Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 218, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1918 — CLEARING CAMP FOR U. S. AIRMEN [ARTICLE]

CLEARING CAMP FOR U. S. AIRMEN

Somewhere in England.—From the tip-top peak of the highest hill on the highest ground for miles around this historic village flutters the Stars and Stripes over the largest American aviation camp In England. Stretched oyer an area of about a mile and a half square, the camp accommodates about 3,000 Yank airmen, mechanics and privates in the aviation service. Far, far below in the valley lies the village, with its' quaint old English thatched roofed houses stretched out like a toyland. Every member of the American aviation service passes through this camp en route from America to France, via England. They come here immediately from the American transports, and remain a week or two, when they are dispatched to the various American and British aviation training camps. They remain in these camps three or four months, perhaps more, putting the finishing touches to their training. Then they are brought back to this camp, completely equipped, and dispatched to France for sky battles with the Huns over No Man’s Land. Thousands Have Passed. The camp has just been officially opened. Thousands already have passed through it and preparations are being made to handle tens of thousands, a camp officer said. Major Page, son of Ambassador Page, is the camp commandant. At the dedication of the post re-

cently, General Biddle, head of the American forces In England; Ambassador Page and General Livingston, chief of the British air service, presided. Many members of the American and British diplomatic and military service, government officials, lords and ladies from all over Great Britain, attended the official opening. Following the American flag raising there .was a_ review of American troops from all surrounding camps and athletic sports on the college green. At night hundreds attended a big, informal dinner given by the mayor in the town hall in honor of the American aviation opening in England. Dancing followed. With Lieut. T. T. Toole, camp mess officer, former second baseman of the Columbus (O.) American Association team, the correspondent visited the camp. With its row after row of tents, the camp was a veritable tented city. In a big, galvanized iron structure at one end Yankee cooks were busy preparing a soup and roast beef dinner for these hundreds of hungry Yank warriors. Bread Mountain. Hundreds of white loaves of bread were piled on huge trays in the kitchen. It was a miniature bread mountain. They’ll get away with that in one meal, a Yankee baker laughed. In another galvanized iron structure was a large Red Cross shower bathhouse filled at the time with nude Yankees enjoying and shivering through a cold plunge. At each shower they were lined up three deep, and as one would fall away chattering from the cold water another would plunge in. The Yankees go about two weeks without a bath en route from America to England and they’re eager to get to the showers here. Perhaps the prettiest and most elaborately furnished structure in the camp is the officers’ clubrooms furnished by the Red Cross and Y. M. C. A. American flags, pennants and pictures adorn the walls, and there’s a much-overworked piano that groans under too much American ragtime. Here the young officers- sing, dance; and bunny-hug with each other while one of their number bangs ( the piano There’s a plentiful supply of American newspapers and magazines there also.