Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-26
SITTING BEGUN
AT LITTLE PENN
oscers Wedding Out Incom-
Vii, n,etents From Meade's
Active Units
camp 'HoUsECLEANING'
.,sifcation Regarded as the
O's surest Means of Obtaining
Military Efficiency

uEADE. Annapolis Junction, Md,
Oct Io wort 70 put the seventy-ninth Divi-
IN an 0enuine war footing the work OF
fon f,s"a W ont incompetents from active uts urllts
ueeoonneeding with vigor ana VIII hot stop
~ the last dullard ana lhelilcie"' SUI
Wv Wy. has been removed
.rote w the wheat from the char Is the
s.ance of an order Issued at DIVISION
ss.sdo,,arters. and an order tnat 10 pellls
nes",ed with enthusiasm by every oIlcer
secu.a seaa with the personnel of the divl-
son. II, t. .eeo,,oa b,, tba
how nning ia not known, but IL is GER
no novs ,nst every man discarded from active
hin 'n chose who are transferred to depot
unn 80 will have a slim chance to see
France .. A.. ,,....
not until they are listed as good SOL
~. w.. and listing them as such means
Sre training period.
pns Dds ubousecleaning is under way in every
.n,zatIon at Camp Meade, but particu-
~ an the infantry units. In these units
naSaiority of the men who are failing to
..ss,,re up to National Army standards are
nose who do not understand the language
rS.,r inability to interpret orders is a
.'.Inus handicap not only to them, but to
~. organizatlons, for their incompetency
s.,aras Wy. the development of their associates.
0na captain when discussing this phase
!, cor,n Meade life pointed to four men in
u, cornnany which was on the drill grounds.
srhose men" said the captain, have failed
4. develop and are retarding the develop
ss.rt of the company. They are willing sol
sIers but lack the capacity to grasp mill
,.,v knowledge and in order to put the
- fOpfinpr n 10 10
,rsnsfer them. They VIII be placed in the
Ssnot brlgades and after six months or a
vesr will probably master the fundamentals
of army life"
What is true of that company Is true of
nearly every company in the camp, and
until the incompetents are weeded out the
division cannot be rated as class A or
ganization
That the Seventy-ninth will soon have
that rating is the assertion of General
Kuhn, and he does not propose to waste
,ny time in the effort. I'VE must have
map and pep" is what he tells the Junior
ofcers who are training the men and all
Who do not develop those qualities must
step aside The wedding process is based
on a system evolved by the War Depart
ment, and is so designed that every man
who Joints the National Army can utilize his
civil training to good advantage. To make
Euch q system WOTkdDle lINOlNeS Il lItliltll-
dous amount of work, but Generl Kuhn be-
lieves that It is worth while He believes
that every soldier should have an opportu.
nifty to display his talents, and that wher
The soldiers talents indicate that he would
make better man for the artillery thar
for the infantry no time should be wasted
IN the transfer.
How the system works out is shown il
the case of Michael Laslly, Of Pottstown
Lasky was originally assigned to fielC
hospital, but when 1t was learned that h,
was an experienced man in railroad con
struction he was transferred to the Thirty
nth Railway Engineers, which is being
organized at Camp Grant, Rockford, Ill.
julius Fischer, of Philadelphia, member
Of headquarters company 315th Infantry
failed to win honors in the infantry drills
but owing to his training as cabinetmakel
has been sent to France, where he will
Join a special unit that Is made up of car
penters and joiners.
Telegraphers and telephone operators arr
better fitted for the signal corps thar
farmers, and places are being given then
In that organization. What applies t
these men also applies to stenographers
automobile mechanics painters and, il
faet every trade and occupation.