Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-01
NATIONAL GUARD
MEETS ALL TESTS
Condition Under Unfavorable
Circumstances in France
Rated Satisfactory.
NOW RESEMBLE REGULARS
BY e. PERCY NOEL

Cablexram to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1917.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, December Injecting tests
under unfavorable circumstances the
men of the National Guard have stood
up we'll. Physically their present con-
dition is satisfactory, considering that
for weeks they have been subjected to
unaccustomed climates. Thus, any opin-
ion that because they have generally en-
joyed greater ease and luxury than the
regulars they might find the absence Of
home comforts more difficult to endure
has practically been found incorrect.
National guardsmen are following the
same energetic training for battle as
the regulars. This, SO far as the mus
cles are concerned. is moro severe than
to health; but they are getting along
well. Today I watched a battalion re-
turning from a hard hike as the ter
mination of the morning training. and
They were not far behind. and two were
moving ,double-quick to reJoin their
comrades.
Coughing Not Sign Of Illness.
While the battalion halted heard
some of the men coughing. and inno-
Gently asked the colonel:
Are those men we'll? They seem to
do a lot of coughing"
That's nothing" he replied. Sol
diers always cough; 1t does them
good"
In a few minutes all the coughing
was over. except in few rare in
stances.
1t suggested the story of British
officer who began to lecture to COM
pany indoors on the use of the bayonet
and was annoyed by much coughing.
The lecturer exclaimed: "Just give me
twenty minutes" And the coughing
suddenly stopped, there being hardly
a sound until the lesson was finished.
The National Guard has brought new
atmosphere into the training area. for
unlike the early arrivals the companies
are composed of old friends with whom
the regimental spirit already has been
developed. There are many college men
newais of old friendships by classmates
who meet for the first time in years in
the narrow streets of a French town,
while on leave or at the numerous Of
ficers' clubs recently opened. The
guardsmen are extensively housed in
specially built wooden barracks in. the
American style. largely because OF. the
lack of billets in the villages and towns.
Men KePt Mors rogsther.
Il as s1rT.eks ths ns.n - iept more
together. making It possible 70 look after
them better and also promoting the COM
helps to make the soldier job pleasant
Still many are quartered in French
houses. In one town there Is a seven
teenth century chauteau where some for
mer militiamen are bflleted. The miss
I'M r,f ole
by illustrated American magazines. It
may be said that in many instances our
soldiers are living in the places where
American tourists used to visit before
the war.
Most notable of all is the way the
National Guard organizations have lost
their identity. 1t is seldom possible to
distinguish them in any way from the
first division of the Regular Army which
arrived in France. AS soon as the train
ing is little farther advanced it will be
impossible to see any difference.
! Practicing With Automatic Rifles.
By the Associated Press.
AMERICAN TRAINING CAMP IN
FRANCE, November 30.-A large num-
ber of American national guardsmen
today began actual practice with auto
erected at various points, and at these
the men fired all day. Some excellent
shooting was done, the men showing
by their perfect familiarity with the
operation of the rifles the value of the
instruction to their mechanism which
they have received at the schools dur
ing the last few weeks
Some Of the newly arrived units from
the eastern and western states were
introduced to the shrapnel helmet. They
are being hiked over long distances in
order that they may get used to the
weight and peculiar fit of this head
r.
companies is being carried out by nom
commissioned officers. the commissioned
officers having been sent to various
schools and also along the lines of
communication.
Guardsmen Ask for Tank Duty.