The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-24
N. d. Regiment Receives
Thousands of Western
Conscript Soldiers
TRY 35 LANGUAGES
ON ONE RECRUIT
Still Officials Are Unable
To Find Out What Mans
Nationality Is
(By Earle II. Tostevin.)
(Staff Correspondent Of The Forum
with the Sunset Division.)

with the Sunset Division.)
Camp Mills, Hampstead, N. Y
Nov. 21.-(By Mail .)-There is no
longer a First North Dakota imam
try. At Camp Greene. Charlotte, ~
c., it was masked under the new
title Of 1s4th u. S. infantry. Now it
has lost it's identity completely en-
gulfed as its original companies are
by the tide of draft men who have
been pouring into the ranks for the
past three days. The 164th arrived in
this camp Sunday, Monday and
Tuesday and with its arrival came
draft men by the hundreds from
California. Some of the men will
make splendid soldiers, some Of them
should be returned to the work from
which they were taken, laundries,
section gangs and like employment.
CoIIey Has Chinese Squads.
For instance take Company b Of
Fargo. Captain ColIey has in his
assignment OF draftmen two full
squads of Chinese. But one of these
can talk English. In Major Boyd's
Third battalion is a man with a
wooden leg. Captain Ritchie Of Com
pany G of Valley City is learning
to talk "Dago" so he can give new
commands.
These draft men with which the
ranks of the old First North Dakota
have been filled are all from Pacific
coast states. They include men of
dialect, but withal they seem willing
to night for the United States.
The wide range of nationalities
has reached the limit,
according to Colonel Frank White,
former chief Of the Second North
Dakota, now commanding the 116th
Trains headquarters and the military
police. One man included in one Of
the assignments OF draft men to his
command is of a breed unknown.
Thirty -nine different languages and
dialects have been tried on him
with no result He could not under
stand any Of them.
sonae Splendid Boys.
But tTe draft men, shy. difffdent@
and in the vast majority without any
previous military training, were
herded like sheep on their arrival
here, and are now getting settled and
with the older men in serv-
Ice. There are some splendid boys in
their ranks and it will not be long
before they are digging into the
military game with a vim which
spells ultimate success.
Today, after four or FIVE days OF
confusion, nasty, weather, filthy
camp, sand the thousand and one
other disagreeablef features of COM
ing into this camp. on top Of which
was the tremendous task of in a
few hours notice providing shelter
and food for the incoming draftmen,
the regimental officers are begin |
ming to breathe free once more.
A Great Change.
Were you ever on beautiful Sum- |
lay morning all dressed up and |
feeling fine, walking along with head |
Ia the air when suddenly passing |
hurled mud all over you,
Ind the sky suddenly clouded over
7ou and you were drenched to the /
Skin? That is mild comparison with |
he change from Camp Greene to |
Camp Mills. At Camp Greene the |
.ents were all hoored, the company /
streets all graded, mess halls were /
provided for men and officers alike. |
And, besides, the weather was per-
iect. Camp Mills was like that cloud |
II mud. Departing troops had left |
ilth and paper, rotting food, refuse
tAA IhEk BA@@AAA AAAAk GNCA hEtE
ents were left standing and were in /
Zeeping with the rest of the camp, /
ust plain dirty. There are no mess
lalls. And the cold ocean breeze with
ts last of November New York /
ogs has been enough to dampen the
Lrdor of the most optimistic.
Everything is in hustle OF activ-
ty. There is little or no drill work, /
md the officers and men alike are
Iusy Quitting themselves with
garm clothes for the winter months.
)rderlies rush through the company
treets on various missions, the
upply officers are up to their necks
h work. Orders are snapped out and
veryOne is becoming hard boiled"
he army term for grabbed.
Planes Hard at Work.
High overhead the planes Of the
Walton camp whirr by creating an
ncessant roar and it IS nothing un-
IsuaI to see as high as twenty air
raft over the camp at the same
ime, diving, rising. volplaning, de-
cribing spiraIs and other maneuvers.
Yet, II Is indeed a different camp.
he very military atmosphere Is dlf-
srent. It no longer is a case OF drill
nth the everlasting squads right"
nd left" and the rest Of the orders,
ut work towards the end Of getting
1to the fight TO fight like hell That
! Csamn Mills