Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-28
LIFE At TRAINING CAMPS
MUCH WORK, LITTLE PLAY
10000 Would.Be Young American
Officers Being Beaten
Into Shape.
NOT A COMPLAINT is HEARD
Only Lament Is liability OF Body
and Brain to Take on Education
at More Than Certain Rate.
Hours Of Daily Grind.

WOTk. WORK.
That is tho way this camp is run.
And undoubtedly the same motto rules
at all tho camps throughout tho coun-
try where the rest OF tho $4,000 would
be young American Army officers are
being beaten into shape.
Perhaps there isn't a young business
man, social idler or college Undergrad
uate here who has ever worked harder
in his life than he is doing just now
Anyway, such n one would be hard 10
Finland he certainly must have rup-
tured tho labor laws to do 1t.
From $50 A. NJ. TO 10 T.. NJ. it is
sweat and bone. When student Of
ficer isn't Juggling "a muskct he's
wrestling with textbook. Time is
Erudged TO eat. When something Isn't
down n.the regular schedule tho boys
just hike back TO their rough barracks
or lie down under tho trees and alb
sorb book-learning in a way that would
mako a veteran college proctors eyes
stick out.
And they're cheerful about It. Com
plants are unknown. All any one la
ments is the inability of the human
body and brain TO take on education
at moro than certain rate. That
maximum rate every last rookie APP
proximatcs. for this is giant COM
petition with a definite prize held out
to tho lucky one in four.
The spur which urges on this re-
markablc exhibition OF application is
the ten thousand or commissions
to be handed out about August l. No
man came TO this camp without a soul
gripping resolve TO honor his alma
mater. or his corporation. or whatever
he came from by anncxing one of the
coveted bitu of paper from Washing
ton which will mako him subaltern
in Americas first real army of 100000
men. recruited on the business prin-
cipln of sclcctivc congcription.
The iaborinE student officer may
have enough stick o-itivcneas TO con-
tinue on in IA second camp IL he should
fail in the first-but he isn't going to
linger for the second course IL he can
help 1t.
So they're all greasy erinds. as the
6rls say at Vassar. and proud OF It.
HEAT AND COLD
HAVE NO EFFECT
Heat and cold have no effect The
nights were bitter and blankets were
inadequate when thSy arrived: and
now broilinE sun makes il uncom-
Portable TO carry that Springfield and
that ffty-three-p pound pack in the mid
die OF the day. But those are minor
matters. Work is the All ovcrshadow-
ing thing that absorbs the mind almost
to the extent OF not finding time to
write home and tell the folks all about
IL.
One man who had seen service In
France with tho Canadians left camp
ito 20 back To the trenches and get
a rest" But the cutters. II he was
one. are mighty few.
Tho camp instructors are getting lots
OF pointers in their work from visits
10 tho Canadian training camp at ST.
Johns. Quebec, forty-siN miles from
here. The normal school method" is
being followed. that is. each man gets
n chance to teach the others. for the
camp graduates will spend many
months teaching the privates OF Uncle
Sans new army. The primary OBJ
ject of this camp is not to produce we'll
drilled compa MES" said Major Stew
art, the senior instructor. recently.
The main object Is 10 train men TO
train others"
The work is hard and the rules strict.
but the democratic spirit prevailing
makes things slide along easily. Com
missioncd reserve officers for the nonce
arc on tho same footing with the
sreencst recruit.
The men are blooming despite their
hard labor. The food is good. much
better since the War Department au-
thorized Captain J. NJ. Mailing. the
mess officer, TO increase the mess
charge for reserve officers from so TO
IS cents. The uncommissioned candi-
dates. who eat free, profit equally by
the change.
An added spur TO action is the fact
the camp curriculum has been arranged
so that the course may he terminated
at the end of two months instead of
three. The star men will leave about
July for active duty at the mobiliza-
tion camps. where the first draft OF
conscripts will be turned into soldiers
NO ONE MAY PICK
OWN ARM OF SERVICE
There is much conversation these
days about the new organization to
so into effect about June l, when cav
airy. infantry. artillery and engineer
Ing regiments will be formed. No one
may pick his own arm of the service
each man has promised to do the duty
uncle Sam mas MN most ftted for.
Sunday. which is supposed to be
day Of rest. is devoted to study by
practically every man in camp. They
spend little time in the city OF Platts-
burg, picturesque summer boarding
place. The few student officers who
have brought their families TO live In
Plattsburg and be near the camp now
wish they had left them at home
at least that is the well-defned i'm
preston hereabouts.
Here is the daily routine OF the camp
there may BIO some changes later,
when the hours for drill are length
cned):
A. M.--5:l5, first cal; 5:30. reveille
formation; 6, mess; 6:45, sick call; 6:55,
first call to drill; Z. assembly; II, recall
for dinner; 12, mess.
r. M.-1:25. first call to drill; 1870.
10 II. E.O -.