New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-05
Fort Mver. Va. July 90, 1917.

Fort Myer, Va, July 90, 1917.
The strain is over, but not the sus-
rense. We finished up with what might
be called our final examinations dur
ing the week, and the recommendations
of the examining board were sent to
the War Department some time Friday
night or Saturday. II was great dis
appointment to US all when we heard
that no announcement as to who the
lucky ones are would be made until
August IA. Of course, some Of the
lucky ones do know to-day, but the
competition is so keen that the least
slip between now and the end Of the
camp may get them discharge instead
of a commission.
/ often wonder il the people back
home have any idea of the amount OF
work the men here have done and the
results really accomplished in the last
two and half months. We get up in
the morning about $3.50 and breakfast
at 6; then we sweep out the barracks,
clean ourselves, if, as often happens,
we have not done so before breakfast,
and are on our way at Z o'clock.
At first we had a great deal Of close
order drill, which is the kind Of drill
ing you see in parades, reviews. etc.
This is not very useful on the battle
field, but it teaches discipline and
physical and mental alertness.
Variety of Exercises
We have physical drill. commonly
known as setting-up exercises, to in
crease the size of our chests and reduce
the size of our stomachs; bayonet ex-
ercises, which teach US how to kill Ger
mans before they kill US; practical map
reading and map making in the field.
which teaches us how to find our way
in a strange country, and semaphore
and wigwag signalling, which teaches
US how to talk to each other at long
distances.
We dig trenches and build barbed
wire entanglements in order to learn
how not to get killed unnecessarily,
and we practise bomb throwing. and
shooting rifle grenades in order to learn
how to kill others with great precision.
This takes up most Of the morning,
and in the afternoon and evening we
have lectures and study about what we
have done in the field under the head
ings of Drill Regulations, Field Service
Regulations, Topography and Small
Arms Firing. Added to this We have
hygiene and field cooking, all sorts OF
army paper work and the manual OF
courts martial. The most interesting
work we have to do is, OF course, the
tactical problems which We study, then
work out in the field and discuss from
all angles in our conferences.
For the last two weeks we have been
told every morning at 7 o'clock that the
Reds and Blues are at war. Then we
90 out. as part of either the Red or
Blue army, and make so many mistakes
that il is a wonder that our instructors
ever have the patience to start 1t over
again the next morning. 1t is lucky
thing that the wireless station IS TOO
busy with official messages to talk ABOUT
what it has seen happening around Hill
200.
Severe Physical Tests
We have been inoculated against
everything but housemaid's knee; we
have been physically examined 1or
everything, including insanity. me
work long ago developed into physical
endurance test, and why the doctors
should be worrying about hearts ana
feet that have stood the test of the last
two months and half is hard to un-
derstand.
Every Saturday morning we nave
written examinations covering the work
of the week and practical examinations
in handling the men in the many dif-
ferent formations. 1t is evident that
those who mapped out the work LOT
these camps, at least hoped that most
of the men would have had a college
education, or its equivalent, as the
work here has been everything that
they teach at West Point, except the
work that would ordinarily be covered
in a college education.
Last summer on the border, on the
mud flats of the lower reaches OF the
Rio Grande, saw men work until they
could sleep in spite of the heat, flies
and mosquitoes, but that work in most
cases was purely physical. At Fort