La Junta tribune., 1917-06-14
CAMP FORT RILEY
Something About the Strenuous Life
La Junta Boys are Leading In
the Officers Training Camp

Under the date line Fourteenth
Provisional Training Regiment.
Company 10, Fort Riley. Kan.."
VIM. b. Winchell gives rockies
impression OF the camp" and some
thing about the daily routine Of the
soldier boys In camp there. He says:
"The company clerk OF our COM
pany happens to be frat brother
and good friend of mine, consequent
ly the opportunity to use one OF
Uncle Sans best Remington type
writer's for few minutes. ! have
been intending to write you letter
with the idea OF giving you a rockies
impression of the camp. and as this
is good chance to- do so. here goes.
The various Kansas City news
paper reports, one OF which l noticed
you published last week, occasional
ly have few facts for their founda-
tion, usually not. There are several
reporters In the camp who consider
~ tHch uuty " Audhc tue puUiiC DO.
lieve that the men here are becom-
Ing savage. but II isn't that bad. OF
course the men realize that they are
getting ready to go to France, but
instead Of being down in the mouth
about It, they are exactly the oppo-
site.
''The camp is divided into fifteen
companies. each OF which has about
$50 men, one regular army officer
in command, and from four to ten
reserve officers. including captains.
first and second lieutenants at
tached. ostensibly the reserve Of
ficers are here as instructors. but
a great many OF them are not as we'll
qualified as men in the ranks. Tech
nically. we have the same status
while here as an enlisted man In
the army. and while on duty We are
treated as such to . certain extsnt.
but At all other times the officers
treat ~ = Equals sd associate VITA
US as much as they have time to DO
80. In order that they may get an
opportunity to ask them questions
about things which are not covered
In books. Consequently the life hero
is about as pleasant as could be
asked for. We have our camp
movie show three times u week.
which is supported by a voluntary
contribution OF one dollar per man.
In the army the chaplain Is the Of
ficer who looks after the amusement
of the men. and through his efforts
we have the movies We also have
a piano in the barracks, with plenty
OF musicians TO go along with II. so
our spare moments pass quickly
enough.
II have never seen any official
figures. but as a guess at least 80
per cent OF the men in the camp are
college men. Most OF our company
are Kansas and Missouri men. but
| there are enough OF us from Colora-
do to keep them remembering that
we're on the map. Most OF the Kan
sas and Missouri boys have had mill
tary training. and as y result II keeps
those OF us who never saw n SPRING
field gun before on the hump TO
stay out OF the awkward squad"
so far We have managed TO do so.
The life gets u little more strcn-
uous every day. but gradually enough
so that nobody feels III effects ex-
oept to be glad to get Into bed with
out being reported for not having
lights out on taps. We took a nine
mile hike Thursday. This is tho
longest march We have had so far.
However. when you tote nins
pound gun and a twenty pound pack
you know you have been soms
where. The pack. by the way. has
now become a fixture. We wear Il
Mt all formations and drills now. Un-
Gle Sam has lots OF short cuts. and
this is ono OF the best. II serves
the double purpose OF making you
stand like soldier and OF putting
you In good condition physically.
AS TO our prospects Of getting .
commission. we know less about that
than people outside. ovidentiy. Ev-
cry man is working his best. trying
10 mako . little moro favorable
showing than his "bunkte." There y
no ioafins. II . man doesn't show
that he Ia in absolute earnest. ~
II handed . railroad ticket home with
the compliments Of the commanding
officer. 30 far. however. We have
lost only four men from our COM
pany.
"At the end Of the first meath
1