evening star., 1919-03-26
BREST CAMP found
FINE BY SECRETARY
Mf. Daniels Says There's
Lots of Rain, But Nothing
Else to Discomfort YankS.

Else TO UlSC0m10rI ranks.
BREST, Monday. March 24.-Secre-
tary of the Navy Daniels. after his in
vestigatio of camp conditions at
Brest. gave the Associated Press the
following statement:
Il have spent a portion of two rainy
days in the camp at Pontanezen. ana
ii rains $50 days out of the year here
| have seen more than $4,000 Ameri-
can troops encamped here waiting for
embarkation home. and have confer
red with scores of officers and many
men just from the front.
This morning | walked for miles
OF a solid boardwalk from tent to
tent in which the marines quartered
and in the wooden barracks where
The soldiers sleep. | visited the mod
crn kitchens and dining rooms ana
saw where dinner for 5000 marines
was prepared in one of the twelve
kitchens. This large number is fed
in forty minutes. and Just as many
are fed in the eleven other kitchens.
Eats With Soldiers.
ct sat upon the beds of the soldiers
and ate my midday meal with them.
The meal was well cooked. paiatabie
and plentiful and tasted as good as
any meal ] ever ate in my NE Inc
midday meal consisted of Il large help
ing of roast beef, mashed potatoes,
stewed carrots. rich meat gravy. bread
pudding with raiSins, two large Sllces
of white bread and large cup OF
coffee Over the entrance of each of
ha dining halls large sign IN
French which freely translated, means
that YOU can have as much 1000 as you
want and so home Nsht away. Few
asked for a second helping. for the
first helping was more than most OF
the soldiers could eat at one time.
1T was hard TO tell "A the mess hall
whether the most popular phrase was
rs much food a you want, or Home
right away but when | spoke to the
soldiers ] found no difficulty IN
understanding that Home right away
was the note that touched their
hearts brought the most beaminS
smile and the heartiest cheering.
THE soldiers were happy when l
told them that Rear Admiral Hal
stead had just received a message
that the first of the German trans
ports to carry American troops home
had been commissioned with the Navy
crew and that others would follow.
the Navy personnel already having
arrived on this side to man them. 1t
heartened them to know that In the
tarbor of BreSt was the mlShty
Ieviathan ready to carry l2Ooo
soldiers home and that four battie-
ships were being coaled preparatory
TO taking soldiers back home.
Tents Are Waterproof.
..rhe bieness of Pontanezen camp
* hard to understand until YOU see
the tented and barrack-covered city
Speaking of tents, / went into score
If them. Not drop of water fell
into any of them. The tents are Wen
drained and each one has stove and
is warm and comfortable. The men
come and go by the thousand. 1t is
a city of movement, certainly. as lar
as the population is concerned.
"As an illustration of the magnitude
of it's operations as many as s,ooo
troops are received some days and as
many as 1900 are embarked IN
single day. Twelve thousand Will EN-
bark on Wednesday on the LevlathaH
alone. I do not know which to com
mend the highest, the spirit of the
sailors who patriotically remain. in
the naval service in order to bring
these soldiers back when good posi-
lions invite them to civilian life. or
the returning soldier, the heroes of
hard fought battles, whose courage
and sacrifice helped so much to pre-
serve the liberty and civilization of
the world. They are brothers in valor
and in cheerfulness.
The outstanding impression
brought with me out of the rainy days
AT Pontanezen is the buoyant and
cheerful spirit of the fifty thousand
men l saw in camp there. Some OF
them carried heavy packs as they
marched into the camp fresh from the
scenes where. in the grim business
of war. they had looked unafraid into
the face of death. All of them had
seen hard service. Their eyes had
thoughtful seriousness except when
YOU spoke of home and then they
fairIy-danced with happy anticipation.
War is A grim business and these
men have lived hard lives. but they
have the conscious air of the modest
man who knows he has performed
the hardest job in history efficiently
and VIGOROUSLY. and now they are
eager to go home and continue the
service of making a better world.
IN two trips over the camps here
7 walked about while it was raining
but fifty miles of boardwalk made it
possible to visit all parts of the camp
without inconvenience.
Praises the Facilities.
Every man in camp has bunk
mattress and five blankets Every
tent is squared by wooden framing
and has wooden floor and stove.
louHu dh dHfpiS supply Oh luel avail
able for all the stoves in the camp. l
found bathing facilities sufficient to
give each man in camp two baths a
week and laundry facilities ample for
clean underwear twice d week.
Il found twelve amusement places
in operation. which last week enter
tained 10000 men. / found the water
supply ample. I can see no reason
for criticism of this camp. but more
to praise than in any camp I have
visited in the United States. 1 found
the embarkation facilities ample and
above criticism. ] found the camp
we'll lighted and saw the beginning
of operations for a complete lighting
system.
Il wish TO congratulate the War
Department on the ability of Mai
Cen f. A Helmick. who is the com
manding general of the base section
OF the American expeditionary forces
He has executive ability. vision and
discipline with sympathy. The com
rlanding general of the camp is Brig
zen. Smedley D. Butler. He is steam
engine in breeches. and his work here
IS monumental When the history of
Gems. Helmick and Butler and their
capable and enthusiastic assistants