Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-17
WORK DONE At CAMP COBB
Practical instruction Given to Nebraska
National Guard.
CAMP ADMr IsTRATI)N THE MAIN THEME
Sanitary and Culinary Conditions the
object of Care and Lessons Along
This Line Taught Omcers
and Men.

The camp Of instruction of the Nebraska
National Guard, which has just terminated
at Kearney, was in many regards one of
the best ever held, and in no wise did 1t
fall short of any. The success of the camp
is particularly gratifying to the officers
in command, for the reason that almost one
third of the men were in camp for the first
time. This bringing together of unframed
men under unaccustomed conditions and
maintaining them without serious sickness
or inconvenience, and at the same time Sc
curing a high degree of efficiency in the
performance of military duties incident to
the caIap is looked upon as quite feat.
General Culver and his aides determined
on the organization of the camp to give
especial attention to the more practical
side of camp life. and to push the purely
theoretical to the background. 1t has been
an unfortunate experience of the American
volunteer soldier on being called into
active service that much unnecessary sick
ness and discomfort has resulted from the
lack of practical knowledge of camp ad-
ministration. The men are ignorant of the
methods essential to the best results and
the officers have but vague and insufficient
notions of what is required of them. and
the result usually is the loss of many men
ton of efficiency in the force before off,
GERS and men are sufficiently trained to
know how to properly take care of them
selves in camp. Under the new regulations
the regimental commander is held for the
general condition OF the camp, the battalion
commanders for the battalion quarters and
the company commanders for the
company quarters. In this way RESPONSE
bility for the sanitary conditions prevailing
in camp is easily fixed. The company COM
mander must take care not only of the
sanitary condition Of his company quarters,
but he is also responsible for the cuisine.
| This requires that he see to It that the
/ proper amount of food Is secured and prop
| erly prepared for the table, and that all
surplus rations are cared for and ac-
| counted for He must see to II that no
improper food is brought into camp. and
| that the company quarters are kept clean
at all times.
Good Health at Camp Cobb.
1t was to this practical camp administra-
| tion that attention was chiefly given at
! Camp Amasa Cobb. strictest care was
! given to the points that would most AFFECT
| the soldiers health, and under the rigid
inspection of Colonel Bills and Colonel
Evans, inspector general and surgeon gem
| eEdA OF Nue NbDtdShh NdAoAdA SudIdt q
highly satisfactory state OF AFFAIRS was de-
veloped. So excellent were the conditions
that Major Birkner, who was in charge
of the field hospital, said on Monday that
II the conditions that prevailed then bad
been in effect at the beginning OF the
camp he would have had not one-ffth OF
the cases he was called on to care for
As Il was, the cases due TO unsanitary
conditions or food were very few. Articles
OF food that would tend to cause sickness
were excluded from the camp. The meT
were thus given a practical illustration
OF the necessity of taking good care o.
themselves under the unfamiliar conditions
OF camp life. and the company officers wer'
also taught the proper methods to go abou
securing what is furnished for the soldier
consumption in camp.
Instructions for Omcers.
Major Cecil, Captain Palmer Captail
Welch and Lieutenant Hensel OF the Unite,
, States army were in camp, and devote
their time 10 the instruction OF the officer
: In the minutae OF their duties. giving then
practical lessons in everything that per
tains TO the work OF an ofhcer OF an
D grade. This instruction is OF especial valu
. and the lessons thus impaired are not likel
20 be soon forgotten. The officers OF IN
E | regular establishment worked withou
esaslnE and did not conhns themselye