Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-21
PHYSICALLY FIT SOLDIERS
WILL Be SENT OVERSEAS
Each Company Allowed Sixty Men
Around Which Incoming Re-
cruitS Are Trained.
MECHANICS ARE SINGLED OUT
VIII BE Retained In Depot Brigade
and Later Transferred to Such
Units as Need Mcn OF Particular
Experience.

AMI LEE. August 2O-Thc policy
or sending every man to France wbn
10 phySicali? ut for oversca service IS
now being established at ,bis n..ra
In the depot brigade ,norc.th., . 600
enlisted men are needed In tho train
ing cadrc. Each companv is aIlown,,
permanently sixty men around which
incoming recruits are trained prior IN
transfer to the replacement camn,
These consist of one frs, scr,o,,
Eeant. twelve line SerScants tvar,,
iour corpOralS. three mechanics two
N0SlcrS and twelve nrst-rlass nriv,,a,
These men aid the officers IN ,ha
development of the new men. Under
orders just received one of tho train,
ing cadre of each COMPANY ia m ho
transferred every two months to the
replacement camp and their uIaces
taken by domestic service men Thus
"Ithin six months the entire training
cadrc VIII be composed entirely OF men
unit for oversea service 1t is be-
hcNcd that the same policy will govern
men in tho ruartcrrnastcr corps and on
special detail. Already hundreds OF
places in camp are being filled NV
domestic service men. which has en-
hbied other men 10 take their place
in the front-linc trenches
Another change IN the method OF
handling men Of special trades who
may be in need in various capacities
by the government is announced
These men. such rs electricians and
mechanics Will be placed in special
companies. in the depot brigade. and
instead Of being transferred to the
replacement camp. they will be held
and transferred 20 such units as need
men OF this particular experience in
any unit Of the American army. This
Is an advance type OF sclcctive service
which insures that n man will serve
his country in such capacity as he is
best fitted.
The work OF organizing inc guard
battalion is being completed as fast
aS practicable. II H. TO be com posed
of three companies, two Of which VIII
he military police and for men on
exterior duty In the new organIza-
ton there are TO be two motorcycle
policemen and several Of the exterior
guardsmen are to be mounted
ALLEGED SLACkERS ARE
RELEASED FROM sToCKADE
OF the l63 alleged slackers who were
arrested Ut Seven Pines, near Rich
nond. last week. all but twenty-seven
had been released from the Camp Lee
stockade this afternoon. AS fast az
the men prove their innocence they are
set free. or the entire number It seems
probably that all but four Will be able
10 show that they are not evaders.
Many Of the men who registered in
points distanr from the camp have
been delayed in receiving sufficient evil
deucc to prove their innocence.
Sidewalks are being constructed in
the more congestcd districts of the
camp. These are o: gravel, and Will
be of material benefit in relieving the
congestion on concrete roads Pcdes-
TRANS are asked TO use these sidewalks
whenever possible
No soldier was ready to complain
OF tho thermometer to-day. The one
a. the Red Cross building showed SO
degrees early this morning. This made
blankets necessity. Drilling was not
as Objectionable as il was during the
torrid weather of few weeks ago.
SEND MEN THROUGH
easiest HOUSE
Men in the replacement camp are
now receiving instructions in the dan
gers OF gas. Each day hundreds ofthe
men file through the gas house. where
they are made to realize the value
OF the gas mask. The house is filled
with a mild solution OF chlorine gas.
and uni IS the men have their ma SKIS
properly adjusted they suffer nauseau
from the effects. Frequently COM
panies OF the men can be seen on ex-
tensive marches wearing their gas
masks.
There is no let-up in the use of the
rifle range. Rain or shine. details of
men receive target instructions. The
work continues seven days TO the week.
regardless OF the weather.
Negro troops are now being trained
for the infantry service at this camp.
For long while colored men forward
ed here were used principally in ser
vice battalions. These negroes now
form part of the replacement troops.
and receive the same instructions as
the whites. Several of the negroes are
proving expert marksmcn on the rifle
range.