Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-28

BY the Associated Press.
WITH THE AMERICAN FORCES IN
FRANCE, Friday, July 27.-The hard
training which the American troops
are now undergoing Is bringing out
marked degree of efficiency in young
officers who recently Joined the army,
having undergone training at Platts-
burg or at other camps. Regular army
officers are particularly struck by the
enthusiasm with which these men have
plunged into their work. They declare
that the quality of these men sets at
rest any doubt as to the high standard
of leadership in Americas vast new
army.
The young officers have adapted
themselves very quickly to the new
conditions met here In training with
French instructors and seem to appre-
ciate fully the most minute details
They are exceedingly earnest in their
work and never tire. They have won
unstinted praise from older officers
who have seen long years OF military
service. The colonel of one Of the old
line American regiments. standing to-
day watching the work of one of his
battalions in which many reserve Of
f1cers are serving. exclaimed:
''They are. simply splendid! / cannot
say enough about them. I have never
seen finer class of young officers any,
where. With very little preliminary
guidance they have shown themselves
capable Of taking over entire direction
of the battalion. They have brought to
their work not only much of the tech
nique of professional soldiers, but the
high morale and enthusiasm of men
who have been attacted to military
service by natural inclination"
Wants Young Officers in France.
The colonel further expras- ed what
seems to be the opinion of moht officers
already here. that as many of these
officers from training camps as can
possibly be spared should be sent to
France at the earliest possible date to
undergo intensive training in the.
actual war zone, and also to have ex-
perience in the trenches SO that they
will be fitted to act as instructors to
the American troops as they are landed
There Is a feeling that these young
officers should not be held in America
until the regiments to which it is pro-
posed to assign them are actually
formed. but should come in advance OF
their regiments so that they can direct
the final training of their men here.
Under this plan certain number Of Of
ficers would be assigned more or less
permanently to training duty In America,
and men Of the various regiments would
pass through their hands for drill in the
rudiments Of soldiery, such as the manual
OF arms, ordinary marching tactics and
would then cross the ocean and the
regimental staffs would be completed on
this side from among the officers who
already had undergone a course Of study
and training in the ever-changing rules
and practices Of modern European war
fare.
The men of the expeditionary forces
have settled down into the routine of the
new training very quickly and are pro-
crossing as rapidly as their officers ex-
pected They are up at 5 o'clock in the
morning and reach the training ground
not later than 7:45. drilling and digging
without interruption until 1880. After
half an hour for lunch and another hour
for rest they drill again from / until
4:30 o'clock. hTe men lunch in the field,
having sandwiches and other cold rations
prepared for them before they leave camp
each morning The French soldiers, who
are training the Americans. rest from
IL to 2 o'clock. They have field kitchens
and eat a hot midday meal.