Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-11-12

Camp Dodge, Ia, Nov. 12.-"We
were only playing at Fort Smelling
we're working, and working mighty
hard hcrey
That was the comment of "a young
lieutenant at this cantonment when
asked to- compare the training here
with that received at the first officers
training camp at Fort Smelling. MINI.
1--WE arc up and at EN- early every
morning and we keep plugging right
through until late" the lieutenant
said. land as a result were rapidly
developing real soldiers"
This lieutenant, a member of an
Iowa regiment, declared the pace now
set could not be continued indefinitely,
but the strictly outside work was be-
ing pushed in order to taxi advantage
Of the favorable weather conditions.
Its easier to work in bright sun
shine and snappy weather." he said,
than in the weather that Is soon to
come; cold, snowy days that would
necessitate such bundling up as to re-
tard freedom of the body.
"And in this driving squirt every
man-jack Of them is standing up. and
the result is easy to foresee-trained
soldiers. physically At to cope with
any Boche, and eager for the fray
over there"
That seems to be the attitude of the
enlisted men, a desire that has de-
veloped and strengthened with their
stay in camp; due to some extent,
however, as n private put it, to a
desire to get a change of scenery
and mingle in the big show"
"Oficers are with their companies
" otSF.20 IN Tho n, orripo - thu 1jo,,<o~.
ant explained, in sketching the pro-
gram the officers from Fort Smelling
face each work day."
There is two hours of marching at
attention each day-an exercise that
demands liberal application, both of
the body and mind.
sNoon mess gives a letup from 12
to%1:15, and from then unit retreat at
5 o'clock. there's physical exercise.
bayonet fighting, squad and company
drill, saluting and verbal messages,
manual of arms and some signal work.
After retreat comes mess, and from
6 to Z there are company matters; z
to 8, French classes for most Of us;
8 to 9, officers school-and by that
time we are glad to hit our beds, to
prepare ourselves for the next day of
strenuous work"
Most of the national army men,
though not selected as carefully as
the candidates at Fort Smelling, are
standing up in the physical line with
the officers, the lieutenant said. i
With not unnatural pride, the lieu
tenant referred to the Three Hun.
dred Fiftieth infantry regiment, the
purely Iowa unit to which he belongs
z as one that promised to develop into
n Of the best regiments in the
army "
He gave several reasons for this
conclusion, not the least Of which was
the praise the regiment had elected
from its commanding colonel and
h;sshe officers.
n from Iowa, the lieutenant
POI 'nt.i are virtually all from
ope7l ,tdoor life, at least to a large
extent as Iowa has no real large
cities. That goes a long way toward
assuring their physical well-being.
Then Iowa's record as an educa.
tional state-its unusually large mum.
Der OF colleges and universities. have
brought the standard Of intelligence
among its young men to a high point
But one has only to question of.
fcers Of other units, comprised O.
men from any Of the other states rep.
resented here. to be convinced tina
every regiment in camp is booked tt
be- 'top-notcher."
-And If these units continue to liys
up to the standard fixed by their com
. manding officers and Major Genera
Plummer, camp commandant, 1t look.
exceedingly bad for the Boches.