Show CHAPLAIN SA YS BREST CAMP IS HEALTHFUL ONE p De Denial Made of Many Tales of Bad Conditions at Embarkation EnlI Em Enl- I Port hh lon March 2 Don 2 Denial of ot 1 reports of or bad conditions at tho the urr debarkation camp at Brest t. t France coupled with a graphic de description dc- dc of oC the thc terrible days there when the rL a ravages es of or tho the cn epidemic American troops were being being- rushed to Franco France to help hurl back tho the German arm army Is contained In Ina a t letter from Crom Chaplain W. W B. B Ayers or of orthe orthe the navy r. who er ed eight months at B Brest 3 cst Chaplain Ayers Aers who has just re returned returned re- re turned from lom Franco France says Brest ha has proved luO a healthful health Cui camp in tn spite of or tho the mud and almost continuous rains ex experienced ex- ex during durinS' the tho w winter months month and that there has been no Initial epidemic cpi epi demic there Approximately 2000 soldiers died led there I from Crom influenza but the chaplain says sas that In practically all of ot cases these men brought ashore with the disease from transports Sn SeveN 11 Ll cs Some Soma roll folks s seem to think that ItIs ItIs it itIs Is terrible because our boys bos arc are living I in lii tents on th the hills around Ponte Ponte- o I nazen tho the chaplains chaplain's letter said saiu sala ct those of oC us who have havo had their well well- being LeinS' In mind have ha thanked God that the tho boys bOs had the tents instead of oC the wooden barracks Influenza is a crowd d I disease We Vc saved ed the lives of oC thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of or boys bors by set getting ling ling- them Into the thet thc t tents en t. t In In one of or our American m newspapers pers recently I saw sa a a. bitter attack on Ker- Ker baun hospital In an alleged Interview Inter by a a. lied Hod Cross worker Many of ot her statements were utterly inaccurate After accusing the surgeons of or neglect neg neg- lect heartlessness and Indifference this Hc lied Cross worker who is not a nurse asserts 1 that our dead were loaded onto trucks carried carrle out into the country and burled buried without ceremony without re religious ro- ro s r of ot any kind were were dumped into the ground round and their coffins cot cof I tins SIns taken back to tho the hospital to be used again Xo o co Lumber for tor Coffins i This Is ono one thing t I happened to tol l know now something about At the first there was no chaplain at It Naturally Naturally Nat Nat- NatI I I J offered to help It Is true truo that bodies were placed on trucks the ani only available a means of or transportation and at the time timo when the thc influenza raged most terribly there was not a coffin corrin to be had in that whole district nor the tho lumber to build them of oC Jt ll became finally necessary for Cor tho the arm army to face lace tho the prospect of ot burials without caskets The arm army had purchased a field outside out out- side ide of or Brest at where perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps n a thousand of ot our boys bos lie Two hundred and fifty negroes were de detailed tie tie- e- e tailed to dig graves gra himself The army chaplain was t sick I took his hs place and wa waa In la the cemetery all that day all night and andall andall nd all the next day dy Christian Given Chen When hen the graves gra were dug dub tho the negroes negroes ne ne- ne- ne groes lifted lined the caskets to their shoulders shoulders ders and marched to tho thu individual Indi graves ra es Then with hats off oct beside each grave gra two negroes stood at at attention attention attention at- at while friends and orf of- of f stood od near as the funeral Ben 1 ices ices were conducted When night camo the caskets were exhausted and by the light of ot a a. torch I stood at their graves es as I looked down at their shrouded figures and asked Gods God's blessing upon their souls Before Before Before Be- Be fore the da day came I IlIad had said prayers over o approximately 00 thus thus and I Ican Ican Ican can vouch that every ery man had what blessing and faith lith can bestow I have written a a. thousand letters to parents or 01 wives wires whose whoso boys bos died under these conditions and I do not like to se see war critics whoso whose mission and value I have ha not been quite able to determine de destroying what meager comfort our honest and sincere assurance assurance assurance assur- assur ance can bring I |