Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-12
NEW SOLDIERS SHOW
WONDERFUL SKILL
Battalion From Camp Lee Gives
Exhibition Drill at
State Fair.
VIEWED BY GEN. CR0NKHITE
Commandant Warmly Praises Ef-
forts of National Army-Au-
tomobile Races To-Day.
BY GEN. CR0NKHITE


State Fair by the composite battalion
of National Army men from Camp Lee,
tho United States has in the making in
the sixteen cantonments scattered
the country the greatest
fighting machine the world has ever
known. For the first time since they
entered the camp. about FIVE weeks ago.
tho men selected from the flower of
the country's manhood made their ap-
pearance in Richmond yesterday as
part OF Americas fighting force.
Round after round of applause and
yells OF enthusiasm greeted them.
Army men declared last night that
the battalion had drilled marvelously
well, when it was considered that many
OF the men had been in camp less than
a month. To civilians the exhibition
remembered the parades and drills OF
the old National Guard organizations
men who had been in military SER
vice for months. where the National
Army men had only trained days
and were amazed at the finished exhibit
tion given by the Camp Lee men.
CRONKHITE PRAISES
MEN FOR THEIR DRILL
~ have been in the army for fifty
years. and have never seen raw men
drill SO remarkably welG' declared
Mator-General Adalbert Cronkhite,
commander of Camp Lee. last night.
General Cronkhite and his staff of
about twenty-five officers were among
the prominent visitors to the fair yes
terday. occupying boxes midway of
the grand stand. and followed with in
terest the exhibition drill Of the men
under his command
1T must be remembered" he con-
ttnued. that these men have only been
in camp few days. They drilled this
afternoon far better than many reeu-
lar organizations have seen, and the
feat Is really marvellous. There is only
ono thing responsible. and that is the
great patriotic spirit In which the
men have entered the cantonment. IT
Is the grandest thing have ever wit
nessed-but something beyond express
sion. = s
Each and every man entered the
camp with strong determination to
make soldier of himself They had
been selected from the nower of the
country's manhood to shoulder Amer
ica's burden in the great war, and the
responsibility was never better placed.
FROM the very first day in the Camp
the men entered into the spirit of the
great undertaking. and have cooper
ated and assisted the officers of the
cantonmcnt in every possible way. 1t is
that fact which made possible the ex-
hibition drill this afternoon"
Due directly to the fact that these
men were visitors to the State Fair
yesterday. the attendance during the
afternoon surpassed that OF the same
day last year. and was only slightly
less than on Wednesday, which was
the banner day of the week Esti-
mates last night placed the total at
tendance yesterday at approximately
10000 people, and the directors of the
fair association were jubiIant.
The composite battalion. under the
command OF Major Jennings c. Wise,
formerly commandant at the Virginia
Military Institute, arrived in Richmond
shortly after 9 o'clock on a special
train over the Atlantic Coast Limo
Railroad. The men detrained at the
Byrd Street Station. where they were
met by Kessnich's Band. and, forming
into marching order, paraded to the
grounds. Arriving at the Fair Grounds
thSy VIC rave lfdCh OVdl H.,
stacked their Krags and were given
tickets by the management of the fair
emitting them to lunch at any stand
in the grounds.
Major Wise and his staff were the
guests of the fair association at a
luncheon at the Commonwealth Club,
and later returned to the grounds.
Shortly before noon General Cronkhite
and his staff motored to Richmond
from Camp Lee, and after stopping
at the Jefferson for few minutes
they visited Governor Stuart and later
lunched at the Commonwealth Club.
They arrived at the fair grounds about
2 o'clock. and Immediately went to
their boxes. Governor Stuart was also
a visitor at the fair yesterday, and
spent part of the afternoon with the
army men.
SHOW WONDERFUL
PROGRESS IN DRILL
About $3.50 o'clock the battalion was
assembled in the southern end Of the
oval and ordered into company for
nation. The drill began, and the ap-
plause from the stand was deafenlng.
Mixed with the roar were many yells.
track, where races were in progress.
and from the two huge vaudeville
stands to watch Uncle Sans fighting
men. Round after round Of applause
broke from the stand as the men
marched up and down the field in vari-
GUS formations.
Several times they were formed in
front of the stand and went through
rife drill. Rifles moved in unison, and
hands as one during the drill And
during the many formations they were
put through the men kept in excellent
step and maintained unbroken lines ut
all times. Spectators declared that the
men presented a far better appear
ance than many other organizations
seen in Richmond In recent months. and
all after only a months training.
Removing their hats and coats. th>
mon were again formed in front Of
the stand and for about hfteen minutes
F(continued on Second PaEs.) N,