New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-04
Discipline Of a Military
Camp Teaches Them How
to Obey Orders First
Of All.

They trussed him up with bandsges until he
was completely at their mercy. Then they
practised holding him up at arms length.
Finally he got reprieve by telling them it was
time for him to bugle some more. 1T was
long way to fall If they dropped me" was the
only comment he made.
The official routine is as follows:
Reveille, ego a. m; setting-up exercice, 64s,
formation rollcall 7;2O, formation; breakfast,
1870; police CALL 8; sick call, drill g, formation;
classes, ego to I2:3o dinner, 1890, formation;
classes, go TO ago; lecture, assembly tent,
$3.50, formation recreation, S; retreat, 6;G5,
formation; supper, ego, formation; entertain
ment, including music and illustrated lectures,
1870; recreation, 800; tattoo rolcall, g; taps,
o:3o
The camp is conducted upon strict lines.
No relaxation OF discipline is permitted, and
the extreme penalty Of misconduct is dismiss
al, though it is whispered that the guardhouse
is really meant for use if the occasion should
arise. Dismissal is the penalty for French
leave" at night. There is no night leave and
the rules read: Absent from taps Cat ego
o'clock subject TO dismissal from camp" Alb
sence from class is punishable by having name
posted in mess hall. Repeated absences mean
failure to get diploma INSTRUMENTATION,
which a rookie defined as "sassing back one of
the girls who gives you orders" is punished
according to the degree of the misdemeanor
Untidiness in personal appearance brings down
upon the rookie reprimand, and repetition
debars the offender from pass privileges.
The mess tent is fitted up with a huge re-
frigerator, and number of the very latest
model army cookstoves have been installed.
The allowance to be spent for food is frae-
ton over 90 cents per person per day, and the
variety they get at this rate is a lesson in
economy and community buying.
When the two weeks of the first class were
over the regulars were graduated with simple
religious ceremonies and mustered out to make
room for the second class.
The big event of the day was the awarding
of the merit prize for the camp to Company c,
commanded by Captain Frances Williams, sis
ter to Mrs. Joseph Letter. The award certi-
fies that Company c performed its duties in
the most exemplary manner. kept its tents
in perfect condition, received no dement's for
running guard" and had fewer bad scholars
than any of the other companies in the bat
talon Miss Williams is social favorite and
the daughter of Colonel John r. Williams,
u. S. A. (retired).
The greatest of all the many valuable les
sons that two weeks OF busy life under can
vas and strict discipline teaches these girls
and women is how to obey orders without COM
plant or comment.
Out of all of the mass of criticism rdcule,
commentator, curiosity and speculation oc-
casioned by the establishment of this, the first
military camp for women in the world, face
tiously called the feminine Plattsburg for sol
dierettes," there has arisen gradually a diff
ference in public sentiment toward it, engen-
dered by the mental attitude Of the students
themselves. Though the general public may
resent the exclusiveness of the camp, the
sparseness of the news given out and the
rightly of the rules that hedge in the privacy
of its real life, it has to concede wholesome
respect for the spirit that carries these women
through routine more severely arduous than
any they have ever known.