New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-27
plattsburg Lacks
instructors for
Field Artillery
p...rve Officers of Three
Months Training Only
Teachers in This Branch
Wedding Out To-day
c,rdents Forbidden to Have
Horses, Autos or Wallets
in Camp
fsta- corr~Dodencel

fsta- oor--eDcdencel
pIATTSBURG, y. Y, Aug. 26.-The
..v,n hundred candidates for commits
.;o,, in field artillery here may have to
..,.iv. their instruction from reserve
,s,.rs alone. Most Of these officers
lac. had only three months training.
V,p7 o. them have never fired ser
,;e, she'll from 3-inch gun.
This situation is causing the men in
..,-rs OF the second officers training
I'm much worry. When assignments
=, instructors were announced for
pl...sburg only one regular army field
.,,illery instructor was on the list II
vas hoped that other regulars would
\. ,,ut 70 reinforce. To-day it was
,.,,,.d that this officer had been or
I.r.d elsewhere, leaving the five pro-
,;.ional batteries in charge of reserve
officers alone.
Expert Teachers Needed
While admitting that the reserve off,
,.r, were keen instructors, considering
,bs brevity Of their training, regular
.-nv men here were emphatic yester-
s.v in pointing out the necessity Of
having experienced men to teach field
artillery science and practice to the in
coming candidates.
This is one OF the most difficult
branches Of the service. In addition,
Colonel Paul A. Wolf, the camp COM
mandant, is planning 70 use the guns
in actual target practice at this camp.
The reserve officers who received their
commissions st last camp and who are
here now as instructors had only sub
ealibre practice with the guns.
Colonel Wolf admitted to-day that
the shortage of regular army officers
as instructors was causing him some
concern. The proportion in camp now
is one regular and five reserve officers
10 250 men. Eve need more regulars"
he said. although the reserve instruct
ors are splendid soldiers"
The commandsnt is especially pleased
with the personnel of the second camp.
said. enthusiastically.
~Tbev are a fine lot of men, and |
AZ glad 20 see that they are, for the
most part, older and more responsible
men than those we had in the last
arp. I am also pleased that we did
no, move the training ground 70 Spar
,zuburg, as was suggested at one time.
Pittsburgh is Infinitely better for our
r-roses. We hope TO do even more
r;h this camp than we did with the
At"
Plans Actual Gun Practice
Colonel Wolf expects 20 work out a
plan whereby the field artillery candl-
dates may get actual gun practice by
firing at targets moored far out N Lake
Champlain. The rife range has also
been expanded and seventy-two targets
will be used.
There viii be no attempt here TO
turn out men who will be skilled in
all the arts OF modern warfare. IL is
Colonel VOLTS plan TO centre all in
s.ruetion about the ground work OF mil
itary science. squad, platoon and com
pany drill, the handling Of the rifle,
bayonet work, and so forth. There will
Be instruction in trench building, bomb
throwing and other necessities OF the
present war, but this will be only ele-.
mentary
I'VE will turn out soldiers" said the
eonmandant, "men who know the foun-
dation OF their work thoroughly, and
vho are able 20 command. The other
things which they must know before
they 60 into the trenches will be
picked up quickly, II the groundwork
tsre is successful. There have been
ss.s during the European war where
rs. have had 20 be taken from the
rcches and sent 20 the rear for a
TINE in elementary training. That
Fsat happen with Us, unless we fail in
nat We purpose 70 do"
Tor this reason offers OF Canadian
stesrs 10 aid in training the men here
ssys been refused. For the work in
hard Colonel Wolf believes the Ameri-
can army officer 10 be the best in the
World.
Wallets Barred From Camp
The following order from the War
Department was received to-day BY
captain Joseph A. Baer, the camp adJu-
hnt:
~Ths Secretary Of War directs that
--f o-AAtAAE aLLtAAALh u AAAt4AAh Yam 70
vii not be permitted 20 bring into the
amps, or keep in the vicinity Of camps,
automobiles, horses or valets.'
This will come as a shock to some
y the more fortunate candidates, who
have been planning 20 spend their few
so1rs Of leisure whirling about in their
ov1 machines. One man has brought
o Plsttsburg a high-powered touring
~ NJ Ar~Efo~r aud
cher and smaller machines belonging
. the candidates. No one so far has
admitted that he has his valet with
I'm.
This order" Captain Baer said to-
Gag, means that all men in this camp
are 20 start on an absolutely equal
nEis, inside and outside cantonments,
Tar as the government has power 70
FsgElste."
Wedding Out win Begin To-day
The sdiutant also said that the
wedding out" OF unfit candidates
would begin tomorrow, when the camp
setGally begins its work Men who
are believed 20 be unfit will be brought
p before a military board. and II this
secys findings confirm the suspicion
tssy will be discharged az once. The
sooner We get rid Of all inefectiyes
%. Easter we can 90 ahead with the
LOST. rot Nd AND REWARDS
NOTICE
NHttests o; membership 40. 1888 Is
80 - ne New York Produce Exchange
= :, 1909. 70 FRED Perry Csskeil. having
sosi Or m!siald. application has been
70. % ths Board OF Managers for new
~Ittrcafs here