The Washington herald., 1917-05-15
Army and Navy New,
Best Service Column I'm Citx.


FIRST ten thousand" of the new United
States armies will be selected three
months hence, started training vesterdav
In the two camps at Plattsburg. N Y.
Representing New England and part of
New York, respectively and in twelce
other camps scattered from the Atlantic
TO the Pacific some OF the best vonng
blood In America began its intensive
schooling as subalterns as the first step
toward creating the first Increment OF
10000. which, with successive increments
OF half million to be raised every six
months, and with the old regular army
and the National Guard, will make up
the vast land forces the United States
will throw against the Kaiser,
The two Plattsburg camps aaRrezate
5000 pupils and large number of in
structors and other persons attached to
the ORGANIZATIONS, making a small city
In barracks.
The camps presented a scene of in
tense activity yesterday. To a first
glance tnere seemed some confusion, as
would naturally be expected in the sud
den creation Of such a large organiza-
ton, but on closer inspection IL was
found that things were being done with
the lightning rapidity which Americans
like to think OF as typically American"
Order rapidly was whipped out OF chaos.
To whose who have attended the Platts-
summers the scene yesterday was
strange. Instead Of a city of tents. num-
erous wooden shacks 256 feet long and
20 feet wide have sprung up. Each will
accommodate a company and its officers
These shacks are to be heated so that
they can be used next winter. They are
equipped with electric lights in order
that the rockies" can bone over their
books nights.
At the head Of each shack are sepa-
rate rooms for the officers, the men
sleeping dormitory style
To get these shacks ready on time
carpenters were hurried to Plattsburg
from New York. Albany and Boston, and,
not finding these sufficient, a volunteer
force Of bankers, merchants. farmers and
all sorts Of men from the vicinity num-
bering 1880. were recruited TO assist
The instruction in the camps will not
put most stress on such features as in
trenchment. craftsmanship, bayonet work
and combat exercises, although these will
be taught; but the army instructors will
seek above all other things to teach the
men how to command and to lead, and
how to care for their men. These are
considered the most important subjects
for Junior officers.
The first month Of instruction will be
the same for every one. and will consist
OF infantry instruction. At the end of
the month the men will be reorganized
and assigned to cavalry, infantry, field
artillery. etc, In the last two months
the regular army officers in command of
the camps expect to concentrate their
efforts on searching out the particular
Qualifications Of every man In the camp.
Every one will have a chance to show
what he can do as an actual commander
OF the other men. Tests will be made
on which will depend who will be selected
for the coveted commissions at the end
Of the three months.
Within the next few months forty
priests will be needed from the city Of
New York for the army. This announce
ment has been read at all of the masses
in the Catholic churches of the city by
order of the archdiocesan authorities,
and It is understood that a large part
of the number already have volunteered.
The Rev. George J. Waring, chaplain
Of the Eleventh Cavalry. U. g. A, Is
quoted as saying the new United States
army will need 1000 chaplains and that
to the Roman Catholic Church there has
been allotted 43 per cent of the total
an allotment based on the religious
census of the country
This means that within the next few
months 100 priests will be required to
serve as chaplains in our new army"
Father Waring said. THE situation.
therefore, demands that every diocese
OF the country-for the new soldiers will
be taken from every diocese-contribute
its share Of capable priests fitted for this
immense and arduous work. II will be
all but disastrous II preparation to meet
the demand is left to the last moment"
There also has been read at New Pork
masses a letter asking for aid to the
police in taking the military census. This
was from Mgr. Joseph F Mooney acting
head of the archdiocese during the illness
of Cardinal Farley. The letter was in
response to a communication he had re-
ceived from Clement J. Driscoll, assis-
tant director of military census in the
city.
Significant. in view of the popular con-
ception of flying as extreme daredevil
try, is the record of the United States
Army Aviation Service from January /
to December IS, 1916, says Popular Me-
chanics Magazine. During that period
70S flights were made by military pilots.
In all, 3.357 hours were spent in the air;
which means that more than nine hours
each day Of the year some soldier-air-
man was aloft. The distance Travelled
amounted to approximately 25l, 775 miles,
or slightly more than ten times the cir
conference OF the earth. There was no
fatality. Evidently these figures cannot
be fairly compared with current railroad
and motorcar statistics Contrasts are
not needed, however, to accent their i'm
port. Sane flying is not yet accident
proof and possibly never will be- but
neither is it extremely foolhardy.