Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-09-26
NEWS NOTES FROM
CAMP DODGE
Interesting Information From the
Place Where Our Boys
Are Training.

Especial Correspondence to Willmar
| Tribune)
Headquarters, Eighty-Eighth Divis-
ion, First National Army, Camp
Dodge, Iowa, Sept. "a.
I'm afraid we'll have to discharge
this man, Captain. his arm was brok-
en- in childhood and it's crooked"
1t was the examining surgeon speak.
ing. He had about completed the
physical examination of a raw recruit,
Carl Sagen, until democracy's call
came, a teacher in the high school at
Moline, Ill.
His trained eye had caught the de-
| feet that wouldn't let Private Sagen's
arm straighten out completely.
Private Sagen bowed his head sisl1.
ly. But he said nothing as he walked
behind his captain to his barracks
home.
BEG pardon, Captain, but I don't
want to get out" said Private Sagen
an hour later. 81 want to stay and do
my bit"
The Captain knew he meant it.
That night there went up to Divis-
ion Headquarters, straight to Major
General. Plummer this message:
"Private Carl Sagen has been re-
jected because of a minor defect in
one arm. He wants to remain in the
service. Can't he go into some other
branch? He is willing to go anywhere
you will let him."
An official note went back to the
private's captain. 1t was turned over
to Private Sagen. And when he read
it: Private Sagen smiled and said,
''Thank you, Captain"
General Plummer told him he could
stay right in his own company, sur
geon's rejection Notwithstanding.
Reject that man? No Sir!" said
General Plummer when the writer
asked about the incident.
THAT young man is an American,
the kind of an American of whom we
are proud. He has shown the spirit
Of the National Army and he's going
to stay"
And the spirit of Private Sagen is
the spirit of his thousands of com.
rades selected to go to the bitches of
Flanders to turn back the Kaiser's
hordes.
There's tacit understanding among
the 10000 embryo soldiers at Camp
Dodge today that there shall be no
grumbling. General Plummer says its
the blood and the cause.
Were in for it now and we'll,
watch u.s." That's the unwritten slog.
an at Camp Dodge. The majority of
the last $4,000 to reach the canton.
ment arrived in drizzle Of rain.
They wore civilian clothes, summer
clothes. And chill winds added to the
discomforts of the rain. Many of the
special trains were hours late and hun.
dreds of the selectives had gone from
eight to twelve hours without food.
But there was little grumbling. The
grumbler found little solace.
1t was wise old Uncle Sam that
provided for his boys at Camp Dodge
He is keeping the men from each
town and county together as far as il
is possible to do so, that they may
have the companionship Of each other
They are quartered together, in the
same squads, in the same barracks
and at the same mess table Every
man is among friends at rest and al
drill. And he'll be with his friends
h
"You can just tell the mothers O.
these boys that they will be taken bet
ter care Of here than at boarding
school," said General Plummer II an
, going to look after them just as if the!
were my own sons. Their health i:
safer here than at home because W,
given them every protection our scien
lists have discovered against disease
| We teach them to be men, to exercise
self-control and to be clean. We pre-
tect them against temptation. Tel
the mothers not to worry. about thei
boys"
The 10000 men are rapidly bein
| whipped into an organized fightin
| force. The procedure being followe
| now is exactly the same as that use
in the preliminary examination of tn
first increment of five per cent. Firs
comes innoculation against deadl
contagious diseases. While the solt
iers are taking that treatment, the
are taught to salute, and to march
squads and companies. They hav
been issued hats, shoes and shirt
Soon they will have complete equil
ment. Gradually the men will
worked into schedule that calls fc
forty hours work each week.
In the mean time, the war depar
ment prepared for the grim wor
ahead. French army officers who ha,
seen months Of service at the frol
are coming to teach the conscripts tt
fine points of modern war Four art
lery Captains - Burette, Pierett
Tribes and Monroe-all of whom ha,
had two years service at the from
will teach the artillery men at Can
Dodge how to throw the barrage fl
that will shield their attacking col
rades in the infantry from the count
attacks of their German foe. It b
been announced that the 339 Artiller
composed of men from Southern low
will be modified completely. tt
heavy six-inch howitzers used for b:
rage fire will be pulled entirely
trucks and tractors.
There's a new branch in the Unit
States army NJ 1917 TIA the atat