The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-05-04
EIGHT CANDIDATES 70. -. -.
FROM .. CAPlF Phi It.: ! e: Z: :.
p. FOR .:1Rh|k|NcchhP
Small Number Of Eligibles Desig.
mated to Date Many Elev-
+" enth- Hour Applications 81

To date Of all the scores Of appli-
cations which have Jbeen. Eacd Yed;sat
local headquarteri) ,fttAn thddiasses
for training IN thel 0face1Pi preserve
camp to open, May lf9 put lskht eligi-
bles have been designated BY Capt.
Rstine to report at 3SAelhng not later
than May 14,l and these eight must
undergo a second inspection before
they are finally selected from the hun.
dreds of names which will be recon.
mended to the department comman-
der.
Extreme youth is the principal
fault Of applicants here. The older
men do not seem interested in the
training camp, even though it opens
the way to commissions as majors,
Observation-Disclosures and eventually, as
the number Of troops which Uncle
Sam has in the field is increased, the
command TO a regiment.
~.., Dependents Deter Them.
..1tais possible that one thing which
has held back many eligible men be.
tween the ages of 80 and 40 is the
fact that they have families depend.
ent upon them and that Uncle Sam
has as yet failed to give them any
assurance that they will be paid for
the three months spent in training
camp. They are firm believers, It
seems, in the precept that patriotism
begins at homeland quite often ends
there-and they cannot see any way
Of providing food for their families
during the quarter year which they
are invited to spend serving their
country gratis.
There is no question that the train
ing which the men will receive at
Fort Smelling will be of the highest
value. whether they qualify for com
missions or not, and that the war de-
partment's offer to supply tentage
maintenance, etc., is liberal so far az
those men who have no dependents Is
concerned. For those who have. the
high cost Of living and the possibility
that it may go somewhat higher
makes the three months training
without pay another matter.
Congress Inactive.
COuST0SD nus OcSu 6SA0U u OhkS
immediate action on a bill appropri
ating 500 per month for each man
in training. Very congresslike, it has
given no favorable consideration tt
this measure, which 1t 10 believed
would have q much more mature
class of applicants. As q result, the
training camps will open May Is with
! an abundance Of material for first and
second lieutenants and with very lit
tie for captains and majors. The scar
city Of applicants Of mature age
makes the chances Of those who are
| accepted 50 much the batter and
practically assures commissions t.
everyone between the ages of 80 and
A who show any reasonable degree
of proficiency.
The central department headquar
tiers at Chicago. under whose juris
diction are North and South Dakota
Minnesota and other mid-westerr
states, had filed 1900 application.
Wednesday, or but 1000 less than The
full capacity Of the CAMPS. Sever
hundred applications for the training
period at Fort Smelling have been &C
cepted, and 5000 eligible candidates
have been ASSIGNED to all Of the train
| ing camps. It begins to look a:
though practically everyone who
passes the preliminary inspection and
| the medical examination satisfactorily