The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-02-04
Our Writer in: France
Camp Genicart, Bordeaux,
BY Sgt. #. @. Kutnewsky

Jan. 5, 1918
An embarkation camp is q depot
into which endless trains and detach-
ments of soldiers are dumped to
await shipment. They come even
singly from near and distant points
hospitals, detached service, from
special schools. from all directions,
as tho into drain which leads the
pell-mell volume of humanity back to
where 1t belongs.
Constantly the ships putting to sea
carry off great numbers of the per-
sonnet, and yet the embarkation
camp is always full. 1t is the strait
and narrow way, the eye of the
needle thru which all must pass. Of
ficers and men fret away the days
without the least bit Of sympathy or
attention. Sometimes it is only neces-
sary to remain few hours. The
camp is therefore highly cosmopoli-
tan and volatile. In one barrack a 100
men may sleep together for q
night representing altogether every
state in the Union and some of Eu-
rope and Africa. For every meal a
different body of men. You step out
to wash for dinner and meet some
fellow who lived neighbor to yourself
in the states for years and knows all
the folks that you know. r."
1t Is place of flying rumors.
Never q chance conversation with the
man next to you in the tobacco line
up at the Y but you CLEAN a bit of
confidential information about who
q ho do
orders concerning embarkation. One
day you hear there are no more ships,
the next that there are score in the
harbor to be Immediately loaded, the
next that owing to rough weather
shipment is being cut down, and the
next that this particular camp is
to be made the principal shipping
point and the whole Atlantic feet
has been sent to carry troops home
at once.
First you report to the l. T. o. and
rest your hopes on him. Then some
body tells you that the personnel Of
fate. Another day somebody slips
you the information that some lieu
tenant in the majors office could get |
you aboard ship without delay if you
had some means of winning him.
Each day presents a new possibility; |
you are to pull this string, press that |
spot in the administrative body, see |
so-and-sol say such-and-such, any
thing goes that will get you out. You |
believe everything you hear for
minute or two anyway. Anything |
seems probable. There is no definite
information. Nobody has had time
since the camp was started to gather
information. Each department has
its hands full with it's own particular
business and pays little or no atten-
tion to any other department. And
so the work goes on. Men come and
men 60 every day, and coming and
going, they must all pass thru the
mill" to be decootyized and re-
equipped in full set of new clothing.
There is long L shaped narrow
shack, built like the ordinary bar
racks building, called "the mill" In
the foot OF the l. is the medical de-
partment where every man is ex-
amined carefully for coolies and
disease and given a bath. When he
dresses after the bath it is in the
main building and every speck of
clothing he put on is new. The old
Is left behind and is absolutely ir-
retrievable forever. 1t goes into the
salvage heap to be cleaned and made
into more clothing. Thru this build
ing there is almost constantly pass
Ing a line of men, coming out all
dressed up for trip abroad back
home. Most of them are lucky !
enough to be actually on the way.
Woe unto the casual, the lost, who 4
has no organization, who is eligible
20 be held for duty. 1t taeks large
number of men to keep the camp
Occasionally they must be