The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-10-18
BOYS, ARE ROUND;
ING1N'1 |!
WESTERN STEARNS COUNTY
YOUNG MEN RECEIVING IN
.TENSIFIED TRAINING.
FRENCH OFFICERS ASSISTING
GROVE WILLS REVIEWS EVENTS
OF. PAST WEEK AT CAMP
DODGE, IOWA.


DODGE, IOWA.
Camp Dodge, Oct. Is, 1917
Dear Ben
The main events at Camp Dodge
tbis- week were the first review OF
troops at the rifle range. Sunday anC
the movement of a quota of men from,
each company to training camps al
Denning, N. NJ, and other canton:
ments to fill units at those places. The
first named event was, participated in
by 10000 troops. The review came
as, complete surprise to the officers
ami was. sprung by Major Plummel
Surday morning. The whole country
side was alive with soldiers as regl-
niey,t after regiment sWarmed over
the hills tps the rifle range, east OF
the camp. ssOn the whole, you would
think the men were seasoned soldiers
tie way they picked up the stride.
Here and there in long column some
one started a popular song which was
picked up by others and the very
rocks sfung with the music. You must
see such a display to gain COZ rect
impression Of it.. : Ca.
We think that every company here
IL The sSths division has been tailed
upon t. furnish about one in ten scf
their men to fill units in other training
camps. Some that were chosen in
our company were glad to go to es-
cape the cold weather and still others
dislked the idea Of parting company
with the men here. They have not
all gone at this writing, Tat we look
for the movement in 4 day or 50.
It is said that the Enfield rifle will
be used by the American sob!iets. i.
in an English make bu. as the SPRING
field cannot be turned out rapidly
CROUCH the u. S. government IS
forced to use them. The majority Of
troops here have NJ arms yet. but the
officers are drilling the men daily n
every formation, preparatory to re-
ceiying same. By the system they
use they are bent on making real
soldiers out of the recruits this
winter.
Efficiency is also a key word at
Camp Dodge and everything that
tends to whip American boys into this
column, where it is generally admit
ted that Germany excells, is being in
cluded in the officers lectures. You
MUST be able to handles your rifle,
put ON your uniform, do your dressing,
washing, eating, sewing, marching,
talking, maneuvering and even bed
making with neatness and dispatch.
It is. said that at the German outpoct
guards long before the war, the can
teens were filed with fresh water
each day; that the bulk Of the German
army's uniforms had two buttons
sewed ON; near together where one
would have BEEN efficient but to
guard against hard usage. These are
just eliminating results of intensive
training in efficiency in anticipation
of tile. great German World Empire"
We freely admit, despite Frank
Eddy's statement to include all babies
that the German offspring could
sstorm the breastworks" with greater
efficiency, having it as an Unborn
heritage.
We listened to a French officer
talk at a'sY. M. c. "A. building Sat
'SS,rday. He. gave very graphic des-
cfiption Of the condition at the battle
front III Europe and answered the
many questions of the assembled sold
iers. He calmly announced that every
one would be on French soil next
summer sas conditions prevalent now
indicated such. When the foe be.
comes installed in trenches miles
deep he said owing to the fact that
they were constructed in rag-zag
courses, rather than straigli. lines; it
was exceedingly difficult to dislodge
them. Only a great superiority of men
aer0planes and artillery could ac-
conap1ish it. But he said there could
be hut one outcome and that that, the
allied side would win; that the Ger.
man soldier had always been taught
to fight en- mass, and when t,came tos
fighting on his gym sinitiatiys,, he was
c.eatly outclassadL 8 Individual fight
ing counts greatly too, NOS. Quite
naturally he favored the French IS,
Which have proved = great gun in the
war. The powerful resistance Of his
people against ~organized and equip
ped Germans came in for praise He
vnSthe- ss-eailea 1freeshoiu ofl
the Seas insist chat Gef1nsn al
ways had as much or more ffeex3ois|
- nigh seas az any other natious
uaa she nat oua- the two larsest
steamship lines IN the worli before