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Show APOSTLE HAY SB CAMP LIFE AND BRINGS HOME W FROM TIE BOYS IN TRAINING i Apostle David O. McKay, returned yesterday from a visit to Camp Morrison, Morri-son, Va., where his brother Morgan P. McKay is stationed. Morgan is a first sergeant in the G53rrl Aero Srpmdron and hns been transferred from Kelly-field, Kelly-field, South San Antonio, Texas, where he underwent his training for tho aviation av-iation service. Apostle McKay brings back the message that America is in to win and that the boys at Camp Morrison, as echoing the sentiment all over the country, are grimly set on beating back tho Germans. "They arc a happy, cheerful crowd," he said, "and if manhood means anything any-thing in this war, surely tho enemy will feel tho weight of their righteous strength." Camp Morrison, Apostle McKay said, is situated amidst historical settings which have meant "much in American history. One approaches it through Hampton Roads where tho Monitor and Merrlmnc fought their fnmous duel. One lands at Old Point Comfort and across the bay is Jamestown, the first permanent settlement of white men in America. Tho camp itself is located on ground which a few months ago supported a dense forest. Today it Is teeming with young soldiers and the forest outline is broken by a veritable veri-table city of barracks. Apostle McKay ansurcd the reporter that the men are well cared for. "There is a commissioned medical officer of-ficer and four non-commissioned medical med-ical assistants for every 150 men at tho cantonment," he said. "The men are given a minute physical examination examina-tion every month so that disease has little chance to gain a foothold." Besides Morgan McKay, there is Lawrence Bowman of Ogden and several sev-eral other boys from Utah at Camp Morrison. Bowman is a son of Mr. and iirs. JLingnam a. jLsowman, you i wcn-ty-fourth street. The following interview was given by Apostle McKay: "To realize, oven to a small degree, the magnitude of the stupendous task of mobilizing, caring for and equipping a million men or more, one must visit our national cantonments; and to see how rapidly and efficiently this herculean her-culean job is being performed makes a man's spirit warm with increased loyalty to Uncle Sam. "Camp Morrison, Va., an aviation concentration camp, is a good example. September 15, 1917, this ground was a Virginia wood literally, a dense forest. Today, it is a city of barracks, comfortably housing thousands of soldiers! sol-diers! There are several miles of board sidewalks along the streets, and on each side of every barrack. "As rapidly as possible, the streets are being macadamized, and well-planned well-planned gutters or drains dug on each side. These drains border the plazas as well. "The frame barracks, well built, contain comfortable cots, electric lights, steam heat, hot and cold water and other conveniences necessary to the soldiers' health and comparative comfort. These things, of course, are not found in temporary encampments; some of which, I learned from the soldiers, sol-diers, furnish a pretty rigid initiation into army life. "A number of western boys are now at Camp Morrison, and others, no doubt, also at Camp Hill, about two miles distant. Besides the two Ogden boys, my brother and Lawrence Eow-man, Eow-man, there were from Utah, Otto Simon and Lindall Ward, Salt Lake; Earl F. Dunn, Mammoth, and E. M. Larsen, Logan. These, and all their comrades are feeling and looking well and happy." " 'They aro always ready for their meals, are they?' "Always. One robust youngster said there are three things in army life he thoroughly enjoyed, 'breakfast, dinner and supper.' The food Is plain, of course, but substantial. Most of tho men are gaining in weight. The dinner I ate with the boys consisted of two boiled potatoes, two thick (emphasis on the 'thick') slices of bread, no butter, gravy, peas, meat, and a cup of cocoa, and prunes all, excepting the prunes and cocoa, served together and in sufficient quantity to satisfy the heartiest appetite. "' You think, then, that the morale of the soldiers Is good?' "There is no doubt about it. Indeed, the first thing that impressed me, ex-pepting ex-pepting the courtesy of tho Montana boy whom I met on my way there, was the cheerfulness that seemed to pervade per-vade the camp. It was manifest on every hand. And that, too, in spite of a downpour of rain. The squadrons were just maching to 'fatigue' duty (digging drains, trenches, building tracks, unloading gravel, etc.). Every soldier was equipped with hip rubber boots, a 'slicker and a shovel. They were a jolly set, some holding aloft their shovels, cried, 'What do you think of our airplanes?' Others went on singing their camp songs, a scrap of tho first one, as I got it, was: " 'Hall, hail, the squad's all here, So, what tho do we care?' "The squad behind these some distance dis-tance were singing: " 'All we do is sign tho payroll, But we never get a gosh darn cent.' "But the best of all came from a crowd I met about five minutes later. Tramping through the slush and rain, their faces anl their movements evidencing evi-dencing the buoyancy of youth, they came, singing, " 'Now we'll rally round the flag, boys, We'll rally once again, Shouting the battle cry of freedom.' " 'Yes," I said to my companion, 'and that is just the spirit that will give freedom to the whole world.' "Later, Major Carmody, the commanding com-manding officer, told me that 'no more cheerful soldiers ever., made up an army, and I believe him. "In this connection hero is a duty we at home must perform; and by doing it, foster this spirit of cheer among the boys. Lot me relate an Incident: "About 11 o'clock last Thursday morning, I was lounging on a cot with six or eight boys around me, exchanging exchang-ing experience and telling stories, when someono cried, 'Mall.'' Immediately, Imme-diately, thyc was a rush, and the sergeant ser-geant was surrounded. I observed the boys' faces as the packages and letters, were distributed. Anticipatory, hope ful, eager expressions spread over those countenances huddled together listening, not quietly, to tho names. The largest package rent first a cake from Florida; a box of candy next, followed fol-lowed by the papers. Then the lot-tors. lot-tors. How small that packet of letters looked for that crowd of home -loving boys! And how quickly they vanished as ono after another was thrown not handed thrown among tho crowd as each owner's name was called! How many were disappointed was evidenced evi-denced by the chors, "Is that all9 A-a-h! O-Oh! Left again!' Then each went back to his bunk. I observed ob-served some of their faceslhon forced smiles, quickly followed by shadows, which like clouds passing over the sun, obscured the light of expectant hope, and left only gloom. "I tried to Imagine what the effect would be of a repetition of such an experience ex-perience for just ono week. For n boy to hear 'Mail!' called twice a day to rush twice a day with his comrades in eager expectancy, to listen in vain for his namo, to return to his cot and pretend to read a magazine while his more favored companions are feasting feast-ing on letters and delicacies from home to go through this oxperience twice a day, day after day for seven days and more, I tell you, I concluded that it would bo just about as trying as 'going over the top!' "Now relatives, sweethearts and friends, can not only save the soldiers all this unpleasantposs but add measurably meas-urably to their cheerfulness, if they will only write. Send a letter, or a paper, or a card, some candy, a clipping, clip-ping, a piece of mother's apron anything, any-thing, just so it is from home! "Don't let the boys be repeatedly disappointed when the sergeant brings the mail. "The Y. M. C. A. furnishes an excellent ex-cellent rallying place for the soldiers. At Camp Morrison the Y. M. C. A. building is not yet built, so temporarily the government warehouse is being used. This building is about 75 by 100 feet and contains a basketball space, a moving picture room where educational films are shown free twice each week, a writing room, In which there are seventy-five or more boys writing nearly all the time they ! are off duty, and a phonograph with j many excellent records. Other features are indicated in the following, taken from a weekly program which was posted on the wall: "March 5th to 10th: "Tuesday, 7:30 Wrestling and boxings "Thursday, 6:30 Mr. Longfellow Longfel-low of Red Cross society will give lecture, illustrated with moving picture, on first aid and life sav-, sav-, ing, after which moving picture, 'Turning Out Silver Bullets,' will be shown. "Wednesday, G:30 Vaudeville. Chas. Kellog Kieth, headliner, will give performance. "Friday, 7:30 Entertainment by G19th squadron. "Saturday, 7:30 Quartette, Or-plieus Or-plieus Four of Los Angeles, Cal., winner of $3000 prize at Panama exposition. '"What is the prevailing sentiment senti-ment in the east, as you found it, regarding re-garding the war?' "Determined, but rather pessimistic. Everything is war. Everybody is talking talk-ing war. The best of it is people are preparing for war. While at Washington, Washing-ton, I met several congressmen, every one of whom anticipates that the war will continue at least from three to five years. One said: " 'This war will require five million mil-lion of our men, and cost one-half our property.' "After all, it is better to prepare for a long war and have a short one, than to anticipate a short ono and be caught unprepared for a long one. "TT.imn tVinco trim fin t irlnn t o n elinrfor duration of tho war, recognize the necessity of urgent and strenuous preparation and action. Illustrative of this, I have here a clipping from an article in tho New York Times, by Dr. George Trumbull Ladd, professor emcritls of philosophy of Yale university. univer-sity. The writer gives his reasons for believing that Germany is in desperate des-perate straits, but concludes thus: " 'For us, the lesson of Germany's desperate conditions, on the verge of collapse, is to stiffen our resolve, strengthen our hands, Inspire our courage cour-age and increase the urgency and the extent of our assault upon Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey; but, above all, to see to the suppression of the enemies In tho midst of us, with a view to making more complete the victory, vic-tory, and moro sur6 and lasting the peace that will follow only after a thorough' defeat of our enemies on the other side of tho water. Then may the nation be filled with tho reasonable hope that this year of our Lord 191S will see tho end of this horrible war. For Germany is like a Gengal tiger, raging and tearing at the net only the more desperately as it feels the net more tightly drawn.' " |