The Detroit times., 1916-07-17
Many Suffer With Heat
In Day, But Nights
Are Cool
CAMP COTTON
MAY BE MOVED
Regimental Band Re-
fuses to Play;
Wants Release
BY MYRON W GILLETTE
(Stan Correspondent Detroit rtmes.D

CAMP COTTON, FL Paso, Texas,
July finder swelterIng heat
and AZ times shrouded in clouds
of aIkali dust that defy all inn
! agiuauon, troops OF the Thirty
first Michigan infantry. commanded
! by Col Walter Barlow. are showing
remarkable stamina From 10
! o'clock to p. m, Sunday the sun
. beat down on this sandy camp
ground in way that made II nee
,s-syy Ton nearly everyone TO seek
shelter
The Detroit guardsmen are look.
n- forward. to IN early removal To-
another camp ground which prob
ably will be In the neighborhood Of
Fort Bliss six niles from here, as
soon as the Thlrty-second and
TLirty-thirG regiments arrive in
camp or course, the one disap-
pointing thing in an early removal
Niil be the distance 10 II Paso, to
which the Detroit boys have had al
mos free access since their arrival
here last Tuesday Put other camp
sites in this vicinity are said TO be
much more agreeable
The evenings have been remark
ably coOl-one could easily imagine
that he were al hcme-but the tenn
pcrature AZ noon and III the early
hours OF the afternoon has been loo
and higher every day. Those who
are on special details for heavy
manual work during those hours
and he men on guard duty have
felt he heat most severely. but
withall the number of cases OF heat
pro,tration among the members Of
this regiment. considering that not
many are acclimated. has been re-
markedly few.
Camp Cotton is peculiarly situat-
ed and f. not at all adapted TO n
military camp, except that there is
an abundant supply OF pure water.
Il lies Just on the eastern side Of
RI Paso. just a few PAGES from the
gitskirts OF the Mexican Fection OF
the city. and in the midst of a
sandy region in which the only
vegetation Is sparse lunches OF sage
grass. il requires little more
than breeze 10 raise cloud
Of dust-the kind that seems to eat
its way through a mans clothins
and I'll his no5trils and throat. That
is the one objection that the men
have generally TO this camp ground.
but otherwise they are quite salts.
fed
During the early hours CT the even
ing the streets OF FL Paso are fairly
swarming with soldiers, regulars
and militiamen. who recently were
mustered into the United States ser
vice They are orderly and gentle
manly as a rule. and the amount OF
carousing has been little, consider
Sans men who arc encamped In
and on the outskirts Of the city.
Only Twenty-three Of the Thirty.
firsts companies found their way
into he city Jail Wednesday night.
while few more went into the
guard house OF the regiment. Alb
solute order is required by tho mill
tary police. and the provost guard
Il generally spread through the city
at night to see that all soldiers, ex-
cept those who are on duty or have
passes from their commanding ON
GERS 20 remain out later, are in
camp at 9 O'Clock.
There are some men in the ranks
who are causing a little dissension,
principally those who are seeking
releases from service on the ground
of having dependent families. Many
OF these cases are worthy OF con-
sidcra,ion Ali will be inquired into
thoroughly. and afidsvits will be re-
ouired before applications can be
submitted to the commanding ON
Ger. There are no appncatlon
blanks on hand. despite reports TO
the contrary Those seeking releas-
ca must obtain sworn statements
from home show ing Uiat their fam
flies need financial assistance.
The Thir,y.frst regimental band
is a unit In seeking a discharge
from, service. The members con
tend that they were engaged only
for the annual encampments, and
that they should not have been
brought . the border The band
travelled with the first section on
the way here. and played a march
as me companies detrained Since
then there hasn't been note from
the band, and there have been no
evening concerts, such as were reg
ularly held in Camp Ferris, Gray
ling One member OF the band has
a wife. four children and mother
So years old dependent or him. with
alb .oluteiy no income while he IL
serving with the troops, Yet he has
been unable TO obtain a discharge.
Closing OF a saloon, run exclusive
is for soldiers by a member Of the
sixteenth infantry band within the
lines Of the Thirty-hrst's camp. aft.
sr complaint had been made "a
Brig Gen. Bell by Col. Walter Bar.