Evening star., 1917-12-02
U. S. BOYS STUDYING
!, USES OF ARTILLERY
StalWart Americans, Some
Former Athletes, Meet Again
in French Camps.
MASTERING THE BIG GUNS
BY JCNIUS b. WOOD.

FRANCE. December In announcer Weeh
We will know much more about hiring
runs. as veterans are instructing u.s." de-
eiared clean-cut. young embryo artil-
1erymen in the newest and largest Ameri-
can artillery school in France. which
have Just visited. The man was one OF q
gun crew going through the motions OF
firing French seventy-fve. using blue
PAINTED wooden model instead OF real
live steel she'll The others in the crew
grinned assent. while even the instructor
himself. also a youngster in years. but
classed as veteran by reason OF Few
months more of experience, declared that
his pupils were unusually precocious.
I'VE will be ready to go into the fight
ing line in a few weeks and give an ac-
count of ourselves like veterans" said the
general commanding one brigade when
saw him at his office a few minutes later.
Practicing With Big Guns.
\ Through a broad window we could see
dozens OF crews going through the mo-
tons of sighting loading and firing sew
where these efficient types of guns were
located was like an immense checkerboard
On which the pieces were silently wait
ing for the time when they should be
called to The front to help push back the
German line. From a distance came the
steady boom of other guns in the hands
OF more advanced pupils. hurting real
shells at a hillside target in sector a
few miles outside the camp. 1t seemed
Ike the same roar Of cannon that is heard
every day and night along those hundreds
Of miles of battle front In France, only no
hostile German guns returned the fire
from the opposite hillside and the village
In the valley remained peaceful and un-
disturbed.
To vJS yh4 g.
tillery school for the first time the fine
{ types of young American manhood
composing the regiments now here are
an impressive feature. Gen. Pershing's
favorite adage is that the first requisite
OF an efficient soldier is a soldierly ap-
Dearance every hour of the day, as
much when off duty as when on the
parade ground. These artillerymen
soldiers. stand erect. salute spontane-
ously and are clean-cut. That is the
reason why their promises as to what
they will do are not to be taken smil-
fngly as empty boasting, for they have
The stun in them to make good. They
are bubbling over with the same en-
thusiasm whether toiling at the can
non-lke. cumbersome piaythings OF
having their interstate football games
on their weekly half day ofr-the most
deadly sport they knew until a few
months ago.
Now under the strict rules of war all
are merged In the common mold of
the United States uniform. The onIy
distinctions are those of Army rank.
30 far as the world at home is con-
cerned even their names have disap-
neared In any description which the
censor VIII permit to pass regarding
fhis school 1 can say that there are
sons and grandsons with name IA
nous in American history. Others have
carved inches for themselves in college
sports. the world of letters and in bust
ness and professional circles All are
1oldfers now and few have added the
distinction of officers insignia to the
common duty of upholding the nations
honor
Ball Players Meet in Camp.
famed me twice." was the ereet;ns o
that caused an artilleryman walking
0own the long camp street to turn to
TWO others standing IN front of the
artillery barracks.
DIDN'T you pitch for - College the
only time 1t beat - in ten yearsr
continued the first.
Sure, 1 remember 1t. You came to our
fraternity house after the game that
night" added the third
The new arrival laughineIy admitted
1as one-t1rne pitching prowess and the
three fraternity men who had recop-
nized each other for the first time in
Gether.
was talking to the adjutant at one
Of the regimental headquarters, when a
group of officers stopped in front of
me- They were engaged in an animated
their battery crews. One recognized
As one-time reporter before he became
. famous author-socialist and then
gave up his personality to don a uni
1orm Another walked in our direction
and said: Il guess you don't recognize
me In my uniform. as you have never
seen me before except in a bathing
suit" 1t was hard to believe that
the trim, alert lieutenant was the same
boy who few months ago had as his
chief ambition the doing of stunts from
n ten-foot diving board
It would be possible to multiply in
stances like these by the thousands.
These artillerymen are like members
Of one big family. Their paths haye
crossed and recrossed before The
young 1ieutenants have personalities
that bind them together. 1t is a spirit
OF fraternalism found in few other
other by their first names and more
often by familiar nicknames They NAV
come from widely scattered sections of
the country, but they have known one
another, If not personally. by reputation.
The rivalry of other days is now a RI
valry as to which will make the best
artillerymen and it promises much for
What they will do.
Ride on Narrow-Gauge Road.
81 rode back to a nearby city on
narrow-gauge railway. one donkey en-
gine pulling five coaches the size of
emall-town, single-truck street cars
1t was Saturday night and several
hundreds of officers and soldiers who
were getting twenty-four hours leave
1ammed the conveyances. Even the
alatforms were packed like sardine
FOXES. reminding one of the rush hour
ut home Cinders swept over the roof
In sheets. Dodging submarines, riding
behind a reckless chauffeur on a Slip
perry road or flying 12O miles an hour
~ an aeroplane were tame compared
70 that trip. Down the hills and around
the curves of the snake-like road, the
engineer and boy fireman whipped the
sWayfng overcrowded coaches, which
promised to leave the rails at any Sec
ond- With the acquired speed the
train would puff up the next grade as
G4r as possible. and then everybody
would get off the cars to help push
the train along. The officers lent their
SHOULDERS to the work the same as the
men, as. there were no distinctions
then. All were good-natured.
Inside of one coach a hilarious
Srencb soldier was singing a French
Snsrching song, and all roared in the
chorus. There wsre many glee club
songs. and efforts were made to start
most of the singers reverted to the
familiar old patriotic pieces. singing
tmpartially. Maryland. My Maryland '
and marching Through Georgia." But
every time the train stalled, which
was often, the singing stopped and ali