The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-07-28
PRAISE YOUNG OFFICERS.
Captains and Lieutenants In First Army
Doing Excellent Work.

With the American Forces In France
Friday. July 27.-(By Associated Press
The hard training which the Ameri
can troops are now undergoing Is bring
ing out a marked degree OF efficiency
In young officers who recently Joined
the army having undergone training al
Plattsburg or at other camps.
Regular army officers are particular
ly struck by the enthusiasm with which
these men have plunged into their
work. They declare that the quality
of these young men sets at rest any
doubt as 10 the high standard Of lead
ership of Americas vast army.
The young officers have adapted
themselves quickly to the new condi-
tions met here in training with French
instructors. and seem to appreciate full.
ly the tbost inmate details. They are
exceedingly earnest In their work. They
have won unstinted praise form older
officers who have seen long years OF
military service.
0ld-Line Colonel Talks.
The colonel OF one OF the old.line
American regiments standing today
watching the work OF one OF his bat.
talions in which many reserve officers
are serving. exclaimed:
hey are simply splendid! | cannot
say enough about them. | have never
seen a finer class OF young officers
anywhere. With very little preliminary
guidance, they have shown themselves
capable OF taking over entire direction
Of the battalion. They have brought
TO their work not only much OF the tech.
Iique OF professional soldiers, but the
high morale and enthusiasm OF men
who have been attracted to military
service by natural inclination"
The colonel further expressed what
seems to be the opinion OF most officers
already here, that as many OF these Of.
fcers from training camps as can pos.
sibly be spared should be sent to France
at the earliest possible date TO undergo
intensive training In the actual war
zone, also TO have experience In the
trenches so that they will be fitted to
act as instructors TO the American
troops as they are landed
There is feeling that these young
officers should not be held in America
until the regiments TO which II is pro.
posed to assign them are actually form.
eG, but should come in advance OF their
regiments 50 that they can direct the
final training OF their men here.
Expert Bomb Throwers.
As was to be expected. the American
soldiers have taken naturally to bomb
throwing. They like that part OF the
daily program better than any other.
When they are not hurting dummy
metal missiles they may be seen prac.
ticing with heavy stones, dummy shells
having been constructed IA targets
The Americans are wonderfully accu.
rate. and the French instructors are
amazed at their skill 30 easily acquired
This, OF course, Is due largely to base.
ball training, although bombs are
thrown with a straight arm swing quite
different from the elbow motion OF the
baseball pitcher.
Word was received from headquarters
today that the expeditionary force field
bakery would be m operation within
the next few days, supplying the sol.
diers with home made" American
bread. They have been living thus far
on the regulation French war bread.
May See War Pictures.
The American troops now have band
concerts given by both their own and
French bands, and II Is hoped soon to
have motion picture outfits available
for every battalion. The suggestion
has been made that war pictures such
as the English film OF the somme battle
and later pictures from that front
should be shown to the men repeatedly.