The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-08-09
THREE WEEKS TRAINING FOR
WAR PROVES FINE METTLE
OF MEN NEAR FRONT.
SOON co TO BATTLE
Building of Great Fighting Machine by
the United States Is Monumental
Task, in Addition to 5000 Miles of
Ocean Which Must BE Crossed.
By The ssoclated Pressl

American Training Camp in France
Aug. 9.-The deepest impression gained
atter three weeks at the American
soldiers training camp in France is
the absolute earnestness the splendid
young men Of the army display in the
task before them. There is no dispo.
sltlon To underestimate in any way the
seriousness Of it, also the hard work re.
naming before America can take her
place in the actual firing line.
The troops here feel the responsibility
keenly. They are, indeed the small
but effective nucleus about which will
be builded the great army and great
army machine the United States hopes
eventually to have at the battle fronts.
The men are earnest in their desire to
absorb war knowledge as quietly and
as thoroughly as possible so t A.sen
called upon to act as instructors foSt
ceeding units as they arrive, they \,
be found eminently qualified. A great
deal Of this earnestness is largely the
result OF the enthusiasm of the young
officers who but recently joined the
colors and have taken up the business
Of war with a courage and determine.
tion that means volumes for the future
Of their country
Want Sympathy Of Home.
In return for this service Of patriot.
ism and for sacrifices already made and
the still greater ones vet 10 come. hta
officers and men alike Of the expedition.
airy force want TO feel always that they
have an understanding Of sympathy and
support from "the folks back home"
That is a sentimental side Of the sol.
der. whether he be Frenchman. Briton
or German In the firing line, or Ameri.
can in the training camp.
Face to face with the great adventure
all thoughts Of self are things Of the
past There is only the thought Of
home the hope I'm the soldiers breast
that what he is about to do will be
understood and appreciated there. This
spirit already pervades the young AM
erican army.
Under the best circumstances the
training OF soldiers in the ever-chang
ing methods Of modern war IS a labor
requiring months Of patient, painstak
ing effort.
Boys of Il Called.
Germany called up boys Of II years
at the beginning Of last September and
sort many Of them into the trenches
ASS. only six weeks Of infantry train.
ing, chiefly in marching and close drill
This was possible because the boys
were merely distributed among old. sea.
soned troops-stop-gaps in the ranks
of decimatod divisions
Six months Is nearer the ideal train.
ing period, but the rule applies to arm
les which have been fighting three years
and have all the machinery established
through which the men are passed
smoothly and unendingly toward the
front.
The building OF this machinery-the
great engine of war which works be.
hind the lines-is the staggering task
now being dealt with. II is a task In
a way greater than anything France
or Great Britain have been called upon
TO do, FOR Americas problems are those
Of France and Great Britain multiplied
by 5000 miles OF Atlantic ocean.
II is not known how much longer
the French Institutional division win
remain with the Americans. The latter
are proving so apt and the training
camps are so well established that un.
doubtedly il viii be only a compare.
lively short time when but few picked
French officers and non.commissioned
officers will be retained to assist In the
training
Anxious for Fight
The men are anxious for a glimpse
Of war and there is no doubt that after
they get II, It will add infinite zest to
their future training and to their abil.
ity to train future divisions. The men
are still far enough from the line TO
hear or see little that has TO do with
real fighting. Some enthusiasts at the
camps have asserted that they could
hear the drumming Of the big guns at
the front, but there is little doubt that
imagination had something TO do with
the acuteness of their ears.