Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-10-24

"''''~'"'' -, '~ illhhh I'M
- -. 81
aesla itching for a tight, when esinga
IN the march, when he believes that
he and his comrades will win-his
moraleiB good. ~ 49, ,xss>Jss !. -: F.
When he is downhearted, tired OF
thsawar, tired Of fighting. uncertain
can be won. Indifferent to 4
point that he would just as soon: sbs
killed in the next attack as "stick ri
out" any longer, the cause for which
he fights 10 In danger. -
:Yous should sea 1.-THE spirit that 10
building the morale .0f the National
army at Camp Dodge III rrestmentals
apirit Is there now, In lssse than two,
The soldiers ara already
snicknaming" their 'onttitsss You'll
hear them call it THE Fighting 161st"'ss
or the "Galloping 349th." You'll hear
them tell that "our regiment" can out
march any other regiment in the
camp. i i ~ i ~
" TIE spirit came to the fore wildly
in the Liberty Loan campaign. Every
regiment WED with the others in try.
ing to roll up the biggest spbscr1ption
list. The competition became 50 keen
that soldiers were ordering practical
ly all their pay diverted 10 -ths .puf-t
chase of Uncle Sans bo:ds.- The war
department became so much concern:
ed that It suddenly issued an order
that no soldier would be- permitted y
assign more than half his months pay
to the purchase of bonds.s :sone>seK
geant went all the way to Desy oinsAs
one night to give the newspapers tho
fact that hts Battery, r, subscribed
for $500 worth Of bonds and that
every man in the outfit had purchased
one or more bonds.
And how they came to the aid of
their Uncle Sam! More than 1000,
000 worth Of Liberty Bonds they.
bought, Ansayeragesof q $50 bond for:
every man In the cantonment! And
on pay Of $50 a month.
The soldiers at Dodge haven't BE-
gun yet to learn the tricks Of the new
dogs of.war. Thruout the six. weeks.
they have confined themselves E. to
SQUAD and company: drill, and .disci-
pline. General Pershing said he want
cd disciplined soldiers sent to him
that he will. teach them the modern
rules of the game when they reach
France. ~-. =. -.
Out on the drill squares, In COM
pany streets and fire breaks the khaki
clad ranks can be seen every hour Ia
the day, marching and going thru
many formations ~: :.s -.
Between drills they play. The fav.
orite pastime is Kitten Ball, the modi.
fed form of baseball in which large
soft ball Is used. They play basket.
ball and football. They practise run
ming and Jumping and vau1ting, train.
ing themselves to enter the field meets
which have become a big feature OF
camp life. &
Only this week have they branched
out In their, training. They have be-
gun to learn how to use the rife.
starting first with sighting drill. ;
Over by the rife range, the more
advanced soldiers will be found enter.
ing upon the first steps Of the branch
Of training that brings home the grim
business upon which they soon will
venture, As you top the crest ap
preaching the rife range. there Is a
glitter Of steel in the sunlight. Rays
flash from scores OF bayonets In uni
son as the soldiers follow their IN
structors thru first movements of the
bayonet drill One can read more
than interest in the rows Of faces, n
the eyes focused upon the lunging and
iabbing instructor az he demonstrates
the best methods Of reaching an ad
versary =.
The conduct Of the soldiers Is *
cellent. They have yet to cause any
trouble in Des Moines. Very few
have been summoned before summary
court for intoxication. And they are
usually 50 ashamed Of It that they dc
not hesitate. to tell where they go,
their liquor when the question Is ask
ed. And that night there's anothe,
bootlegger in the Des Moines jail
Bootlegging is at minimum consid
ering the opportunities. The social
evil is practically, nothing. Officers
give men something else to thinh
about. = >.,.r
| There have been but five deaths In
the camp since the: first soldier ar
rived, remarkable mortality record
Out Of the entire $1,000, only twelve
men have been attacked by pneu
monia. &~.-- j.. .
The life. has begun to tell in the
building OF strength. Those who pain
fully crawled into bed at shutdown
when they first started the hard grind
don't turn in 80 early now. They sit
about the barracks and write letters
swap stories, sing and ind Amusement,
In games: Its to bad at 10 and up II
eight hours, every night Its three
square meals Of solid substantial foot
and plenty OF exercise every day. Ant
It's bringing flesh to the spots Il
should be and the colorful tinge o.
pink and brightness Of eye that goe.
with regular hours, exercise and; diet
The recruits who come this weel
in the last increment VIII make more
rapid progress than those Of the frst
and: second. They will be placed II
the ranks with 2'veterans" Of si1
weeks and be carried along In thu