The Washington herald., 1916-05-08
eighty men drill
FOR PLATTSBURG
Washington Enthusiasts Keep
Up Military Spirit by
Constant Training.
MANY WILL GO TO CAMP
Harvard Alumni and Students Lead in
Enrolment with 749 Men Reg
istered for Camp.

A reporter. his nose buried in the note
from Germany, received a shock as he
passed the Washington Riding School on
Thursday afternoon. Half a hundred Of
Washington's most prominent young
men, with their coats of and a look Of
grim determination on their faces, were
drilling with the earnestness Of a batcn
Of rockies" at a training camp. Had
war already broken out and a call for
volunteers been issued?
He sought enlightenment OF a small boy
who. perched on the end OF an up-turned
soap box. was watching the perspiring
performance
Nav" said the boy with a touch OF
condescension at the reporters ignorance,
There amt no war. They been doin'
this for weeks. Every Thursday after
noon you can see EN- at it. I wish ]
was a man-you bet I'd be doin' it, too"
The last remark was an afterthought,
and seemed TO imply moral dereliction
on the Questioner's part in not being out
there with a gun on his shoulder.
Later, the reporter learned that the
drillers were the menSfrOm Washington
who have enrolled for training at Platts-
burg this summer They are known as
the Washington-Plattsbu Rifle Asso-
citation. and number at present more than
eighty men. Basil Miles is president OF
the association: George Oakley Totten.
vice president; William c. Marrow, sec
retary: L. r. Mason, treasurer, and Muir
ray Cobb, executive officer.
Among other well-known members are
Clarence Wilson, Fred Brooke, Henry
Breckenridge and his brother. DR.. Breck-
Inridge, Cuthbert Brown. DR.. Brecken-
ridge Balm. Reginald and Frederick Hui
dekoper. Kent Degare. DR.. Lewis c. Le-
har. Gerald May. Israel Putnam. John
Cotton Smith. Walter Tuckerman, Charles
Wilson, Vaudeville Carlisle, and Walter
B. Howe.
Keeps PIattsburE Movement AIive.
The organization started with a desire
on the part OF the twenty Washington
lans who attended the Plattsburg en-
Campment last summer to keep the move
ment alive during the winter A meeting
was called. the association formed. and
the members during the fall held a Sc
rIes of target practices at the Fort Myer
range under Capt. Phil Sheridan. Now
with the return OF good weather they are
holding their drills out OF doors, and Capt.
William Mitchell. OF the Signal Corps,
is putting them through their PAGES
The authorities are hoping for an en-
rollment Of 10000 men in the various train
Ing camps of the country this summer,
in order that there may be a large class
with some elementary training from
which officers may be chosen in the event
Of war. Five camps, each Of four weeks
duration, are to be held at PlattsburE
this summer. beginning in June and end
ing in October. The college education re-
QUirement has been eliminated.
The men behind the movement in Wash
ington are hoping for a large increase in
enrolment from the District. Appica-
ton blanks and detailed information may
be had from Basil Miles, Chamber OF
Commerce OF the I. s. A. Riggs Build
ing, or from the officer in charge OF mill
tary training camps, Governors Island
n Y.
On May l total Of 2.5co men. repre-
senting alumni and students OF 800 col
leges and universities. had enrolled, Har-
ward leading with q total OF 749, Yale
coming next with 3G9 and Princeton a
close third with 3J4