The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1917-10-20
TELLS OF WORK
AMONG 10000
U.S.. SOLDIERS
Ralph Keller Writes L. B.
B. Hanna of Life at
Camp Beaureagrd
CAMP TO HOLD
$4,000 MEN
Men Work From $50 In
Morning Until Taps =
Sound At 10

yet nGEes nearly 1touU ItlLASb SOuLu "a
you ALL have slept every night of
the past week under a heavy army
blanket with my sweater on" writes
Ralph w. Keller, former Mandan
to L. B. Hanna, from
Camp Beauregard, La. Mr.. Keller is a
personal friend of former Governor
Hanna and is doing war council
work for the army and navy Young
Mems Christian association.
Moreover" writes Mr.. Keller. Il
have dressed before dawn each
morning by the Pickering light Of a
pine knot camp fire and hurried
damp and shivering through ten
inches of dust momentarily laid by a
heavy dew, to a 6 o'clock army
breakfast of brains and eggs or
cereal and 'grits' with coffee that
usually tastes like it was made from
cinchona bark. Then, l have done a
days work. spent an evening con-
Quoting various educational and
Bible classes, and gone to bed about
IL o'clock wishing reveille were four
weeks in the future. And score Of
other men from every corner Of the
land are here in this same camp fol-
lowing approximately this same pro-
gram each day, while the folk at
home are earning and generously
giving the money that makes our
activities possible.
This is army Y. NJ. c. A. work,
that great organized effort to carry
a religion of comfort and cheer to
the boys in khaki, carried by hum
dreds of noble, self sacrificing men
wearing the red triangle on the field
gray uniform. Is our work worth
while? Does it pay? Listen to this
enlisted man who says that If 1t were
not for your building and it's diver
sions / for one would go insane with
the monotonous labor of camp life
And hear the officer who told me II
the general public appreciates what
you men of the Y. NJ. c. A are do
ing for the army you could raise a
hundred million for the work with
out even an effort \
Camp Beauregard is typical
mobilization point near the small
city OF Alexandria, in central
Louisiana. 1t was originally built for
$4,000 national guard troops from
Arkansas, Mississippi. and Louisiana.
1t is now being extended to accom-
modate an additional army of some
so. 900 drafted men. The term draft
ed reminds me that most of our
army is now a draft army since
steps are under way discharging
guardsmen and enrolling them in the
national army. But they're the same
willing, earnest, hard working boys
in khaki whatever their official des-
ignation.
THE writer is on desk duty in
our 40x12O-foot building this morn
ing, which means that after six or
seven words a soldier comes to the
counter with Dimes worth or
stamps, please or Some sta tationery,
please or I'd like to use the horse
shoes, or the fencing foils, or the
chessmen, or some similar request.
Half way down the hall, a Columbia
is singing away and at the far end
group is gathered about the piano.
Behind me, two men are putting up
shelves to accommodate an addition
of 1000 books to our 6OO-book
eager and excited will swarm our
building for our telegraphic returns
of the important baseball game. This
evening there will be several classes
in conversational French and num-
Der of Bible classes in various com
panies besides the regular activities
Va Ll4C 9d4A44AAtoa AOA@@~N- ,
we shall have two gospel services.
Costs Soldiers Nothing.
This is, in brief, what the Y. M.
c. A. is doing. 1t costs the men in
khaki nothing, not even for pens, ink
or paper. The past month We at this
building have given out over $4,000
sheets of paper and every day we
mail out from 700 to 200 pieces Of
mail. We furnish free all the hun
dreds of books / mentioned. And the
boys surely do appreciate it all.
They treat each Of us Y men like
a small god.
There are no fewer than 10000
men in camp, a contingent or two
from each of the three states named.
We have six Y. M. G. A. buildings in
all, four now being in use. The head
quarters staff numbers, general sec
business manager, religious
work director, educational secretary,
camp athletic director and an office
clerk. Each building, fully manned,
has a building secretary and assist
ant, physical director. religious work
and educational secretaries, five in
all.
Too Much Organization.
"Our work is carefully organized
and systematically though not me-
carried out. But organiza-
ton among the men is next to i'm
possible for they are already organ
lied to the teeth and they come to
the 'Y' to get away from 1t a little.
Yet we have numerous attended and
classes. It takes deter
mination on the part Of the men and
lots of it, to do anything in the nat
ure of study, or work aside from
their regular routine. for reveille
blows at 5:15 and first thing comes
30 minutes of brisk exercise. Break
fast is followed by a few minutes
for fatigue duty (cleaning up the
company streets). and mushrooming
(opening wide) the tents. At sos
lriII call is sounded and the men
drill until II o'clock. The tents are
then covered again and after dinner
The bows SO bunk fatigue lrest) until
o'clock when they fall in again for
two hours and q half Of drill. At
$40 retreat is sounded and evening
mess follows. Then after mess there
are schools for officers and noncoms,
while priyates who can see beyond
The ranks study in preparation for
promotion. Taps SOUND at 10 o'clock.
Besides all this in the very near fu-
ture time has to be found for target
practice and bayonet drill The men,
are wondering il then they win get
their Saturday afternoons off for
wash day and Sundays for rest.
But It's Great Life.
But it's great life. Our camp has
shower baths and electric lights, and
best of all we have stately beauti-
cul pines with a cool breeze con-
stantly blowing through them land
turning positively cold at night. The
days are warm and bright and are
always invigorating. The greatest
objection Is the awful dust. ! say
awful advisedly for the dust is the
cause Of much OF our sickness.
HAil we want are letters from
home and a chance AZ wilhelm.