The Washington times., 1917-05-25
FIRST AMERICAN
FORCE UNDER FIRE
Munitions Transport Work
ers Take Up War Work.
OTHER SECTIONS TO HASTEN
College Men PredOminais Among
Wearers Of Khaki.
OTHER SECTIONS TO HASTEN
~ HENRY woOD.

TRAINING CAMP OF THE AMERI-
CAN FIELD SERVICE. SOMEWHERE
IN FRANCE. May 2s.-Ameriea's hrst
armed force began active service at
the front today. II was Section One
Of the American munitions transport
service. Its f0rty-odd young Ameri-
cans left the training camp late last
night Today they are hurrying shells
and Ammunition to French nghters In
front trenches under hre.
Simultaneous with the departure OF
Section One. there arrived here Sec
tions Two and Three. Two Is com
posed mostly OF Andover College men
II IL to enter active service next week.
Two weeks hence the Dartmouth.
Yale. Harvard. Johns Hopkins, Chi
cago. and Williams University men IN
Unit No. 5 wnl be At work. In the
meantime Sections Two and Three
started drillins with French rifles and
the French manual Of arms. They are
also thoroughly instructed In handling
OF automobiles and particularly tAe
big hve-ton American motor trucks.
which they will drive in actual SER
siee-
coIor. Fly Together.
The Americans are wearing khaki
uniforms closely resembling the
American military garb. Many have
aad military training In the United
states. but when. they began drilling
today they discovered that they
would have to begin all over again
since the French manuel Of arma and
the French drill tactics are entirely
different from the American.
The training camp Of Americas
first fighting forces on the French
front Is Installed In one OF frances
most beautiful and most historic for
ests close to where the army ig fight
ing. The American flag floats be-
side the Tricolor high above the en-
campment. The particular standard
OF the Stars and Stripes now In use
was the gift Of Clarence Mackay to
the munitions transport ssrvice.
The camp II differed by French
army commanders. including Lieut.
J. z. Ostheimer. OF Philadelphia. who
enlisted in the French army In 1914
Lieutenant Daily, an American, who
was captain of the 1910 Yale football
team, with William Taylor, Of Nsw
York, as second In command. comprise
the commanders OF section . Section
10 commanded BY H. Kennedy, OF
hanover, N. II.
The very nrst thing the French
army officers bumped up against In
preparing for the American iKhtIng
men was that they had to have break
fast. No French soldier eats a regu-
lar breakfast, and the French army
cooks have their mornings OF In
consequence. But not 80 at the
American pnunition transport training
camp.
The usual American appetite for
breakfast Is very much In evidence.
Therefore the French army reEula-
tions had to be altered TO nE There
II q regular meal every morning row.
The French officers also discovered
that the usual emergency ration would
have to be changed IN the case OF the
Americans. The French soldier car
riss one solitary loaf OF bread for his
reserve food supply when starting
out on active service. The supply
was therefore increased TO include the
addition Of two hard-boiled eggs
Driving hvs-ton automobile trucks n
the hardest sort Of physical labor.
and the members Of these first Aneri-
can armed forces are all picked men
The hours are irregulsr-and during
battles turns on duty may continue
for days at a tins. The great truck8
must lumber along In range Of enemy
shells. Physical labor. the hardships
Of service, the dangers OF the fring
line-none Of these deter the Ameri-
cans. All they demand 10 to see ae-
tuaI service in :hs quickest possible
time.