The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1917-06-21
OFFICERS RESERVE
TRAINING CAMP

ACASSI0u, HOW dt Tie COrC S0elu0g
Officers Training Camp, tells Of
the conditions and surrounding
they are up against. He mentions
number of Breckenridge boys
that are there with the others and
as these boys are well known in
Wahpeton and the fact that mum.
Der of Richland County boys are
there and are treated likewise, wo
deem it wise to publish his letter
which is as follows:
The fact that number of Will
kin county boys have joined the
navy, army, or officers training
camp and nearly a thousand more
Lave registered under the conscrip-
ton act and are anxiously await
ing the action of the gov ,rnment
in calling the :::rst of the new army
TO The colors, may have served to
awaken the l,eople a litti, to the
reality of the present co,uIlct.
';!hose who are receiving letters
from the boys on board ship may
have caught a glimpse of the SER
iousness of the situation hut be-
cause of the censorship very little
may be written even if the boys
were in OIL the "know" which of
course they are not. Here at Fort
Smelling they are gradually teach
ing us that there is nothing II pre-
tense aL-.ut the preparation for
actual warfare.
"Never in our lives have Carl,
Wallace, Phil, Fred and l. ard the
others OF the more than 240O stud
ehts here worked as hard for such
long hours. From reveille first call
at 5:15 in the morning until the
end of tie study hour at $50 at
night they keep us at one thing or
another without a break except a
half hour after dinner and supper
Nor is there any way to dodge any
thing either for they cal! the roll
previous to each chang, in tl;e pro
gra:a CT the days work.
"And al that they will have
nade only Il tenth of the progress
with lis that officers should nave to
train men icr taking par: in the
greatest conflict of the world s his
cory ihere is No doubt in our
minds thai the government is do
ing everything in it's T over 10 make
up row for The lack of preparation
for defending hy force ;'lo>: prin-
ciples Of government which Old
Glory represents. We IRE with
them and are working our heads
of to fit ourselves fer a 5rsin .ss
that we have no love for but know
is absolutely necessary.
-Four w.:ks of practice IN drill
ing in The manual IF arms, schoo,
of the soldier, school of the squad,
school Of tic company, bay Jet cx
erciscs, conferences in infantry
drill regulations, field service regu-
latlons, army regulations, map
reading, selnaphore and wig-wag
signalling, target practice, prac-
tice marching, small problems OF
infantry, etc. etc., have now passed
and we are nearing the end of the
first period. Before another week
We may .e separated, the artillery
students leaving for camps where
they have facilities for training in
that branch and the rest of us stay
ing here.
"Another important event
should have taken place before AL
other week has passed, too. The
first payday is due about the 18th.
We have already signed for the pay
roll. Not that we will have much
of an opportunity to spend the
money but there is a fascination
about drawing your wages that
loses none of it's interest in the az
my.
1 could easily fill the Telegram
with tales of our new life which
would be more or less interesting
to some of you, but l shall only
give you some idea of the details
of our daily routine and the in
t. resting though not always pleas
ant way they have Of impartlng
their information. Our instructors
are regular army men who believe
in exercising the strictest discipline
and the fact that the men under
them are in the majority of cases
college-bred makes not a particle Vt
difference in their attitude. For
instance a score of 164 men in our
company were kept in quarters
yesterday afternoon and evening
because they had overlooked a lit.
tie dust under the rear swivel OF
their rifles and the keen-eyed in