Evening star., 1918-07-17
RED CROSS HOUSE
/ OPENED AT MEADE
Prominent Workers From
i, District and Baltimore in
! Attendance.
SIGNAL men PLAY AT WAR

BpeC1al USpdtcn TO Iue cSArs
CAMP MEADE, Md. July 17.-Prom-
inent leaders Of the American Red Cross
in Washington and Baltimore are on
hand for the dedication this afternoon
Of the Red Cross House for Convalescent
Soldiers. Henry White. former ambas-
sador to France and now director Of the
Potomac branch Of the Red Cross, will
deliver the address The indications arc
that this will be the most fashionable
event that has occurred in the camp.
Gen. Joseph CASTOR and other high OFF,
GERS of the camp and from Washington
will be present.
The house is a beautiful structure.
The site Is at the crest of q hill. giving
a view down a valley far from the roof
tops Of the barracks.
Fifty Men Speak Only French.
Fifty men from Rhode Island have
been found who know no language but
is SO limited that they have been sent
to a special foreign language battalion
to study enough to be able to under
stand lectures and to take and repeat
orders.
These French-speaking men are the
envy OF the thousands who are trying
to acquire enough Of that language to
order food and discuss the war when
they get "over there" Most of these
men have been employed in the cotton
and wooden mills of the Woonsocket
section and came originally from the
French sections of Canada.
Signal Men Stage Thrillers.
Thrillers came one after another to-
day, when the saith Signal Battalion
began its field work over a wide area
OF MARYLAND. This unit. originally
what is known as an Army corps or
ganization, and thus has wireless of
more powerful kind than the division
signal corps. The thrillers were MOTH
Ing more or less than fakes. To simu-
late battle conditions for a signal
corps 1t Is necessary to send messages
that will make the fellow at the other
end sit up and take notice.
Sergt. Borland and a dozen men
were at Westminster. Md: Sergt AL
win Miller and fifteen men were at
Ellicott City. and Corp. George Glover
had dozen at Laurel These three
points represented headquarters of
divisions that were supposed to be
engaged in battle. The three wire
less sections started out the night
before and set up their apparatus as
dicated.
Once in place. the reports began to
come IN fast A report as to con-
lowed at once by orders as to what
should be done next The ONCE ON
the hill, where the messages came in.
seemed to be the center Of commando
ing importance. 1t was just like be-
Ing with Gen. Pershing himself. and
some OF the very orders and reports
suggested the doings of the day "oyer
there Nothing was given out for
puDl1catfon, and that made the whole
thing seem serious indeed,
Development Battalions.
With 1000 men to start on, the star
OF the development battalions ia
rapidly turning into full service SOL
diers who were heretofore regarded
as unsuitable for duty in the Army.
This enormous task Of developing men
has met with prompt success In many
individual cases and with eneourae.
Ing progress in thousands Of other
cases. While men are being treated
Z they are under strict military disci-
pnne and are thus learning the first
lesson OF soldier. Medical experts
the system of development and Ana
men in the Army who have to obev
orders are better off than patients in
civil life. who often pay large sums
Tor advice and then disregard 1t.
Lieut. Col. F. R. de Funiak. who
heads this organization, was formeriy
superintendent of the officers train
ing school and Is an officer of high
standing in the Army
Large STAFF at Work.
To enable officers of Commands +o
concentrate attention upon the eys-
TEN Of training. almost all clerical
work has been concentrated in the
battalion headquarters. This work
requires large staff and the use Of
4 large Office building. Capt. ". W.
Nordlinger. the adjutant, directs this
complex paper work. Men are here
from many parts Of the country and
from many organizations. Some of
them have been sent back for devel-
opment Just as the ship bearing their
comrades was sailing away.
The staff Of experts is distinct from
the omcers In command Of companies.
and 1t Is impressed upon every man
that he is not in hospital. Every
man Is offered as the chief Incentive
the opportunity to get out into
nghting until again, or, II he cannot
hope to fight, then back into some
distinct organization where his abiIf-
, ties will count and his defect will
stand least In his way.