The Washington herald., 1917-10-29
NEGRO SOLDIERS
REACH ADMIRAL
Sabbath Brings 2,099 More
Men to Camp
Meade.
By ANDREW r.. KELLEY.

1 BY ANDREW N hELLEns
Camp Meade. Admiral. Nd, Oct. %.
Apart from the arrival OF 40 colored
men from the District. the principal
lactivities of the cartonment today
centered around religious services
with Cardinal Gibbons and J. Wilbur
Chapman. the noted evangelist as cen-
trail figures.
The knights of Columbus main
building. which was completed within
a fortnight was officially accepted OH
behalf of the government by Gen. Jo-
seph E. Kuhn. after ii had been pre-
viously dedicated by the Baltimore
prelate in the presence of 1.500 men in
the olive drab of the /nationa army.
The building which stands on the
main road to Admiral, adjoining the
postoffice will be the headquarters for
the religious activities for the Roman
Catholic soldiers, and is so construct
ed that when 1t Is no. in use as a
church, a partition can be placed that
relieves il of its spiritual appearance
and II becomes a club room. In the
building three masses will be held on
| Sundays in the future and during the
week II will be used for entertain
ments. lectures and sports, as well as
a lounging room for the soldiers.
| Pack aY" Building.
The Y. NJ. c. A. main auditorium
which was turned over to the gov
ernment on Friday was packed to
the doors today when the first re-
ligious exercises were held there
with the Rev. ]. Wilbur Chapman
as the minister. He complimented
the men on the splendid moral tone
of the camp and praised the Y. NJ.
lC. A. for its war activities in be-
half OF the fighting men.
This main auditorium Is the
largest building in the cantonment
and 5000 men can see and hear in
comfort within its confines. In the
center of the auditorium the seats
will be portable and when these are
iremoved a ring can be erected for
boxing and wrestling bouts which
will be part of the weekly sched-
ule of entertainments to be held in
this building. 1t will be the first
time that the Y. NJ. C. A. has Of
ficially recognized boxing as a sport
in one of it's buildings and in the
same structure where religious serv-
] ices are held.
! The Districts colored men for the
national army, to the number of 40,
landed at the Disney detraining sta
tion without incident. They were
marched to Block D, where they
will henceforth be quartered until
they are trained and ready to move
to a separate division composed en-
tirely Of colored men and officered
by men of their own color. who have
been trained at Des Moines, la.
5000 Cheer Soldiers.
| A throng of more than 5000 men,
| women and children gave the Wash
ingtonians a rousing sendoff at the
Union Station, and hundreds Journey
ed over the road to the camp and
welcomed them as soldiers. Because
Of the holiday there was no physical
examination and the principal work
was the assignment to barracks.
There were eighteen carloads of men
from Baltimore and Baltimore County
in addition to the ten carloads Of Dis
trict men. and twenty-five carloads
from Philadelphia, the total being
2,O99.
1t was reported at the camp today
that utilities companies were being
formed for immediate service in
4ht5C' IL Is S1lu are wanted
for work in connection with a $780,
OdG.0oo contract awarded American
construction firms. Workers at this
cantonment as well as camps in other
| parts of the country are sought.
Pickpockets were busy at the camp
| yesterday and last night, and three
cases of the loss of valuables were
reported to C. C. Phitchardm chief
of police. One man. a negro is being
| held for investigation. Joe Amin,
attached to the battalion quarter
masters is minus a good overcoat as
the result of a visit from the the light
fingered gentry.
DIR. CabnnIs in Charge.
| DR.. Cabanis, a colored clergyman
from the District, will have charge of
the Y. N. C. A. work among the
colored soldiers who came in yester-
day and today. He was present to
welcome the men today.
! approximately 10000 people arrived
at the camp today for the exercises
| in connection with the dedication of
the buildings and visits among the
soldiers. The military traffic police
handled the crowds in perfect shape
and as automobiles were allotted park
ing spaces near the entrances and
exits to the camp, there was little
vehicular confusion such as has char
acterized visiting days of the past.
Thousands saw the football games
and athletics that featured every sec
tion of the cantonment. Tomorrow
the steady grind begins with 0,OOJ
more men scheduled to enter the
| camp before the latter part of the
week completing the first so per cent
quota from all of the reeistra ton dis