Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-07-05
WILL CLEAR CAMP OF TROOPS THIS WEEK
HARD WORK AT
GRETNA ON 4TH
Little Time For Celebrating;
Drilling Keeps Men
Busy
(From a stan Correspondent

(From a STAFF Correspondent
Camp Brumbaugh, Mt. Gretna, Pa, |
July 5.-There was not much Fourth !
of July celebration about this camp
yesterday. Some of the organizations
shot off rockets and red fire last night
and the bands played patriotic airs,
but there was serious work on hand, |
medical examinations, drills, instruc-
ton and clearing up.
Major Crookston's sanitary details
have been going over all the camp
sites. burning up all the shacks and
rubbish and even the grass where
there had been accumulations from
food supplies. The major is bent on
having the place sanitary for the in
coming troops and the soldiers are
getting a lot of practical benefit from
what he saw in Europe. Other sur
geons who have had experience abroad
are helping all they can. If 1t is true
that troops from New Jersey, New
York and other States are to come
here to train, they will find things in
good shape. What the eagle-eyed
major overlooks, DR.. Dixon's men
from Harrisburg will spot The State
Health Departments inspector won't
stop even for Uncle Sam. They have
been going about the camp and all the
country round and when they find
trouble or danger, they order 1t
abated. If the officers kick" it is
GGneTdl
Clement always backs up the man
who is working for sanitation. Incl
dentally, sanitation, total abstinence
ana nonprofanity are among the
things to which the big, blue-eyed
man from Sunbury gives attention.
The visitors who flocked here yes
terday did not get much notice. The
men were all drilling and working
overtime or else on various duties and
the men and women were greeted and
given good-by. The lunch boxes they
brought We're pretty closely watched
because these men are not to be al
lowed to eat anything that will
bother them when they get on the
t. 1ins or on the border
Carried Garrison Rations
In regard to the train rations, 1t
is a fact that if the men of the Phila-
delphia organizations Tan out of food
by the time they got to Kansas City it
was the fault of regimental officers
Each thousand men that went out of
here, and the three Philadelphia regi-
ments had about 900 men each, was
given something like IA, 900 pounds of
1000. There was approximately four
teen pounds for each man. Colonel
n. Z. Trexler, chief quartermaster. and
colonel H. l.. Haldeman, commissary
general, both officers of long service
and familiar with all details, person
ally saw to 1t that the men got what
the war Department required. The
travel and garrison rations are care
fully figured out in Washington. They
were adhered to.
The belief here is that the War De-
partment fell down. 1t has been criti-
ctsed for the cars sent here and some
folks think that certain men in high
place In the Commonwealth should
have emulated the late Governor Dan
lei II. Hastings in the days of the
SnnniQh
was not up to the Governor of 1898 to
pass on what kind of cars the rail-
roads furnished after the men went
into Federal service any more than
1t is now. Hastings, however, made it
his business and the row he raised
over some cars furnished for the
| Fourth infantry is a classic in the
Guard to this day. Hastings came
d. wn to this campground in the rain
and the mud and he gave every regi-
ment his blessing when it was mus
tered in and he bade everyone fare
well, putting in the time between see
ing that things, including cars. were
right.
Speaking OF cars, it has been a jolt
for the citizen soldiery of Pennsyl-
vania to hear that men from New Jer-
sey and other States went to the bor-
der in tourist cars or less than three
men to two seats. OF course. the au-
.
| when the muster-in takes place but
there seems to be an impression among
| the young men in khaki, their home
/ folks and some of us who have been
/ here through these long, dusty, hot
| days, that a moral obligation rests on
| those who govern to see that the best
/ OF care Is accorded to the men who
/ offer all.
Passing the Buck
from the time the Guardsmen were
called out, there has been exercise of
what is known in poker as passing
the buck" Others call it evading re-
! sponsibility The favorite expression
has been 'it is not up to us" # is
tiresome enough to hear that in Har
risburg. 1t is saddening to listen to
it here.
There are men here, like the busi-
nessmen in the quartermaster' corps
and on the staffs, who have been
Iusslng around, actually impeding the
movement and when called down
for not obeying orders or laundering,
making some one else the goat"
Details connected with troop move
ments would surprise a good many
persons because at times some pretty
hrm action had to be taken When
the commands first got here all wanted
to start at once, but as the seriousness
of the situation and the need of phys
zeal preparation of the men became
apparent everyone appeared to be
willing. even demanding, to be the
last to go. The final command out
VIII be the best because work here is
hard and of the kind that fits men
for service in different cline. if anv-
thing will.
1t has been. a great camp, a diff
cult one to get running. filed with all
the troubles of transition from civil
life to Federal military service and it's
lessons ought to be remembered when
next the time of trial comes around.
A