Iditarod pioneer., 1917-12-22
NED HAD COLD FEET;
 NOW NEEDS LEGGINGS

"Our soldier Ned M. StantOu) to Maj G. w. Albrecht will be eagerly read by all:
 Gettysburg, Oct. l3, 1917. My Dear Major:
 was thinking this morning that you might be interested in hearing of the military situation as l have seen 1t, though, 30 far. I've seen very little of it.
 reached Washington on the night of September 6, and bright and early neAt morning went up to the War dc partment and saw Mccain and asked him what chance there was for com mission, or one of the training camps. He told me none whatever, as they wore filled up--which was moro or less what I expected before I left. I then asked him what would bo my chance of enlisting if went over as civilian. He said, "Oh You won't have to do that, " and told me to go and see Col. Kerr, which I did.
 Told him my service, etc., that l wanted foreign service and did not care to go back unless 1 could get it, and wanted to enlist in ono of the first reg ular outfits for France. He told mo that they would send mo up hare, but suggested that would get quicker pro motion if enlisted and went to one of the camps of the national army drafted men) as an instructor. which declined
 Took 8 month in Washington and came up here Tuesday, October g, and was assigned to 1 company, 6lst iu- fantry (regulars).
 There are four regular outfits here = 4th, 7th. 6lst and 64th-and 8 provi- sional battalion, which leaves Monday for France, presumably to fill up va cancies already over. Tho Lord only knows when the 6lst will go. Not fitted up yet, and nothing but green rockies, except 8 scattering of men from the 7th. They use battalion of the old regiments to build up tho new outfits with. Companies are l5O strong, and the youth of the men is amazing, Our tent is very fair example: six sf the inmates are less than 20, one; e;g2, and the other 8 dodderinG old -idiot Chats mel who is having hell of a time trying to break them of the habit of calling him "mis.er.!' All seven are from Texas, except ono who came to the 5. s. with his parents, at tho age ef nine mouths, going to Louisiana, and never learned to speak English until about four years ago. He says French is spoken and nothing else, in his part of the state of Louisiana.
 The American nation! What?
 :: You ought to seq these young fedg- lings camp around the fro; you would think their overcosts wore wished on 'em.
 Our training is 0 yet, principally for lack of. equipment. have, for all practical purposes, boon confined to quarters since my arrival for lack of 8 pair of 1eggings. So fsr there have been issued to mo: One pair of khakis, pair O.D, brooches, pair tan shoes, over coat, 2 blankets, hat and hat-cord, rain coaa, shelter half (ono-half of dog tent !; barrack bag, and that's all. And you ought to see some of the othsr guys-and guys they certainly look. Washington is full of ot1cers-U. S. reserves. I never saw anything like it. chiefly doctors, ordnance and engi- neers-among the latter Captain o. B. Perry. They have several engineer 1 regiments, some fold artillery. and marines. The latter arc the best look ing of tho lot. They arc picking thsir ! mon very carefully. Isaw none of the training when in Washington, ss was going round with people who were strangers to the city.
 Frankly, it took me month to make up my mind to go in, with or without a commission. I got very bad attack of cold feet, or dislike of the idea of going up against the discomforts of this proposition, and if had been able to persuade myself that it really was not cold feot I doubt that would have taken on. But I could not get rid of the idea that it was up to nc to do it, though I now have some doubts as to my ability to keep up with the agility of those youngsters. Coming through Chicago l saw the departure of part of the first drafted contingent. They were anything but downhearted, but since coming here I've heard there have been 8 number of suicides down south. Weddings ] Most of the youngsters In these parts seem to have become obsessed with the idea that it was moro or less of dis grace to wait for the draft.
 They arc also enlistlng companies of Nubian stevedores. They had 30 of them in another room the day en- listed. got look st 'en, and bsauti' fully muscled men they were, aud, alas, unbeautifully odoriferous.
 They have 8 baker company and . supply company here, and each bat talion has . bomber company and ms' chine-gun company, or will have some day if tho war lasts long enough. l have sesn nothing but my own bat. talion, as l c&n go nowhere without leggings.
 How long we will be hsre I doa't know, but not long take it. The can teen is closing out everything but to. bacco. Our tents hsve no floors, aud they are not going to do any more work on the camp. All of which ars fairly good signs of move some