Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-24

upon that every man in the camp shall
be doing exactly the same thing at the
same minute-and in exactly the same
way.
For the first five weeks the textbooks
are the Infantry Drill Regulations
MAI. Stewart, author). the Manual OF
Physical Training, the Manual Of In
terror Guard Duty, the Field Service
Regulations. the Army Regulations,
Small Problems for Infantry and the
Small Army Firing Manual.
Reveille blows at $50, and mess call
at 6. At the duty commences with
infantry drill.
So far, the men have been drilling
without arms and. in Difference to the
CHASTITY weather, in their long skirted
overcoats. that make them look like
the pictures of the Russian Army.
Physical training and practice
marching take up the morning, and the
afternoon hours go to classes on sig
mailing musketry training-next week
we shall get on to the ranges-and
conferences, or Quizzes on the pages
Of the text books.
In the evenings study hours are held,
and certain paragraphs are laid out for
the days stint. The following after
noon each man must be perfect in
those paragraphs.
Working for An Even Chance
AS Kipling hinted the work is being
done on water. Men are forbidden to
leave camp in anything but uniform
and are likewise forbidden to enter
saloons in uniform. Liquor dealers are
fo 1x,< oi< RI no in,
uniform, and teetotalism seems the
only thing left.
To make sure of this however, the
New York Legislature has passed a
bill forbidding a saloon within a quar-
ter of a mile of any military post. In
short time 20 gin mills will automati-
cally go out of business on the post
side of the river Only those on the
town" side will be left.
There has been almost no skylarking
in this camp, SO far. For one thing,
living in shacks does not lend itself to
fooling, as tent life does. For another,
there is very little spare time. But
most of all, these men are in deadly
earnest
In three months, 80 per cent Of them
are to be selected for active service. In
few more months, after training their
conscrip soldiers, they will be shipped
abroad And then-Capt. Baer, the ad-
jutant,told them last Sunday night that
an officer has about an even chance of
coming back again.
Every man here is working as hard
as his nature permits for one of those
commissions for active service and the
chance to get himself killed in the
trenches. And the work is really hard.
One man asked to 90 home the other
day. He was. as a surprisingly large
number here are a soldier of the Euro
pean war. He had several medals on
his breast, showing his service in
France and has been wounded three
times.
He told the colonel he wanted to be
let out because the work here at
Plattsburg is too heavy. He's going
back to the trenches to rest.
OF the students here who do not win
commissions at the end Of three
months, a few will doubtless be funk
ed by the examinations. The rest will
be commissioned. as reserve officers, in
whatever grade their ability and their
ages place them. and will be used as
the Government sees fit" according to
Col Wolf.
Some of them will be used to officer
part of the second army Of conscrip-
ton. Others will be recommended to
take another Plattsburg camp. Some
doubtless, will never be called into ser
vice at all.
Better Days Coming
So far the health of the men has
been good. in spite of discomforts and
lack of conveniences. There are few
colds, though the correspondents, who
live in hotels, all have colds. There
were only two cases of measles in the
whole 5000 men. and one of these
turned up in the office force before the
students arrived.
AS the weather improves the camp is
going to be delightful and beautiful
place in which to live. 1t stands on
fairly high ground above Lake Cham
plain. Across the lake the snow
topped ridge Of Mt. Mansfield, or Cam
els Hump, makes a constant rest for
the eye.
Westward the Adirondacks stand up
blue and calm on the horizon. The
lake steamers pass occasionally, the
air is bracing and the rain does not
seem to wet one as it does In Boston
or Ell Paso.
Many men have brought their wives
here, and the ladies are living in rented
houses all over town. But they do not
see their spouses very often. When the
second period of five weeks begins, in
which the men will be divided into diff
ferent branches of service and trained
as cavalrymen, artillerymen.enginee
or infantry officers, they will be even
less able to get away.
Strenuousness is the chief note OF
PlattSburg.