Evening journal., 1917-09-21
Delaware MEN IN.
|" suicide SQUAD
At WRIGHTSTOWN
Nationals Make Up 3O7th
Machine Gun Battalion /.
at Camp Dix
THEY'RE POLISHING UP
FOR FIGHT IN France

Moving into their great cant0nment
at Camp Dix, wrightstown, n. j., on
Wednesday, the brawny sons Of Della
ware. whose numbers, when compared
with the oontingents from other States
sent to that same camp, are almost insig-
nifcant in that great maelstrom Of hu-
manity which surges about the fields
Of Jersey" have already been kignally
honortd and are attracting the attention
of the officers high in command Of tbs
cantonment. They are recognized as
among the most efficient aud capable
men in Camp Dix, and Il has been free
" predicted that Delaware's men are
going to make a good record for them
selves and for their State.
Practically every man from this
State. those who reached the camp on
Wednesday. as we'll as those 10 the first
contingent who went 20 the camp sew
eral weeks ago, has been assigned 70
the 307th Machine Gun Battalion. This
IN the vernacular Of the camp, has
been termed already the suicide
squad" O cognomen taken from the
battlenelds Of Europe. where the ma
chine gun squads In the Allied armies
are known by this appellation, be-
cause Of the character OF the work
they have to do and the responsible
/ fly attached % Il. But Il Is recognized
as an honor, because it required only
men Of superior qualifications to do the
work.
Major r. B. Beck. Jr., is in command
Of thls organization at Camp Dix. He
/ is himself a former resident OF VII
mington and IS known 70 many friends
here. He knows many OF the men per-
sonally so that the assignment is az
the more appreciated because the Del
/ aware men, especially those from thii
city. feel, more or less at home uudel
the command OF an officer upon whom
they look as one OF their fellow clti
zens.
The machine gun units require chief
ly men OF Drawn and skilled mechanics
Major Beck has declared that no bette
selection Of material for the needs o
his command could have been mad
than the assignment OF the Delawar
linen 70 his battalion Of machine gun
ners. II was stated IN Camp Dix yes
terday that II tho guns failed 70 com
through from the ordnance depart
ment at Washington. judging by
glance over the personnel Of the Deia
ware recruits. they could man sho
and make their own weapons. And /
the next building they could plac
enough skilled powder makers from N
various plants Of the dupont POwde
Company. where they formerly wer
employed, TO make the necessary an
munitlon for their guns.
A census of the Delaware continger
has shown that big percentage of th
} Delaware men 'are from the railroa
q J shops in this city. The powder maker
, are perhaps in the majority, howeve
p All told there are $50 men In the ms
, chine gun outfit today at Camp Dix.
few Of the original delegation havin
been transferred to other units so thf
, practically the entire command is no
, made up of Delaware men only.
The first Camp Dix recruit to expires
conscientious scruples against warfare
, included in the delegation from III
5 State. The officers are Withholding h
? name, and duties about the camp thl
4 will not bring him into the ranks vi
d be found for him. There has been NUT
L speculation among the men themselv
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