The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-06-29
THE FUNCTIONS
OF THIS CAMP

Col. G. G. Ballou, Who Has Charge
of the Training Camp For COL
ored Offers, Delivered at the
Dedicatory Exercises of the
Army Y. M. G. A. at Fort Des
Moines.
The army branch of the Y. M. C. A.
has become almost part Of the army.
It's usefulness has been so thoroughly
demonstrated that there is never the
slightest hesitancy on the part of any
authority in affording it the fullest IA
cilities for the discharge Of it's import
ant functions. On the contrary, it is
welcomed as a valuable assistant in
the promotion of the contentment, So
briefly and morality, and therefore of
the discipline and efficiency OF the SOL
der. This Importance is so fully rec
ognized by me, and by my superiors,
that l included the fact of the estab-
lishment of the Y. M. C. A. in connec-
ton with this training camp in my
telegraphic reports to department and
army headquarters. 1t is we'll that
you, who are possible future officers of
the army, should note the functions
and results Of this institution, and that
both here and elsewhere you should
contribute by every proper means to
the development of it's influence and
success. And when you become re-
sponsible for the we'll being and off,
cheney of soldiers, bear in mind the
methods and the results of the Y. NJ.
C. A.
This appears an opportune moment,
though not strictly suitable occasion,
for referring briefly to the general
plan of che big wheel of which this
training camp is only one small spoke
The apathetic attitude of our coun-
try regarding military preparedness
resulted in our being found in de-
+ fenseless condition when we were
forced to declare war against the
greatest and most efficient military
organization the world has ever
known. With years of warning, we
had made no adequate preparation,
and then, all at once, we found our
selves called upon to raise, train, arm
and equip a great army after war was
actually upon US. 1t was big order.
The plans had, however, been pretty
well prepared, and work could begin
when the necessary laws were enacted
authorizing it. We are now we'll
started on the first step contemplated
in those plans, which was that Of OBJ
tanning and training the material for
officers for the first half million men.
This half million would constitute
about sixteen divisions, and so the
United States was divided into sixteen
areas of approximately equal popula-
ton, and each of these areas was to
furnish division under the first call.
But before division can be even de-
Gently cared for in camp, let alone be-
. ing trained, it must have competent
officers, and our little force of regu-
lars was too small to afford more than
a leaven for the loaf. Therefore we
must first raise and train officers, who
would in turn train the new divisions.
1t is a significant fact that great
howl went up when it was learned that
no army would be conscripted before
September. Our people, many of them,
seemed to have no least conception OF
the fact that the lives of fathers,
brothers and sons would be dependent
upon the intelligence, training and
military skill and capacity Of the Off
GERS who would teach them how to
take care Of themselves in camp and
field, and whose skill as leaders would
mean life or death in battle. They
seemed to have the million men
raised in night" idea, and could not
comprehend the necessity for this de-
lay. But the president understood.
And SO officers training camps were
instituted in each Of the sixteen areas
have referred to, each camp being
expected to produce at least enough
officers for the division subsequently
to be raised and trained there.
Then came the question of the part
the colored race was to play. Consti-
tuting more than ten per cent Of our
population, could we realize in it ma
tional asset Of ten per cent of the men
we would call to arms? This would
mean nearly fifty thousand under the
first call. The existence Of this camp
proves that the superior authorities
decided to utilize this asset in the full
est sense. The colored man would not
only be drawn to fill the quota propo.-
tionate to his numbers, but would also
be given an equal chance with TIC