Evening star., 1917-12-04
DRAFTED men SEE
/ / / DUTY IN WAR ZONE
-
Those Who Filled Gaps in Ma
tional Guard Among
Troops in France.
TN THEORETICAL BATTLE
BY e. PERCY NOEL.

.-CabIeRram to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1917.
- WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, December 4-Since corre-
! ..spondents are permitted to refer to the
presence Of National Guard regiments
in France. may now state that drafted
men are also here. for it Is well known
that some Of these were selected to fill
/ -the places Of guardsmen exempted be-
cause of age or dependent families and
/; also to supply the quota needed for the
!. enlarged units.
Ia That some of tho men who entered
|: .selective draft law have arrived in the
/. war zone at this comparatively early
date after Americas entry into the con-
nict is notable. It must not be sup.
drafted men in France is large. but the
/, salient fact remains that they are on
..the ground as the forerunner of the
rsganized IN the United States.
.s Today I visited the villages where
most of the newly arrived and best
known battalions of the National Guard
are quartered, and l was greatly i'm
Dressed by the soldierly appearance as
well as the mental attitude of the
s:srOoDs.
I. Helped by Border Experience.
= The Mexican border service of many
ssof them has contributed to the spirit OF
,t-all SO that evidence of discipline and
training is more noticeable generally
than among the troops who have been
here but a short time. unless 1t be the
marines But here comparison is inapt
because the marines formed regular
I. organization and had had much expe-
'-rience before the war in training and
service. The colonel of National
EGuard regiment. man who knows his
.-subject. said:
a. I'VE were ready for serice when we
left New York. When this body of
sing here 1t will be more than ready"
These soldiers do not loaf or rest any
-sday in the week. They are engaged in
practice on the rifle range. digging
trenches and engaging in dozen other
Essential occupations. There is no op-
rportunity offered to grow soft or be
miserable for the lack of something to
do In tiny French hamlet they came
' marching In today with their picks and
.shoyels for the $3.50 o'clock retreat.
(which is the new winter hour on ac-
count of the early darkness, due partly
TO SO many cloudy and rainy days. With
practically an hour or rest before their
- o'clock meal, all seemed happy and
acontented with their new life in the
sbfllets between the thick walls of the
ancient houses.
- Engaged in Theoretical Battle.
BY the Associated Press
=. WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, December 4.-On the frozen.
.enow-covered hills of this section of
France part of the troops of the first
. american division to pass through the
-tnstructional period of the front were
last night divided and engaged in a
{. Theoretical battle against each other
1.-The artillery and infantry of both sides
.were engaged in maneuvers carried out
Under actual battle conditions.
= Yesterday one army" dug itself in
-en hill crest, where 1t was discoy-
.ered by the enemy" scouts and aerial
. observers. Then the artillery bonn
- soarded the dug-in men.
Omcers say the men are showing the
* immense value of the training thew
. have received. The entire operation
= Is realistic one. even to the artillery
firing. The American Army is plenti-
- fully supplied with real ammunition.
NO blank shells are available
The entire Army was thrilled by pub
: Ished reports of the heroic action of
. the American railway engineers on the
British front in the Cambria sector
- special course of anti-gas instruc-
=. tion for all officers enlisted men, civil
ian employees and newspaper cores
-pondents attached to headquarters has
been started. The course will extend
-over several weeks, SO that all the
:. men may be instructed. At the outset
=. OF the instructions each officer and man
= will be provided with new gas masks
:. Tor use against various varieties of gas