The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1915-09-11
WARRIORS BOLD
TAUGHT TO PLAY

FRANKFORT, Germany, Aug. 20.
Learning how to play" is now a
par of the curriculum of the embryo
German soldier who is being prepar-
ed and trained for the front. In
every garrison and barracks in the
empire there are at present thou
sands upon thousands of recruits,
vor.ng and old, and every last one oil
them has to know how to play Le-
fore he is considered fit for the
trenches.
This new policy is based upon the
sound principle that the soldier, IN
the hours or days when he is resting
behind the front while his reliet
tights, must have something to oc-
cupy his mind and keep his body nj.
An Associated Press correspond
ent recently made a fairly compre-
hensive tour of southern, western
and central Germany, and there was
not a city without it's thousands OF
men hard at work at the paradoxical
combination of fighting and playing.
Rigorous drilling has by no means
been omitted from the curriculum OF
the soldier under training, and he
can probably do the famous goose
step quite as we'll as he could in
Leace times. But nevertheless, vast
y less attention is paid to it than
in former years, for the reason that
the goose step is not exactly an es-
seni!al in the trenches of France or
Russia.
Frankfort's largest barracks are
built around a Square-perhaps 500
feet sluare-a square large enough
to accommodate easily a dozen or a
score of groups of soldiers. There
is the customary marching, exercis-
ing in saluting, bayonet duel work,
setting up drill, and dummy shoot
ing practice.
The first impression is almost in
variably one of confusion, as squads
go charging across the parade
ground, throwing themselves sud
denly to earth, rising and charging
again.
To the extreme real Of the ground
Is a series of wooden walls, rising
higher and higher into the air. They
are imaginary fortress walls that
lave to be scaled, and for hours the
white-clad soldiers mount on each
Cther's shoulders and Chamber over.
1t is this strenuous work that is
most popular.
One corner of the parade ground
is reserved for the playing, chiefly
such simple games as blind mans
buff, tug of war, leap frog and the
like. The favorite game is one in
which a score OF soldiers form a
circle, while two of their number,
blindfolded, attempt to catch each
other in the center. 1t is all alb
surdly simple and interesting to
watch for a moment, but experience
has shown that it has great value
in relieving mental strain. The SOL
der coming out from under fire has
but two desires = to sleep and to
eat and after he has done these
~ dhlouHI VI IcdulnS OF ~COnVerSa-
ton will make him forget himself as
well as physical exercises that re-
lieve cramped limbs and make him
laugh.
1t takes approximately six weeks
OF training in the garrison or bar
racks to equip an i~nfantryman for
the held nowadays. If a portion of
each day is devoted to target prac-
tice, the man of average intelligence
a shoot with a reasonable degree
of accuracy in four weeks. The cav
airy and artillery training takes
longer, the latter about ten weeks.
because the soldier must know
something about the mechanism nj
a CUR and it's use.
The infantryman does not have tn
learn anything about a cannon mr.
the artilleryman a great deal about
marching or bayonet work, and the
cavalryman's chief attention is to
his horse and his sabre and lance
work. But all three have to kno
how to play, and are taught how
with characteristic German thor
OughneSS.