HOW THE AMERICAN ARMY GOT ITS WOOD 



1151 



more costly. With these vakies in view, it is easier to 

 understand the very close utilization of all classes of 

 material in the French forests. 



"The question of amusement and of keeping the men 

 in first-class physical condition, properly disciplined and 

 in good spirits, was an important one and was well 

 looked after. The Y. M. C. A. and the chaplains who 

 were assigned to the regiment performed worthy service 

 in this respect. 



"With all hands working ten hours per day, five and 

 one-half days a week, doing clean up work and standing 

 inspection Saturday afternoon, and frequently busy with 

 emergency work on Sunday, the problem of maintaining 

 satisfactory morale was an important one. An intercamp 

 baseball league kept things lively on Sunday afternoons. 

 A battalion band of thirty-seven pieces played on all 

 sorts of occasions ; it was especially enjoyed by the 



tuted ; this resulted in a marked improvement in morale. 

 In the spring, especially with the news of the successful 

 German drives, many of the men became restless and 

 there were many applications for transfer to combatant 

 organizations ; if these applications had been acted upon 

 favorably, few would have been left to run the sawmills. 

 "The men were cordially received by nearly all of the 

 French people. Most of the Americans made at least 



LARGE CREW OF AMERICAN ENGINEERS MAKING QUICK WORK OF LOADING LUMBER AND TIES ON FRENCH RAILWAY CARS 



French civilians, who had been without music since the 

 beginning of the war. The Y. M. C. A. installed a hut 

 in each camp where such features as reading matter, 

 writing materials, phonographs, billiard tables, pianos, 

 moving pictures, et cetera, were much enjoyed ; one of 

 the most appreciated features was the 'Y. M. C. A. lady.' 

 When the fine weather came, men were sent by motor 

 truck each week from some camps to nearby places for 

 a two-day week end holiday. On Sundays some men 

 toured the nearby country on bicycles, and from Pontenx 

 for instance men hiked over the dunes to the ocean for 

 a few hours on the beach. The seashore was especially 

 popular after a torpedoed Portuguese ship was beached, 

 for it had in its cargo three thousand barrels of wine — 

 'pas de vin ordinaire, mais de I'ambroisie.' Military drill 

 had been abandoned during the short days and pressing 

 work of the winter; there was evident a falling off in 

 spirit and discipline ; in the spring, short periods of drill 

 on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning were insti- 



a few goods friends among the French. Their efforts to 

 learn the language were earnest and, no doubt, often 

 amusing to the French. The medical officers with the 

 forestry and lumber troops did a great deal for the 

 French civilians. The abbe of the church at Pontenx 

 arranged a special Easter service in English for our 

 men. There were many such exchanges of courtesy, 

 which made for hearty friendship between the French 

 and Americans. 



"Unfortunately, the attitude of a few of the peasants 

 in the pine forest districts was not so friendly at first. 

 They said among themselves, 'Look at those strapping 

 big American soldiers. Why do they come here? They 

 are bigger and stronger than our men ever were. While 

 our men, who have been away for over three years, and 

 are still at the front fighting, these Americans come to 

 hide in the forest and to do the work our men should 

 be here doing ; they cut the trees that we want to save 

 for our turpentine industry. Why don't they go to the 



