New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-19
Regrets Public Matters
Prevent Visit to Sec
Camp Successes.
DRILLS TO LAST
ANOTHER MONTH
General Wood Gets 800 Arpli-
cations from New York
Roosevelt to Lecture.
[By Telegraph to Tho Tnbune.l

[By Telegraph to Tho Tnbunel
Plattsburg, NJ Y, Aug. 18.-Presi-
dent Wilson, in letter TO Major Gem
eral Leonard Wood. has declared the
experiment of training citizen soldiers
which is being worked out at Platts-
burg is a success. The letter, written
in answer to an invitation by General
Wood to visit the camp. follows:
"My Dear General Wood:
81 have followed as we'll as | could
at distance what has been done at
Plattsburg, and have followed it with
he.greatest interest. | think all con-
cerned ought to be congratulated upon
the success of the experiment.
unfortunately, it will not be pos
sible for me to visit the camp. ! find
that | must tread very narrow round
IN order TO keep in constant touch
with the public matters of the first
importance. 1t would give me real
pleasure to visit the camp, and ! am
'unatfectedly so sorry that | must deny
myself the chance. Sincerely yours,
WOODROW WILSON"
The note was made public by Cen
eral Wood to-day on his return from
Tobyhanns, Penn. 1t IS believed. how
ever, that the President will come TO
camp during the last weeks work.
81 am very much pleased with the
Presidents letter and delighted TO re-
ceive this added mark of his approval
of the instruction camp" said General
Wood.
General Wood found his desk piled
high with mail on his return, and most
of it was applications for admission
H. -. IL
delighted to learn that Colonel Theo-
dore Roosevelt, Lindley NJ. Garrison,
Secretary of War, Assistant Secretary
of War Breckenridge, Major General
Hugh l.. Scott, Chief of Staff, Colonel
Henry Lee Higginson, Colonel c. p.
Townsley. superintendent of West
Point, and DR.. John II. Finley, state
commissioner of education, would
lecture for the rockies within the next
two weeks.
May Continue Camp.
It seems practically certain that
there will be a second business mems
camp at the close of the present one.
More than soc applications have been
received from New York alone.
Day by day the camp grows more like
q real army in the field. and by the be-
ginning of next week every arm of the
service will be represented. Practically
ali the preliminary soreness has been
worked away by the men, and now,
from the Mayor 10 the Police Commits
siOner, the rockies are beginning to
enjoy the work.
Although there have been city Of
iic:als, ex-government officials. ambas-
sailors and statesmen registered, the
camp to-day enrolled its first real Con-
gresham, when Thomas Woodruff Mil
Ter, of Wilmington, Del, telephoned
from Plattsburg and asked Captain
Halstead Dorey for permission to serve
as private. 1t was granted, and he
was enrolled in Company A.
Mr.. Miller, on being introduced to
Mayor Mitchell, in whose company he
serves, said: 81 am here to practise
what ! preach. All this business of
Preparedness is right up 20 Congress,
and back of that up 10 constituent
members. The least any member Of
Congress can do is to give this move
ment his consideration, not to come
here and investigate It,"
And when Representative John j.
Fitzgerald, of Brooklyn, chairman OF
the Appropriations Committee Of the
House, appeared later it looked as If
the "Congressi onal investigation" were
on.
Mr.. Fitzgerald. who had been lectur-
ing at the Catholic Summer School and
dropped over to look at the camp. said
incidentally that it looked as if the
army had at last found an economical
way to train men for the national de-
fence, and if the idea proved as sue
cessful as it appeared to be he was pre-
pared to urge its financial support in
Congress. He said that at present the
training of a soldier cost about $1,000
a man.
Mayor Mitchell Shoots Well.
The day was the first in the cOn-
petition for records in Workmanship.
in spite of the high wind the prelim-
mary records were excellent, accord
ing to the officers Of the companies Of
the 1st Battalion. The two best scores
for the day were made by William
DAILY, Of Company d. who scored 81
out of a possible 100. and Sergeant
Henry c. Bate, of Company A. with
score of 90.
Mayor Mitchell for the first time
aimed every shot at his target. and
made So, thus winning the second
round in the tourney which is on be-
tween City Hall and Police Headquar-
tiers. Other interesting scores were:
Travis II. Whitney, SO; j. w. Alex
ander, SO; Theodore Roosevelt. jr.,
rs; 0. Iselin, 70; Hamilton Fish, ir.,
"a, and Sergeant F. L. Meagher, Sc.
The rockies who had field machine
gun work were broken into actual field
work when the machine gun detach-
ment took them far out into the coun-
try and did an actual firing problem.
In the evening Captain l.. &. An
drews delivered lecture to the men
on troop management.