Evening star., 1947-03-03

tnougnt up the nenfs McLsmcfe.
more comfortable foxhole with its
featherdown mud. high octane ven-
tilation, and four-way view.
I first became acquainted with the
hutment when this country's for
tunes in the war against the Axis
were at such q dangerous state that
the President, In personal letter tc
me, asked II I would be kind enough
to hop into khaki ard put the Army
on its feet. Before you could MEM
orize the Encyclopedia Britannica
backwards, I had Strengthened out
my business Affairs, kissed my loved
ones good-by, sold my racing stable
auctioned my yacht, borrowed SIC
for busfare, and was on my way to
make Gems. Eisenhower and MacAr-
thur look good.
Spent First Night in Hutment.
spent my first night away from
home In hutment at Camp Bland
ing, Fla. It was the 16x16 size and,
thanks to the efficiency of the Army,
was occupied by more men than
CORVALLIS surrendered at yorktown
II hadn't had the forethought to
get shave and haircut before ]
left home, there wouldn't have been
room enough for me to get in. / lit
orally made 1t by a whisker.
I was assigned the top section of
q bunk already in possession Of the
nucleus Of the 31st Division. The
sergeant told me to be sure when I
got up in the morning that every
thing was left tidy. did my best,
as did all the other men. but it was
quite a task to police that upper
bunk. I folded the cigarette butts
as best I could, while others worked
feverishly in an effort to tuck in the
scores of playing cards which lit
tered the comforter.
But that was in wartime. In
peacetime, the hutment will go a
long way toward relieving the hous-
ing problem for two reasons. In
the first place, any family which
stays in a hutment for a week will
be glad to return to where 1t was
staying before, even If that place
was an old barn owned by critical
relatives and in-laws. One week
in a hutment and man will be
glad to perch in a tree with nothing
but owls for neighbors.
Family Can't Break Up.
In the second place. any family
which can Withstand life In hut
ment will be drawn closer together
than rope in a bowline knot. There
will never be any breaking up OF
such unit, because it will have
run the gamut Of discomfort. The
hut,nent is unique In that it admits
the cold when the weather is cool
and the heat when the weather is
warm. It's sides are so cleverly
constructed that it allows the free
admission Of sand, snow, silt, sleet,
Stag, fog, smoke, and bugs, par
ticularly the latter.
Bugs Of all sizes and denomina-
tions love hutments. They fly in,
coast in, drift In, come In on a wing
and prayer, walk In, and are
smuggled in by dishonest fellow
bugs. During my stay in the Camp
Blanding hutment, I was lulled to
sleep by the soft murmur of beetles,
and awakened by the sharp cry of
long-range mosquito bombers. The
little creatures, fascinated by the
uniform of the soldier, I suppose:
went to formation with us, accom-
panied us to chow, stood retreat
with us, and, in one case, I know
Of, cut in on a poker game,
Yes, buy a hutment. Buy one
by all means. Then, once 1t is
yours, make a will, put on your
best blue suit, fold your arms across
your chest, stretch out, and give up
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