Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-28

cietS Is Tor preparedness. 1t has es-
tablished a military camp here wbere
dcbutantes and matrons. clad in KHAKI;
ana military leggings, are learning TO
"iswas telegraph. render first-aid.
sew and cook. No longer can the male
OF Oglethorpe or Plattsburg strut he
fore his admiring womenfolk and ma
tronize their ignorance OF all things
military. Instead, the family arru
'hents OF the future will doubtless Ire
confined TO the way 1t is done in Ogle-
thorpe and the way II is done in Chevy
Chase
Inc girls camp, called tho National
Service School. is located on shady
suburban lots facing Connecticut Ave-
nuc. within walking distance Of the
chevy Chase and Columbia Clubs. On
one side Of the street are the instruc-
tion tents. including army dressings.
dietctics. sewing, biography and the
emergency hospital. and on the other
are the sleeping tents. the coloncrs
headquarters and an immense screened
ana awntnged structure afectionately
designated as the mess house. The
prevailing color. of course, is that Of
khaki Khaki arc the tents and khaki
is the heavy masculine apparel OF the
young ladies' The huge army stoves.
with their crooked stovepipes and
steaming watts, in front OF the mess
house; the commissary tent, with it's
trunk equipment end supplies OF sar-
dimes and flour; the wireless appaya-
tus on the cotner and the metallic click
OF the telegraph heard In the col
cnels headquarters all combine TO Gre
ate the military atmosphere. But The
sound OF silvery and surreptitious gig
giles emanating from the emergency
hospital and martial orders delivered
In clear. high soprano, suggest moth
ing SO much as lot of little girls
playing Indian.
discipline Strictly MIiitnry
Many OF the girls feel the same way
about II at the beginning. but il usual.
~ takes just daY and a half to make
them realize their mistake. The dis
cipline is strictly military requiring
punctiious response different from
that OF the average young Ladies' nm
ishing school. On arriving. the new
conner is assigned place in one OF
four companies. together with certain
military duties for which she ia held
responsible. She sleeps on n military
cot. which is not the most comfortable
thing In the world, inside Il tent shared
with another member OF the company
The tents are built On pine-board plat
forms several inches above the ground
and lighted with electricity. neverthe-
less. they a sudden change from
the close shelter OF the bedroom One
western girl said that the first night
she was devoured by mosquitoes and
caught a fearful cold In her head. hut
by the end OF the week she felt alb
normally healthy and more enerEetic
than ever before.
The camp is aroused early in the
morning a I the sound Of the bugle and
performing a hasty toilet that rather
ignores the Grecian lines Of the hair
dons its khaki AMI proceeds in orderly
but impatient. squads to the mess tent
The change of air and drinking water
as well as the outdoor sleeping, have
n distinctly invigorhting effect on the
appetite. 80 that the coarse barracks
crockery and plain. sturdy military
menu do not offend the aesthetic SEN
siblities OF the campers. During the
drst few days several young ladies in
sisted upon decorating the rough pine
tables with pitchers of flowers re-
ceiyed from admirers, but later this
was discouraged.
Debutnntex Eat With Relish.
Debutantes who shudder at the sight
OF dairy lunch room, consume the
unGarnished food of the military camp
with relish that is extremely flat
tering to the Austrian chef who is one
OF the number of enlisted men resid-
Ing at the camp and looking after the
ladies. The sight of the rockies at
to say unique. Seated on crude wooden
benches before oblong, roughly hewn
tables are some 200 feminine warriors
emitting steady stream of noisy
chatter while trying to balance the
heavy white coffee cups of the I'M
breakable order. The average break
fast consists of grape fruit, corn
flakes boiled eggs and potatoes. bread
and butter and coffee, and the dinners
and suppers are also planned on a
generous scale. Finger bowls are un-
heard Of and often there is only one
teaspoon for both the eggs and coffee
At first there were paper napkins. but
during the second week of the en-
campment these ran out and were SUI
perseded by embroidered handkerchiefs
and khaki
After breakfast, there are drills and
lessons In warcraft. Naval instructors
instruct squads OF debutante soldiers In
the intricacies OF wireless and wig
wasging, while others are learning to
make hundages. pillows for the wound
ed and listening to lectures on dietct-
les. During these, the very strictest
military discipline is maintained. and
the girls wear a look Of dignified i'm
portance. Groups Of khaki-clad figures
may be seen around the telegraph in
strumert, al the sewing machine, taxi
ing notes on a dietetic demonstration
or watching a naval officer wave red
flag In weird gestures signifying va
rious important things.
Instructive Lectures Given.
Government bulletins on household
economies are at the, disposal of, the
studeats, and several well-known au-
thorities have given and will continue
to Civ. interesting talks on subjects
and sanitation. European methods OF