The Washington herald., 1917-11-18
COL. J. A. Ryan Inspires
Cooperation by Officers
Commander OF Reserve Camp at Fort Sheridan
Causes Leaders of Men in National Army to
Perfect Excellent Beneficial Organization

Fort sheridan. OF all the army
camps born of the war. seems TO
excel in foresight.
All cantonmcuts and camps have
been provided with papers, published
by and for the men, and one OF
these. the Fort Sheridan RevciIle,
tells of accomplishments there that
will greatly benefit the enlisted men
The genius of the organization is
Col. James \. Ryan, who has beer
in command since June of the Sec
ond Provisional Officers Training
Camp. Col. Ryan left West Point
twcnty-seven years ago. As an In
dian fighter. scout commander and a
veteran of Cuban, Philippine and
Alaskan service, ne demonstrated
rare capacity for work and talent for
system. He distinguished himself
in Cuba; at West Point as associate
professor Of modern languages; in
assisting Ambassador Gerard in the
work OF transporting stranded Amer
leans to the United States. and as
assistant chief of staff with PershinS
in Mexico. He was an honor grad
uate of the Infantry and Cavalry
School of 1JJj.
Wife Is of Fighting Line.
None less distinguished than Col.
Ryan is Mrs. Ryan, niece of Sir Ross
Price FotherGilI and sister of Mai
Frank TarletOn, mentioned for dis
tineuished conduct in many of Sir
John French's dispatches. Mai. Tar
Teton is one of the two officers of
the Black Watch who escaped death
in the present war.
At the opening of the second train
ing camp. department of morale was
established. and a commission was Sc
lected TO develop ideas with reference
TO properly caring for the interest OF
the men. These men studied the en-
listed mans physical welfare. recrea-
tion. education and moral problems. A
manual was prepared covering all
these facts for the men about to be
made officers. The majority of these
men, lacking previous military expert
ence found this additional work a
change and a relief from other tasks
which developed a fine spirit OF con-
sideratiOn.
The natural next step was a prac-
teal reaction in terms of cooperation
and practical helpfulncs5 among the
men themselves. Fifty per cent of the
men in the present training camp are
married men; few of them are men of
means; most Of them have very little
to fall back on, except their own per-
sonal income, which is sometimes Sc
per cent less than they have been or
dinarily receiving. All types of men
have drilled together, studied to-
gether. slept together, apd the ties
formed have meant a great deal to
every type, so that they have recog-
nized the dependency of men upon
each other. There isn't a man here
who wants the other man to go to the
front for him. and there isn't a man
who doesn't want to back the other
man up in case he doesn't go to the
front himself.
Col. Ryan's Personality.
1t is this spirit, as well as the fine
spirit Of simple enthusiasm. which
permeates this camp, that makes pos
sible the organization of such a piece
of machinery as the Fort Sheridan
Association.
From the first day of the camp, Col
Ryan has impressed his own vigorous
courteous and capable personality
upon these men. He has injected into
their training the very best that he
has gained by years OF experience in
the army, and in relation to civilian
life. He has the gift of maintaining
discipline, and at the same time show
ing a wonderful amount of considera-
tion for the state of mind of the in
experienced. and for the occasional in
efficiency that arises from the sud-
den transfer from civilian life to the
work of the training school. On ac-
count of this close relationship of the
men. and this fine spirit of the COM
manding officer, it was easy to de-
velop the Fort Sheridan Association
to bind together all the men connect
ed with the training camp into a fra
ternal business organization; a cor.
poration composed OF men whose COM
mon strength is to be at the disposal
Of the occasional misfortune or per-
plexity of the individual member.
The Fort Sheridan Association aims
to maintain a business Office in Chi
cago and branch headquarters in