The Washington times., 1917-04-20
AWKWARD SQUAD
MUST LAY BRICKS
While Guardsmen Winning Drill
Contests Go to Ball
Park.


Radio who are mighty sorry they
haven't paid more attention to drill.
For they will stay in camp today and
lay bricks this afternoon, while their
more proficient campmates Will HE
themselves to the Nationals ball yard
as guests of Clark Griffith.
The question as to who should go,
and who should be bricklayers was
decided at a series of competitive
drills held~by each company yester-
day afternoon. The men were eltmi-
mated for errors in execution of the
manual at arms, until only five were
left in each company. These were
given two kinds of passes, the first al
loving them to leave camp, and the
second allowing them to enter the
bail yard. They started marching to
the ball park in a body Immediately
after mess today.
Ten of the winners, however, prob
ably will be doomed to disappoint-
rnent, and, instead OF watching the
Nationals, will help watch the eight
cen miles of conduit road being guard
ed by the local militia
pleSe ten men are members OI SOIl-
panies A and B, who this morning
were moved from Camp Ordway to
the reservoir. to augment the second
battalion on duty there under Major
wallace McCathran.
The companies started on their long
trip at 8 o'clock this morning, travel
ing in heavy marching order, and ac-
companied by a wagon train carrying
tentaee. field ranges, kitchen utensils,
and full equipment for making camp.
The men carried their midday meal in
their haversacks-the usual allot-
meht of bread, bacon. potatoes and
cbffee.
Six Companies ON Guard.
The shifting of the two companies
to the reservoir district places six
companies on guard at the Conduit
road, and leaves only four stationed in
the vicinity Of Fort Myer. The shift
was necessitated, according to Col.
Glendie B. Young. by the depletion of
the Second Battalion by recent dis
charges for physical disability, and
under the dependency law.
The officers of the two companies
accompanied their men to the reser-
voir. Once there, however, they
merely turned them over to Major
NcCathran, and returned to Fort
Myef.. Commissioned officers, 1t was
explained, are not needed by Major
McCathran, and are. badly needed for
Hnard, work nearer the city.
Five motor trucks were delivered
at Camp ordway. this morning, fol-
lowing repeated requests for them by
Colonel Young. The trucks will not
be ready for commission. however.
until they have been gone over and
tested.
The trucks are needed especially to
carry food to the reservoir. The
forage wagons owned by the guards
men are needed to haul fuel, and to
cart on camp refuse. Besides. ac-
cordiHg to Colonel Young, the mule
power" by which they are propelled
Is too slow for the eighteen-mile trip
necessary to reach Major McCathran
and his men.
The FIVE trucks delivered today are
merely the first allotment Of what the
guard hopes to get A request has been
hled with the War Department. for at
least one truck for every company.
Drill Cut short.
Drill was cut short today. in order
that the men might get busy with saws.
hammers, and nails. and complete the
nsess shacks. one Of which is being con-
structed for every company. A majority
IS being constructed for every company.
A majority Of them probably will. be
finished this afternoon. They are OBJ
long-shaped. Of dressed lumber. and
with tar paper covered roofs
The incinerators placed at the en-
trance OF each shack" for the burning
Il table scraps. will be far different
from the rough holes in the ground
which were made to serve before the
men went to the border.
They learned a number of things
at Camp Wilson, down in Texas
among them how to handle mortar
and trowel, and build a neat little ar.
rangement which GUYS the work of
cleNning up afterward about 75 per
cent.
Each company bought its own
bricks, and the men who couldn't go
to the ball gamegot busy on masonry
work this afternoon. The flames OF
the incinerators will be controlled
and the smoke carried away by the
tent stoves and piping which the men
brought back with them from the
border.
The next few days probably will
mark the erection of a giant Y. NJ c.
\ shed, where the men can lounge
read, play checkers, and write letters
when not on duty.
\. N. c. A. Headquarterz.
The new Y. NJ. c. A. headQuarters
will be OF lumber-another visible
result OF border service. When the
men were encamped at Fort Myer last
summer, the Y. NJ. c. A. used a giant
tent-which on several occasions wa,
partly blown down by storms, anc
which, when IL rained was generally
unsatisfactory.
The new headquarters, of lumber
and probably with a wooden floor
will be stable, rain-proof, and dc
away with one OF the bog bugbears
of the camp-mud.
The Y. NJ. c. A. folk have moved
from their former site, too. Las
summer they were pitched at the very
beginning of the infantry camp
necessitating a considerable walk b,
members OF the batteries, the cav
airy, and the signal corps, to reacl
the tent.
The new headquarters is being con
Etructed hard by the Fort .Myer tracks
or the north side. II is just about
edui-distant from the infantry camp
and the sites which will be occupied
by the other arms OF the guard, wher
they are called out