Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-03
Not a Contingent, but an Army,
Horse, Foot, Guns and All De-
tails, Fully Equipped.
ANXIOUS TO GET TO WORK
Admit That London Is "Some
City" but Did Not Leave
America Only to Visit.
ny nIDyAnD kIpIIyc.

prairie near Winnipeg. The team that
came over the rise, widely spaced be-
tween polcbar and wh'fRc trees. were
certainly children OF the prairie. They
SHE'D at the car. Their drive. asked
them dlspassionately what they thought
they were doing, anyway They put
their wise heads together and did
nothing at all.
Yes. Oh. yes said the driver. They
were Western horses. They weighed
better than twelve hundred apiece. He
himself was from Moose Jaw way The
camp Why. tn. camp was right
ahead along up this road. No chance
TO miss it. and, "Sa-ay. Look out for
our lorries,'
y feet of them hove in sight going
at the rate OF knots. and Keeping their
left with n consc!cntiousness only
learned when you come out Of "A coun-
try where all the provinces Except
British Columb:a) keep to the right.
Every line OF them, from steering
wheel 10 brake-shoes. proclaimed their
nationality. Three perfectly efficient
young men, who were sprinkling n
golf green with sifted earth. ceased
their duties TO stare at the line. Two
riding boys (also efficiently on race
horses. their knees under their chins
and their saddles between the horses
ears. cantered past on the turf.
The rattle Of the motors upset their
catsmeat so one could compare their
style OF riding with that of an officer
Looping along to overtake a string Of
buck wagons that were trottinE to-
wards the horizon. But the riding
boys have to endure hardship now
adays. one gentleman has already
complained that his private gallops'
arc being cut up by gun wheels and
'irremediably ruined.
Then more lorrics. contractors
wagons. and increasing vilcness Of the
hn to Sli
4 rude gate into new world. OF can
cas- as far as the eye could reach and
beyond that outlying clouds of tents
1t is not contingent that Canada has
sent. but an army--horse. foot guns.
engineers and all details. fully
equipped. Taking that army's strength
at $4,000. and the Dominion's popuia-
zion AT 100000. the camp is Canada
on the scale OF To @to--an entire
nation unrolled across few square
miles OF turf and tents and huts.
A "Colony" nj Close Hand.
Life nowadays is too full to fuss
about Tcuton opinion. but one almost
wishes that some OF those unhappy
theorists could study nj close hand Il
Colony" ycnrning TO shake Off the
British yoke. For, beyond question
they ycarncd-the rank and file un-
rescrved!y, the officers with more re
straint but equal fcrvor and the things
they sa:d about the yoke were simply
lamcntabie.
From Nova Scotia to Victoria. and
tire and divisional point between: from
su5tropical White River and sulJry
iackhsh tn the ultimate north that
lies up beside Alaska. from kootenay
and Nelson Of tho fruit farms TO Prince
Edward Island, whore motors are not
allowed; they yearncd to shake il OF.
with the dust OF England, from their
fnp and ti,p,.
that"
mad been warned by an eminent
German that when ArmaSeddon came
the Colonies" would revolt against
the mother country as one man." but
had no notion ! should ever see the
dread spectacle with my own eyes or
the One man" so tall
Joking apart, the Canadian army
wants TO get to. work. II admits that
London is some city" bat says II did
not take the trip 10 visit London only.
Armag eddon, that so many people III
Europe knew was bound 10 come has
struck Canada out of the blue like
MONDAY murder in small town.
How will they feel when they actually
view some of the destruction in France.
these men who are used TO making
and owning their homes? And what
effect Will ii have on their lands out
look and development for the next few
generations? Older countries may pos
siDly slip back into some sort OF tolcra-
ton. New people in their first serious
war, Hike girls in their first real love
ana!r, neither forget nor forgive. Ger
many, ii would seem, has forgotten to
keep friends with the young
And such young? They ran inches
above all normal standards, not in a
few companies or battalions. but
through the whole corps: and 1t was
not easy to pick ont foolish or even
ri III fnn
about their business through the camps
much mud; defaulters on fatigue:
orderlies. foot and mounted: the pro
ccssion of orrydrivers: companies
falling in for inspection: battalions
parading: brigades moving off for ma
noeuYres; batteries clanking in from
the ranges; they were all supple free
and intelligent. and moved with n lift
and drive that made one sing for
JOY.
Camp Gossip.
Only three months ago that entire
collection poured into Valcartier camp
in pink shirts and straw hats. dcs-
perately afraid they might not be in
time. Since then they have been
taught several things. Notably. that
the more independent the individual
soldiers, the more does he need fore
thought and endless care when he is
in bulk.
looking after ourselves In civil life
said an officer, ''wc used to send par
ties out without rations And the par
ties used to go. too. And we expected
the boys to look after their own feet.
But we've got wiser now"
They're learning the same thing
in the new army said Company
officers have to be taught to be mothers
and housckccpers and sanitary in
spectors Where do your men come
FROM"
Tell me some place that they don't
come from" said he, and could not.
The men had rolled up from every
where between the Arctic circle and the
border, and was told that those who
could not get Into the first contingent
were moving heaven and earth and
local politicians to get into the sec
ond.
There's some use in politics, now"
Continued on Eighth pnpe)