Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-21

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navy OF days when ships wore under
sail and had wire decks. Our soldiers
havo quickly made It their own. A
chalk line is drawn on tho ground
and two contestants brace themselves
with the heels of their hands and toes
OF their shoes resting firmly against
the earth. Over their heads is put u
length Of rope with loop in the cad.
The rope Is large enough so that It
cannot break the skin on their knucl-
les, and they pull against each other
with knot in the rope over the
chalk line. The object Is to see which
can pull the other across the line. II
tho rope slips OF or the kncc touches
the ground. or one man is pulled across
the line. he loses. Two companies
playing this game will pull together,
eliminating players one by ono until
the two final contestants are left to
pull against each other. If ono OF
these happens to be from oach COM
pany, there is excitement. If the two
final players are both from the same
company. the excitement often amounts
to dclirium.
HIS EVERY ASPIRATION
CAN DE DEVELOPED
There VIII be other attractions in
camp for the kid brother. Suppose he
Is farm boy who has had few oppor-
tunitics to get to town or few pals
when he got there. or suppose he is
that even more lonely chap, the boy
who does not find his sort Of pals in
tho gangs around his neighborhood
Turn him loose in city of 10000 fell
lows his own age. with his play or
Eanized as well as work, abundant
outdoor exercise. and good food, care
ful medical attendance. supervision. and
personal hygiene. For the FIRST time
in his life he feels the fascination OF
team play. and has tho benefit Of as
socintes that will meet his every idea
or what good pals should be. II he is
redheaded. freckled and Astounding I'm
rough boyish encrgy, and like vigorous,
harmless dcvlltry. no will soon find
around him q gang OF his own kind
larger than he ever hoped to see in
his life. and one that viii, help him
develop his every aspiration. whether
1t be to lead or to follow the load. II
he is a quicter boy with inventive or
artistic or literary tastes he can soon
find congcnial fellows Of his own way
stand what Ia in him better than any
body he has evar met-better than he
understands himself
with all these attractions II might BIO
thought that tho kid brother would
never want to leave camp, but he will.
and the director OF training camp ac
tiviies knows that he will. and has
provided for him intclligently IT has
hnf
go to town whenever they have an
hours free time. The size Of the town
does not matter In tho Icast II may
be only crossroad village. but they
VIII GO There may be nothing to do
when they get there. but they will 20
and stand around. There may be moth
Ing to sce-they will 20 and look at
each other The old idea in meeting
this natural desire OF the soldier was
TO hang plenty OF keep-out signs on
tho town and to patrol IL with a guard
rounding up the soldiers II they broke
the rules: but tn. new idea In very
different. 1t is different for the SOL
der and II Is also different for the
town. When Uncle Sam set out TO So
lect sites for his army environments last
spring there was excitement i'm every
community from ocean TO ocean Cham
bcrs OF Commerce and Citizens Leagues
brought pressure to bear upon their
Congressman and Senators in Washing
ton In the effort to secure one Of these
prizes. The prospect of n city of 10000
men suddenly set down within n few
miles or their borders made n direct
appear 10 the business imagination:
Ihink or the millions OF pounds of sup
plies to be sold to the cantonments
InlS nj
soldiers money to be spent in the near
est town! The prospect was dazzling.
Every community that sought an army
financial good to the town, and when
the sites were announced there was
jubtlation in the sixteen towns Sc
lccted-joy over tho prospect OF easy
money. But to-day these sixteen towns
have very different conception of a
soldiers cantonment. They know that
IL brings responsibility as well as
money. They have found that their
own town standards must be improved
vice and booze have been cleaned up,
and steps taken to give the soldier not
only the utmost value for his money
when he comes in to spend It, but also
something for nothing.
MORE THAN s3.OOO.0oo
BEING SPENT FOR SOLDIERS
More than three million dollars is
being spent in these communities to
provide conveniences for the soldiers.
And every cent Of that money has been
raised in the towns themselves. The
soldier wants good eating places. good
moving picture theaters with nttrac-
tive programs, we'll managed pool
rooms and places where he can rest
and write and read. Some of the
community work done by little towns
would put a big town to shame Get
tysburg, Pa. Is n town Of only 1000
people. and 1t Will have this popula-
ton increased by 1900 soldiers 1t
has fitted up two big. centrally located
recreation rooms with pool tnbIes