Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-06-06

Chevy Chase, Md, June 2.-Society
Is for preparedness. 1t has estab-
lshed military camp here. where
debutante and matrons, clad In khaki
and military leggings, are Learning to
wigwag, telegraph. render first aid,
sew and cook. No longer can the
male OF Oglethorpe or Plattsburg
strut before his admiring womenfolk
and patronize their ignorance Of all
things military. Instead. the family
arguments of the future will doubt
less be confined TO the way 1t is done
in Ogiethorre and the way 1t is done
in CHEVY Chase.
The girls camp. called the National
Service school, Is located on shady
suburban lots facing Connecticut ave-
nre within walking distance OF the
Chew Crnsn and Columbia clubs. On
one size nf the street are the instruc-
ton tents. including army dressings,
dieteti"s sewing. telegraphy and the
emergency hospital: and on the other
ere TIC sleeping tents, the colonels
head~rnrters. and an immense screen
ed md awpirged structure affection
+el" |cs'~nated as the mess house.
Tho r~e~ai'i-g color. OF course. is that
CO l'rnti Khaki are the tents and
&C TIE Young ladies'. The huge army
s'"--es ~''t'' their crooked stove pipes
a"d c+eHmins watts in front of the
wcss rnrse: the commissary tent with
its funk eorirment and supplies Of
sardines and -four: the wireless ap-
raratus on the corner and the metallic
click IF tho telegraph heard in the
coloneIs headcuarters. all combine to
create the military atmosphere. But
the sound of silvery and surreptitious
eieeles emanating from the emergency
hospital and martial orders delivered
in clear high soprano, suggest moth
inc so much as lot of little girls
PLAYING Indian.
Many of the girls feel the same
about it at the beginning. but 1t usu-
ally takes Just day and half to
make them realize their mistake The
discipline is strictly military. requir-
ing a punctilious response different
from that of the average young ladies'
finishing school. On arriving. the
newcomer is assigned place in one
of four companies. together with Ger.
tain military duties for which she Is
held responsible. She sleeps on a
military cot. which is not the most
comfortable thing in the world. inside
a tent shared with another member
Of the company The tents are built
above the ground and lighted with
electricity; nevertheless, they are a
sudden change from the close shelter
of the bedroom. One western girl
said that the first night she was de-
voured by MOSQUITOES and caught a
fesr ful cold in her head. but by the
end of the week she felt abnormally
heal y and more energetic than ever
before. -
=, The camp Is aroused early in the
morning at the sound Of the bugle,
and performing hasty toilet that
rather ignores the Grecian lines Of the
hair. dons it's khaki and proceeds In
orderly but impatient squads to the
mess tent The change of air and
drinking water, as we'll as the outdoor
sleeping have distinctly invigorat.
ing effect on the appetite, so that the
coarse barracks crockery and plain,
sturdy military menu do not, offend
the aesthetic sensibilities of the camp
ers. During the first few days several
young ladies insisted upon decorating
the rough pine tables with pitchers of
flowers received from admirers, but
later this was discouraged.
Debutantes who shudder at the sight
of dairy lunch room, consume the
ungarnished food of the military camp
with relish that is extremely flatter-
ing 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
breakfast is certainly inspiring, not to
say unique. Seated on crude wooden
benches before oblong, roughly hewn
tables are some two hundred feminine
warriors. emitting a steady stream OF
noisy chatter while trying to balance
the heavy white coffee cups Of the IN
breakable order. The average break.
fast consists of grape fruit, corn
fakes, boiled eggs and potatoes. bread
and butter and coffee, and the dinners
and suppers are also planned on a
generous scale. Finger bowls are I'M
heard Of. and often there is only one
teaspoon for both the eggs and coffee.