The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1917-11-07
SOLDIERS SHOW
Deep INTEREST
IN ELECTIONS
Pennsylvanians at Camp
Meade Given Chance to
Cost Ballots.
BY ANDREW n. KELLEY.

1t was election day, at the camp
and. while 1t was not a holiday. the
soldiers from Pennsylvania, who have
a vote, were allowed time on to cast
It at one Of the sixteen election head
quarters.
II anybody imagines that the boys
in olive drab have forgotten all about
politics, they are nursing serious
mistake for there was real election
eering among the men. Of the Key
stone State. and since election day
happened to come near payday. hun
dreds Of dollars changed hands on
the Pennsylvania returns.
Bet on New York Race.
The men in the-other barracks were
more interested in the New York re-
suits and when the news Of Judge
Hyland's election was flashed TO
Camp Meade, several pools totalling
big sums were paid.
Gen. Kuhn is not over fond Of poll
tics. Election commissioner Franklin
tried to induce him to make 1t a whole
holiday for the boys from Pennsyl-
yania. the commandant made this re-
Spouse:
NO sir, will give them ample time
to vote, that's all. Persons in civil
life have no idea Of the training
these men will undergo. They think
soldiers are a lot of carpenters who
work eight hours a day and half
holiday on Saturday, and then go
home and say to blazes with the boss
until Monday morning.
Il know how some in civil life feel
about business as usual. and voting
as usual They are filled with para
mount issues. But there Is only pera-
mount issue in this country today, sir,
and that is this.
The Paramount Issue.
And "this'' refers to the daily grind
in the task Of becoming a proficient
soldier. For the District men 1t meant
today practicing throwing hand gren-
AIDES over the barriers in the front Of
real trenches. The grenades are
stones weighing about the same as
baseball, but strange to say baseball
players do not make the best tossers.
The man who is proficient at putting
the shot or one who has had expert
ence at bowling or cricket pJove the
most adept, for the baseball player
generally puts too much pep into
his throw.
1t is all important that the men
earn how to throw these grenades
with precision for they are timed,
and II one lands short it can be pick
ed up by the enemy and tossed back
In time to explode in the midst of
those who started it. The men enjoy
this feature of the war game, how
ever, and the second day finds them
much more accurate and proficient
than would be expected.
A number of men who are physical
iy unfit are bordering when orders
will come to send them home. These
men were rejected. in many cases
when they attempted to Join the
regular branches of both the army
and navy service, but they appear to
be satisfactory to the army doctors
in the cantonment.
The answer Is that the purpose Of
the War Department is to try to make
over a number of these men Many
have slight traces OF heart trouble,
others are run down physically. but
have no organic trouble, while others
are suffering from disease which the
army physicians are certain they can
cure.
Training Helps Men.
These men are going to be put
drought the course Of intensive
training and their helath carefully
watched. In the majority of cases,
the doctors believe the regularity of
the life and the daily exercise will
build them up to the point where they
will be competent to do their Bit
with the colleagues. Until the time
arrives that the physicians are con-
WINGED that they will not become
soldiers because OF physical unfitness,
they will be kept at the camp. Heart
and lung experts who arrived from
Camp Greene have begun examina-
tons Of some Of these doubtful cases
already.
Division headquarters is constantly
annoyed by rumors that reach WASH
ington and result in a flood of letters,
telephone calls and hasty visits to
Meade on the part Of relatives and
friends The most common one is
that the men are being secretly TAX
en- away In groups for a point OF en-
barkation for France. Still another
Is that men have been given excessive
sentences for overstaying leave and
a common one is that spies have been
discovered and shot to death at sun
rise Quite popular is the rumor that
thousands have fed from the camp
being unable to stand the rigor OF
army life.
To all Of these division headquar-
tiers answers rubbish" Necessarily
the movement OF troops will be close
ly guarded but there are no whole
sale departures for other points and
the officers are human enough to
know that men who leave Meade will
want an opportunity to make their
farewells and in every case where
possible they will be given the op-
portunity.
Practically all of the first call for
the selective draft army was in bar
racks tonight. The District sent down
thirty-two men today and contingents
arrived from Baltimore county. The
District still lacks sixty-fve men to
complete its quota and make up for
delinquents and deserters and these
will be sent down later In the week.
Lieut. Schofeld. who has been ad-
jutant OF the 312th Machine Gun
Battalion since the District boys first
came to camp, has been appointed aid
to Brig. Gen. Hatch. Lieut.. Kistler