The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-31
SING BY COMPANIES.
IN TRAINING CAMPS
N@s4enRl Committee on Camp Music
Helps 90 break the Nf3notony Of
Training Camp Life.

New York, December 3o.-Hefplng
the men 70 entertain themselves is one
Of she most important phases Of the
work which is being accomplished in
the training eauUs Of country. ac-
cording to Lee p. Hammer ~ the com
missions on training camp activities
Of the war ana navy departments AIr.
Hammer has just returned TO New
York from a trip "a CAMP Grant. Rock
ford, Illinois Camp Dodge pes Hoines.
Iowa and Came Taylor Louisville,
X. whore he hag bcen especially ia-
terestsd In observing that phase II
camp life which IS under hts direct su-
pervisIon-the work o. the song lead
ers which the commissions have placed
n the army environments and naval
ira ming stations 80 stimulate sing ng
IN the ranks.
The sonw leaders are coming 70
realize that their most effective work
lies in promoting company singing.
said 8r Hammer When they have
trained one or two men in each COM
pany 80 that they can lead company
singing IL means that whether In bar
racks at the END OF the day. In route
marching or aboard Transports the
men will always have some one 80 lead
their cheer up and marching sungs.
The sonK leader Is now picking out
the men who can lead and giving them
the NECESSARY Instruction i'm thts Wav-
EA 4ads fEsht AAs
ever the need arises
"A Colonel Cooper. chief ~ star at
Camp Dodge said recently II is
nonotony that kills the men o1. q
man gets tired 81 drtlL tired ct dothK
the same things In barracks. tired even
Of getting shot at we need company
leaders 20 teach the men new songs;
we need instructors who can show the
men how 20 yet up their own minstrel
shows aud dramatic entertainments
Everything that can be devised in the
way Of wholesome amusement toward
breaking np monotony is Of direct help
IN making better soldiers and in Keep
ing the standards high.
At Camp Grant the singing setivi-
ties ara recognized TO he OF such i'm
portance that they are carried on as
part Of the regular army program.
From 1913 to l;t5 each. day and from
% 10 { 30 each evening the men meet
Mr. Nevin. the commissions song lead
ar. for instruction. They come bs reg
isaents fvr their singing instruction.
each regiment accompanied by its band
fn addition TO these daily songs with
The men. afr, Nevfu has An assembly
every Tuesday afternoon for officers
The AmericaniEation work which is
being carried on through the singing
ls another important part OF Mr.
NeVtn's dne work. As "a number Of the
men from Chicago who are A. Camp
Grant Dc not speak or understand
English Ma1or-Cenerai Morton for
msr cemmanasnt of The mobilization
camp at syracuse. and an earnest ad-
vocats Of camp sihgins, Is now CONF
handing the forces at Camp Grant
One OF the features which impress
one very strongly is tha manner in
~ hich ali forces tn the training camps
are working together. satd MT Han
mar. For instance. at Camp Dodge
va went 10 ono of the \ NC A
buildings with Holmes Cowper, the
commissions song leader for a short
slng before the regular eY&ging'a pro-
gram began The 4 81 c. a leader
sAme along and 'piayed the acepmpanl-
mants "a hlle air, Cow per led ne sing
ing After a half houfs sins we weut
over 60 the Knights ef Columbus bang
has where they ware staging wresk-
Inns bout and .Air Cowpar and Y man
climbed tnto the rins. the former lead
nag the siagiae and the latter playing
accompaniment sntu IL wBs tfste FOE
the bout 30 begin. Mr. CpNper ha# s.
chorus ia Les MolnaA called the white
SpAErews' thAf comes cut 20 the camp
aud furnishes soyolsts for concerts la
return ths mea ia can4p ssnd their So
loistA 10 Ter the White spArrows oon-
esrta.
Similar conditions prevail At CAME
Taylor whore The eefH mt6stoam song
leader and the representative 81 ths
81. G. A. Ars werklag together go
iAs eat . program thai wai IA 40 FAR
As pesalhta meet fha needs eS tbs
e@Mp EAnA cantanmunt ana each
naval training statI0n has ia different
prohserna~ hat in tha main the Nre@s
need 10 to eslp ths msa dsveiep sheir
ewn powaFs ef entertainment ana oe
y nla 20 provide their sWm @n2ua sFAaats
Nas an 4nsMstaam@