Evening star., 1917-10-07
HEARD AND SEEN.

, mality which should exist in any well
regulated cantonment. the commandant
reels that the personal touch is neces-
sary.
| rockies" in their first lessons in mill
tary science. That is how he happened
to come along where a company of
Washington youths. fresh from the
National Capital. were being taught q
Few passes with a gun.
one young fellow was having a pretty
hard time of it, Maybe he was
i clumsy and maybe he wasn't, but any
way, he just couldn't make that gun
behave. 1t wiggled in his grasp like a
| live thing, and when it should have
been up it was down, and when by all
| the rules in the infantry drill regula-
tions it should have been down it was
way up or sideways, or something
most unmilitary.
Here. let me show you" said Gen.
Kuhn. kindly.
In full uniform the commandant OF
the camp went through the movement,
nrst slowly and then rapidly. He did
ut well. too. ali the other officers
agreed. 1t was quite a sight for the
other officers to see the commander of
them all instruct simple rookie"
All the officers begin to think about
the great Napoleon and his kindly con-
sideration of the soldiers he command
ed. and to compare Gen Kuhn's actions
with those of Napoleon 1t was a great
privilege for this young fellow from
the city to receive personal instruction
from the general of the whole works
That was the way all the officers
thought, as they watched the general
hand the gun back to the rookie" with
smile. The rookie" from the District
evidently felt kindly feeling for this
guy with some sort of shoulder straps
THANK you, sarg," grinned the
rookie" gratefully.
While we are on military matters it
might be just well to give forth to a
palpftating world, all eager for any
thing that has to do with a gun. the
latest thing that the enterprising press
agent of the Marine Corps has turned
out. This soldier of the sea tells MANY
stories You can believe them or not.
just you please.
He says that knowledge of the rtne
and all its parts is an important part
OF the training given to the marines at
their League Island camp. Just like
that rifle appeared to the rookie" at
Camp Meade. so do rifles at League
Island seem to the raw recruits there.
The rifles ere pretty puzzling.
During the morning inspection re-
Gently one of the future sea a-soldiers
handled his rife poorly and this time
there was no kindly Gen. Kuhn around.
either. The recruit was taken to task
by his officer.
Are you acquainted with the parts
of your rifie?" asked the officer, sternly.
Yes. sir" the recruit replied
We'll, where is the balance located?s
Il don't know. SIR said the marine,
glancing nervously at his rifle. "It was
all here this morning."
Did you ever notice how real poetry
crops up in the everyday speech of
just common folks?
Goodbye. folks; come down some
time" was the farewell invitation
shouted from a troop train at Union
station last week. when several score
District men entrained for Camp Meade.
Goodbye, folks. come down some
timew There's real meter in that and
how would it go as title for one Of
these now patriotic songs~
And as the train pulled out,
The people heard them shout:
Goodbye. folks, come down some
time" etc.
and whole lot more like that n
ought to go big
Wen all be sick, wen never pass.
now" sang out one selected man. asS
cigars were passed around in the train,
There's poetry in that statement. too-
and some truth. maybe.
CHARLES n TRA0UWNks.