The Czechoslovak Review/Volume 2/Czechoslovak camp at Stamford
CZECHOSLOVAK CAMP AT STAMFORD.
Mr. Joseph J. Fekl, who until recently acted as business manager for the Bohemian Review, sends a description of the army camp at Stamford, Conn., where he is at present stationed. He says:
The camp is located in a pleasant wooded country near Stamford. It is not intended for a training camp of recruits as are the great United States army cantonments. The volunteers get some drilling, while waiting for transportation to France, where their real military training will take place.
The Czechoslovak camp is distant about four miles from the city of Stamford and it is located on the property of the well-known sculptor, Gutzon Borglum. Near the entrance is a residential building which is now used for headquarters and reading room. Nearby is a garage. Below on the river are three barracks for the men and the kitchen. Be tween two of these buildings is the laundry and shower bath served by a gasoline pump. Across the river a large residence has been placed by Mr. Borglum at the disposal of the invalids of the Czechoslovak Army.
The camp is commanded by Václav Šolc with the cooperation of officers and drillmasters chosen from among the volunteers. Everything is kept spotlessly clean and the sanitary conditions, as well as the health of the soldiers, are excellent. While strictest discipline is maintained, the democratic spirit of the Czechoslovak army is evident here and all are ad dressed as “brother”.
The men spend their days in drilling and in labor for the maintenance of the camp and the raising of vegetables. There is time for recreation. The camp library contains already several hundred volumes of good reading matter, and nearly all Bohemian and Slovak newspapers are received at the camp through the courtesy of the publishers. Men go in for singing and music, fishing, ball games, etc. Mrs. Borplum, who continually adds something appetizing to the fare of the camp, undertook to teach the men French and is pleased with the progress of her pupils.
Many prominent Americans and foreign guests visited the camp. To some of them the very name of Czechoslovaks had been unknown before: now we have in them warm friends.
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1954, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 69 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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