Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-24
GOING BACK TO TRENCHES
ToCET REST FROM PlATTSBURG

Plattsbure, n. Y.-The Plattsburg
training camp. sired by Gen. Leonard
Wood and damned by all the young
men who have tried to get in and
failed, has settled down to its three
months of routine training.
Counting reserve officers and stu
dents-or candidates" as they are
called-there are 4924 of the expected
5000 in the camp. This number will
change from day to day, for there will
be constant Withdrawals, voluntary or
involuntary.
And the National Guard contingent,
due on Saturday, will swell the count
beyond the capacity Of the place.
Few people appreciate what life
saver this camp-and the others of
similar character all over the country
really means to Uncle Sam. BY no
other means could our Uncle hope to
get quickly the $4,000 trained officers
he needs at once for the first army of
consumption.
If the Plattsburg curriculum. course
and method were not thoroughly I'M
derstood already, il would have to be
Deutschland that would mean waiting
at least year for the first officer
Last year and the year before Platts-
burg camps were held, and the men
trained in those camps are-some of
them-here today. learning more, and
what is more important. teaching, the
new men here. The whole object of
the instruction at this camp is to train
the students to train the conscrips they
will command afer Aug. Is.
AS fast as possible each man will be
given command of a squad. of a pla-
toon, or even of a whole company, to
accustom him to the work he is to do
The men, therefore. who have attended
former Plattsburg camps are just SO
much ahead of their confreres.
But even the first Plattsburg camp
was not the beginning. Most people do
not know the origin Of this work, be-
yond having a vague notion that it be-
gan with an idea of Gen. Woods.
Ten West Points Instead of Ono
This is quite true. Gen. Wood told
the writer, at the first Plattsburg camp,
two years ago, that for years he had
preached and stormed at everybody
who would listen, his text being the
terrible danger Of our unpreparedness
He believed that instead Of one West
Point we should have at least 10 such
schools, all with the capacity Of our
present military academy.
He believed, too, in universal mill
tary service. But knowing that such
things would mean years Of prepar-
alton and fighting in Congress, he con-
ceived the Plattsburg idea as desper-
ate emergency measure.
The War Department helped to the
extent of Summoning officers from the
three main branches Of the service
artillery, cavalry and infantry-and or
dering them to establish experimental
camps with regular army privates for
the subjects of the experiment.
White. Weld & Co. of New York be-
came enthusiastic supporters of Gen.
Woods scheme, and proffered whatever
financial backing might be necessary
to set the plan working
Trying 1t on Regular Privates
Things round out dramatically some
times; the infantry officer in charge OF
that first experimental camp was cap
tain-now major-Merch B. Stewart
He is now commanding officer Of the
1st Provisional Training Regiment
the New England Regiment-in this
camp.
Changes have been made. Of course;
but, in the main, the training those
buck privates got three years ago last
winter is the training now in use in
the Plattsburg camps.
incidentally, this same Capt. Stew
art, with Capt. Dewitt, really devised
the American soldiers equipment OF
today, after experimenting with the
kits and equipments of every civilized
army in the world.
1t. may be said in passing that the
American soldiers pack, equipment
and uniform is the result of scientific
stealing from the best there is abroad
and that it is better and lighter than
any other in the world.
Shipped to Panama
1t was quite in keeping with War
Department methods and quite in line
with the overworked and undermined
condition Of the army that Capt. Stew
art never got time to write his official
report on the experimental camp, and
that he was not kept on the work OF
developing the Plattsburg idea or get
ting ready for the first camp.
Instead he was shipped off to Pana-
ma. where he served under Gen. Ed
wards, to that soldiers enthusiastic
satisfaction. He has only this year
been recalled to take charge of the
training camp.
The first camp, two years ago, was
in tents, and half mile south of the
post where the present training camp
is established. Last years camp was
at the post, but in tents. This year the
men are living in long, wooden shacks
Of new, implanted lumber. And even
up to now the shacks are neither COM
plete nor Of settled equipment.
Col Paul A Wolf comma n ia nf ri