The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1917-11-20

l1By Associated Press To The Bnnneri
CAMP SHERMAN, CHILLICOTHE,
o., Nov. 16-It is the opinion OF
French officers now here as instruc.
tors that Camp Sherman's army OF
Ohio and Western Pennsylvania re-
lective draft soldiers will be ready for
foreign service in four months.
While that does not necessarily
mean that the Eighty.third Division
is to move sometime in March or that
the men will be ready for immediate
action, ii does mean that the men will
be ready 30 far as work that can be
done on this side of the Atlantic is
concerned.
The impression prevails among Of
flcers here that there is strong prob
ability of a spring movement. While
there is nothing to back that belief
save impressions" It nevertheless is
the feeling in camp. incidentally, the
weeks that started in October will be
finished in February and thereby may
hang a tale. 1t Is not reasonable to
suppose that the men will be moved
from here earlier than early spring,
and it is reasonable to suppose that
they will leave here when weather
conditions. training. seasoning and
preparations are more favorable than
could possibly be expected in four
months.
Once in France the selects will go
through another and very rigid course
of training under leadership of French
and English officers just as has BLACK
Jack" Pershings expeditionary force.
BY late summer or early fall, these
National Army troops would be ripe
to spring in and take part inhthe great
battles that have been waged in the
three years and more of the war
and not be forced to go through a
winter of comparative inactivity.
Camp Sherman's population OF &c.
600 is ready for the call whenever it
comes. If there ever was bunch of
this bunch in Camp Sherman. Now
that they are on the rudiments, talk
of moving" is becoming more and
more prevalent. Each week brings
increased interest in the doings in
France and along with it, increased
interest in the war game.
Practically every infantryman has
had his turn at trench digging. That
means that the great majority Of four
regiments Of infantry and nine depot
or training battalions, or more than
$4,000 men have learned what dig
! ging in" means. They know how to
construct trenches that they are very
soon going to live in and they have
learned what trenches are like, what
parapets are and the many other
war dispatches but never sees in this
country.
Nearly all battery members Of the
| two light field artillery regiments have
practiced fighting formations about
real three-inch field pieces and they
have had turn at handling, study
ing and being around pieces that re-
semble very much the famous French
75's that they are going to turn on
the Hun before many months.
Men in the heavy artillery have TAX
en- a swing at fixing gun emplace.
ments and pits and are anxiously
awaiting the arrival of some Russian
guns that this weeks announcements
have on the way here.
French officers and non-commission-
ed officers have put in their first week
helping along with the training. The
rudiments of the automatic rifle have
been taught. A grenade field has been
mapped 'out and trenches made in it.
Field Notifications have been explain.
ed to many. Bayonet exercises have
been taken up by number Bomb
throwing is being improved upon. Or.
ganizations are becoming more com.
plete in makeup with appointments
of many non-cOmmissioned officers
and addition of new men.
[By Associated Press to The BannerJ
CAMP SHERMAN, CHILLICOTHE
O., Nov. 16-Millions of rats infest the
trenches and dugouts in Europe, and
millions of them are killed whenever
there is gas attack, according tC
French officers fresh from the trench
es who came here a few days ago u
instruct the selective draft soldiers
here in trench warfare.
Trench and dug-out rats are the big
fellows like the wharf rats of thi:
+ country. Efforts to get rid of then
have proved in vain but the gas at
tacks have been found the most eff