Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-19
CAMP DODGE MEN
GIVEN TASTE OF
MUD As AT FRONT
rtav Of Last Few Days Makes Big
cantonmcut a Sea Of Mud and
Drilling Is Hard.
INITIAL MUSTER OF TEN DAYS,
status OF 81 Selectiyes win Be Fixed
and Recorded Up Until the
Close Of the Year.

Camp Dodge, la, Dec 19.-Flanders
mid will have no terrors for Camp
nodpe graduates If the weather now
a,eyalliug lasts q few more days
II has warmed up enough to thaw
ant mos. of the layer Of snow which
occumuatal last week, and drill is
ANYTHING bat a pleasure.
Most of the Camp Dodge soil Is
ANDY which relieves conditions some
whaf. but 30 some parts Of the camp
be surface is a sticky clay, known
locally as 'gumbo' which clings tena-
ciously
The weather was a relief after the
extreme cold, however and all units
welcomed the opportunity TO do some
o1ldoar work which has been imprac-
tcabIe during the past week.
Officers are taking a special
course in gas mask use and the the
oy Of gas attacks given them by
English and French officers now in
eamp. The same instruction will later
be given the men by their officers.
The initial muster of all national
army organizations at Camp Dodge,
mon which will be based the perma-
neat government record of each man
will he held Dec 81. according to or
ders issued yesterday.
This muster will fix the future
status of an soldiers concerned as to
dale of enlistment record up to Dec
81. and whether they came into the
army Voluntarily or by draft.
A notation will be made in the case
o, every individual showing whether
he was drafted, enlisted in the ma
iionaI army voluntarily, or was trans
ferred from The regular army or ma
tionaI guard.
This initial muster record will be
me foundation of the permanent wal
record Of each man. and will be KEEP
up 90 date in each mans case as Ions
as he remains in the army.
New Officers Hit.
The newly commissioned officers
who have been reporting since Samr
day received their first rude jolt whei
an order was issued calling attention
10 army regulations as to overcoat
which may be worn by officers. Onl,
two varieties are authorized, one tn,
regulation issue and the other
sheeps6in lined jacket
Many OF the newcomers ar
wearing fancy contraptiOns entirel
outside the pale, some of which ecos
the owners large rolls OF cash. Thes
must be discarded, under the order
and The less ornate, but more mill
iary garb substituted
Numerous leaves OF absence are be
ng issued to officers for the holida
period. In every case the officer mus
either show that an emergency re
quires his presence at home, or tina
he can get there without the use q
steam transportation.
Brookhart to Come Back.
Major Smith Brookhart of Wash
ington. Iowa, former Iowa Nationi
Guardsman and a nationally recos
nized expert at small arms training
Is to be assigned to duty at Cam
Dodge instruCting riiemen OF tn
Eighty-eighth division how TO shoe
e is reported from Washington.
Major Brookhart is now in Wasl
iEgtou taking a course of instructio
in the use Of the new Americanize
Enfield. with which national arm
army troops are being armed.
The target range at Camp Dod}
viii be put into active use on Brood
harts return, it is reported, and
far PA Dnqsfbla every man in can
viii be- taught how to hit Heine wht
he gets him at the opposite end
q rifle muzzle.