Evening journal., 1918-01-17
DELAWARE TROOPS
Lost IN TRANSIT
Four Days on Rosd From
Admission Subjected TO
Many HardShipS
BATTALION OFFICERS
FARED THE WORST

CAMP DIN. Wrightstown. y. j., Jan.
ii.-EXpressing their opinion Of rail-
roads in general in language that would
not pass the censor Delaware's lost Sec
ton of troops with Colonel J. Warner
Reed and his stan. arrived at Camp
Dix az dayhreak Wednesday morning
and delrained at Z O'Clock. lust one day
behind schedule They were the nrst
Of ihe Delaware men to leave Camp Nc
Clellau. AnnistOn Ala, and have been
en route since Saturday. Cold weather
md train troubles delayed them az
many points. and four locomotives
broke down while pulling the heavy
troop train.
The men got through the experience
far better than their officers. The par
lor coach assigned for Colonel Reed
and his stan had been stripped OF It's
electrical lighting fixtures before It was
sent TO the southern camp and the ohl-
GERS were compelled 10 use candles for
/ light az night. To make matters worse
lhe ~ieam-heating system was found 10
be broken. and with weather VARYING
from zero 10 the freezing point. the Off
GERS were compelled TO wear their
heaviest clothing and RELY for what
little warmth they got upon hot bricks
and field oven set mp IN one end Of
the coach.
The willingness Of the American Of
ficer 10 take the hard knocks when by
so doing he can spare his men was
demonstrated en route, according 90 a
story told today 10y the Delaware boys.
j Heating systems in two OF the coaches
occupied by the troops broke down. but
at junction two coaches IN cood order
were provided Colonel Reed insisted
that these be linked into the train for
his men and ne and his officers con-
tinued 10 occupy tho cold car i'm which
they left Annston.
THE Hlaware boys declare they arc
getting fed up on quarantine. A IS
day period ended the day they left
Camp Mcclellan and they ind they
have ilt Camp nix at the beginning Of
a new quarantine of is days 0r longer.
Complications and disOrgluization OF
units at Camp Mcclellan that attended
the transfer 10 Camp Dix Of Delaware
National Guardsmen from the 18th In
fantry. together with Delaware officers
and men from several other organiza-
tions viii extend to this division IN the
N'NN 'N IiI taNiNullt w lIlNH 'kN NAf
30sih Division Machine Gun Battalion
here. The 300 men now n the battallon
will be transferred to pioneer regi-
ment for corps troops Of which the Ma
tional Guardsmen will form the nucleus
and an future drafted men from Della
ware will Doe taken into The now outfit
until its quota is complete.
The order leaves the 18Th Division
without a trained division machine sur
battalion. There are two brigade ma.
chine gun battalions and machine SUI
companies in each infantry regiment
The Delaware boys, however, were ih'
first 10 organize and under Major Bccl
have been the pride Of the camp in th'
progress they have made in the special
lied training OF the suicide clubs
The War Department plan is said e
Doc The combining or on Delaware moT
into the one organization 10 form On,
pioneer regiment, the FIST yet organ
lied In connection with the American
army For that reason Delaware mel
were taken from whatever positions
they were occupying in Camp Nc
Clellan. Colonel J. Warner Reed wh,
. is TO command the new unit was In
D command Of the ii5th Infantry. Mos
Of his men came from the iiilh Infan
try as reorganized. Lieutenant Colonc
J. A. Ellison was in the field artillery
and many Of the officers and men wer,
with engineering and other special
units.
The choice OF Delaware men for th'
new regiment Is said TO be due 10 th,
fact that highly trained men win b'
needed for the duty % is 10 perform
Delaware is said 90 have a higher per
centare Of men with technical tralnln.
81 among its recruits than any other East
% ern commonwealth.