Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-17
LETTER FROM "A SELECTED MAN
AT CAMP MEADE TO HIS MOTHER
departure OF 300 Pennsyvanans Puts Crmp in Athletic
Sports-Brt Arrival of Italian Contingent Promises
Good Addition to the Outfit
CAMP MEADE, Admiral. Nd. oct. 1s.

CAMP MEADE, Admiral Nd, Oct. 16.
nEAR MOTHER-Littlc Penn has been
~ somewhat disturbed during the last
few days, and 1t is doubtful IL any man in
camp is quite as happy as he was before
the housecleaning We are losing 5000
Pennsylvanians, and in that bunch are
hundreds of boys from the old town.
Although the infantry regiments have
been held intact. so far as organization is
concerned, little is left OF them, for nearly
n thousand men have been taken from each
of those units. The dandy Fifteenth,
Philadelph as own is nothing but skele-
ton OF regiment, for every company has
been stripped.
The men who are left are making the
best of IT, but 1t is nightly lonesome. The
boys had formed athletic teams theatrical
organizations and musical clubs, and things
were going along swimmngly, with every
body smiling and determined to do his best
Then along comes the order to transfer
5000 men to camps in the South, and after
our commanding officers began to execute
the order they made short shrift of our
funmaking plans 1t means that we must
walt until the regiments are recruited be-
fore similar organizations can be formed,
but as all of the selected men are mbued
with the right spirit there is little doubt
that we can succeed in that effort
SONS OF ITALY SHOW SPIRIT
y
start, and start that is worth noting in
my letter. In this crowd were about forty
Italians. They were assigned to the 15ith
Depot Brigade and within forty.eight hours
after their arrival had taken steps to or
game an Italian society.
1t is probably the first society of its kind
in the new National Army and proves that
the sons Of Italy who have made Philadel-
phia their home are awake to the needs of
the army.
Nicola da Daro. 7O7 Fulton street is one
of the organizers and is slated for the
presidency He was born i'm Italy and has
not obtained citizenship papers, but waived
exemption and joined the army. Today he
told me that there were so many Italians
in the depot brigade that it was necessary
to form; "A society.
MANY Of our men," said Da Darlo. can
not speak English any too well and nobody
! can teach them so well as their own people.
| And these men get very lonesome unless
! they have their own kind of amusement, so
| we have decided to provide It for them.
| The membership will be restricted to Ital-
| ians. and when we get things going a
| genuine Italian concert will be given
The depot brigade is an important or
| ganization and one that serves in about the
| same capacity as a training battalion. Men
| In this unit are trained for all branches of
| the service, and as men are needed to
| fill the gaps in other units they are drawn
| from the brigade. The 154th is all to the
good, and the Italians who seem to monopo'
| lize honors, are taking to the work like
! duclllngs to fresh water.
SERG CONWAY BOSS"
First Sergeant Conway, of the regular
army. who halls from 25l7 North Thirty
second street is in charge Of the training
work and promises to develop a Glass A
! outfit out OF the timber.
/ John di Santo, 734 South Ninth street
! who has keen sense of humOr. reminded
me that it was necessary for bunch o.