The Washington herald., 1917-10-21
1000 SOLDIERS
LEAVE ADMIRAL
District Troops Are Among
Those that Entrain for
Atlanta, Ga.
By ANDREW r. KELLEY.

By ANDREW r. KELLEY.
Camp Meade, Admiral, Nd, Oct. 20.
Retreat tonoght found the ranks of
the District soldiers in the 52th Ma
chine Gun Battalion fairly well de-
pleted.
Il was a day of departures, starting
IN with the permanent leave taking
eighty-nve Washingtonians who will
form q rainbow division Of the ma
tional army at Camp Gordon. At
lanta, Ga, and followed after the
noon mess by more than loo others
who must return at midnight.
Tomorrow the rest OF the District
men will be granted leaves and by
midnight every man who has been
in the cantonment will have been
granted the opportunity to have a
brief visit to his civilian relatives
and friends.
There was not much of sadness
about the men who packed up their
belongings into the big blue barracks
bags to separate from their comrades
for an indefinite period.
A Happy Lot.
Instead they were full of hap
piness at the prospect of joining a
unit that will soon go "over there"
When they had made their fare
wells, they were lined up on the
company streets and fell in be-
hind the soldiers OF the 31oth and
311th infantry and those from the
depot brigade. There were 1000
in all the army that marched to
the entrainment station at Disney.
headed by the 313th Infantry Band.
AS they left Company c block they
were given a rousing sendoff.
Some OF the Philadelphia friends
of the soldiers sent down 500 small
silk American flags, and these were
passed out to many of the Catho-
lie fighting men before they board
ed the train. Comfort kits were
also furnished a number of the Lit
tie Penn unit.
In accordance with the orders of
the War Department about 6,100
selected soldiers entrained at Dis
ney during the week Approximate
ly 1000 were contributed each day.
The first thousands were sent to
Camp Hancock to fill the ranks of
the twenty-eighth division, or the
Pennsylvania National Guard, while
the remainder went to Camp Gordon.
There was not much in the way Of
work after the regular weekly in
spection today. Mai. Zane, himself
loked over the squad rooms. COM
pany rooms, mess halls and kitchens
and pronounced them o. K.
The afternoon was devoted to ath-
letics with a score OF football games
and a pentathalon upon the schedule.
This form of amusement gives every
body who has ability in an athletic
line an opportunity to compete in the
games and one will be arranged for
the boys Of the 312th.
Word was received today that the
full quota Of .colored men from WASH
ington will come to Disney on Sum-
day morning, October %. The camp
Is prepared to accommodate the full
quota and the plans were changed
for sending them down in five sep
arate groups. They will be quartered
within short distance of the white
soldiers from the District.
There is considerable jealousy
among the men of the three machine
gun battalion companies as to which
IL the best drilled group of soldiers
from the District. All three COM
panies claim that they have been in
dividually complimented by Maj.
Zane and other commanding officers
az more advanced than any other
unit OF the battalion, so that a COM
pany competition in drill Is imminent.
ss97 $50 For Liberty Loan.
The big clock in front OF division
headquarters showed today that the
cantonment had contributed s697,-
$50 for the Second Liberty Loan, or
more than two-thirds of the S1.000.-
900 subscription which the camp ex-
poets to subscribe. With the cam
paign that has been arranged for
the coming week. which will reach
every man in the big cantonment.
the officers are confident they will
surpass the fixed goal. All of the
civilian employees in the camp VIII
take part in a monster parade on
Tuesday, after which they will as
semble On the par ade ground for
addresses by speakers to be an
nOunced later by Brigadier General
Nicholson.
Tomorrow swnI be a day when
passes will not be required, and
preparations are being made to re-
ceive $4,000 visitors. For the Dis
trict men the big event is the foot
ball game with the Twenty-third
Engineers. The Washingtonians
are hopeful of winning the regi-
mental championship, even though
they have not got the available
gridiron material to pick from that
other units enjoy through larger
numbers.
Company funds among the Dis
trict contingent are steadily rising.
The pool tables are turning in from
SO to IS daily. and the company
barber and tailor swell the receipts.
The companies have opened bank
accounts in Baltimore, and soon they
will have enough funds to supply
little luxuries for the tables that
will materially improve the daily