Evening journal., 1918-03-13
SOLDIERS At DIX RISK
IIurC IN TlG9rUlg
llILD III InbllUlbD
Officers Timely Discovery
Saves Squad From An
nihilatlon by Shells
WANTED TO
GET WAR THRILLS

CAMP DIX. WrirntstoNn. \. j.. March
f8.-A squad Of eiehl C3mp Dix soldiers
know the sensation of being under big
gun IRE. The experience cimo 90 them
iete Yesterday afternoon when for a
half hour lhcy hid ia dugouis and deep
trenches on "Marne Hll' while bat
terry OF french moriars operaied by a
company from The Division school Of
Arms was Smelling ihc area with heavy
bombs Their presence was unknown
to lie mortar crews until one man, more
venturesome than the others poked his
head over lhc top of the trench TO see
II any more bombs were coming An
officer directing The IRE of the mortars
observed the object n The trench
hrough a Held glass inst as shell
was about 10 be placed in that very
salient.
The officer shouted "A warning Just
as a non-com was about 90 drop
Shell into the mortar Lieutenant Col
onei q. II Write directing ihe mortar
practice. also made out the figure in
the trench and quickly ordered the
~aiting salvo fired into a nearby field,
several hundred yards from the oc
cupied trenches Noting the lifting. of
the miniature barrage, eight men
scrambled out OF the trench and into
mo Mans Land.
The Identity Of the members Of the
ventureSome squad has not vet been
learned, although officers will make
thorough investigation of their presence
10 the trenches against orders. Some
officers were inclined to believe the
men were rockies" who, stirred by
The news that American soldiers were
going ''over the top" in France, wanted
TO get some Of the thrills, and worked
their way into the trenches after the
mortars opened fire. n suoh was the
case, officers declare they will find that
a foolhardy risk OF ike is a serious
military offense. The battery was
firing three-inch shells any one Of
which. striking in their trench, might
have wiped out the squad.
Aside from its thrilling climax, the
target work with the moriars indi- /
cated that American "doughboys" are
making splendid progress in handling /
these new weapons. The mortars were
Aired from deep trenches. English ON
GERS aiding in settling them up and |
sighting. gale made aiming more
diflcult. as the shell in This gun scars
IN a high arc over "No Mans Land
and the wind can swine 10 several de-
grees from its course The first shell
fell short. but every other bomb ex-
ploded among the barb-wire entangle-
ments Each explosion tore out several
posts and snapped the wires. 1t was
demonstration Of what these weap-
ons can 90 20 wire defenses on a real
battlefield The mortar practice will
be an almost daily occurrence here
}after
Although he came into camp as a
conscientious objector. Private Benia-
min Satterwaite, Of Trenton. a member
OF Headquarters Company Of the 3iith.
was Yesterday one of three members
promoted to corporals II is said TO
be the first case since the war opened
Of an "obiector being advanced. Satter-.
waite is a Quaker, and. when drafted,
asked TO be excused from bearing arms.
He expressed a willingness 10 do any
other work assigned TO him, and was
detailed as a mail orderly in the South
Jersey regiment. lie has been doing
his work so efficiently that Colonel
Stokes recommended his promotion
Harold G. Mahan also Of Trenton, and
Boyd G. Henry, Of Nineland, are other
members Of the same company yester-
day receiving their warrants as cor
porals.
school for intelligence ofncers has
been organized at the camp. with Lieu
tenant Colonel G. r. White as senior
instructor. and Captain John Wana-
maker, Jr, Of Philadelphia, and Lieu
tenant W. j. Wright. Of the British
army, as assistant instructors. Ofilcers
and t'non-ooms" from each brigade and
regiment in camp will make up The
personnel Of the school
IN order that soldiers who are too
busy during the day 10 visit the cen
tral library and too tired at night.
Librarian Howard Hughes has organiz-
ed a circulating library. About 80
books, including fiction and scientific
works, will be placed in the barracks
Of several companies TO try out the
wisdom Of the plan. The scientific
books selected viii be OF a type that
Viii appeal to the men in that par
ticuiar branch Of the service. Men car
Borrow books from the circulating
library through a company sergeant al
any time. Assistant Camp Librarian F
Harold Bribham is in charge Of tn,
ditsriOution Of the first Of the cir.
culating SETS
Omcers assigned from New ,Jerse,
l1nfantry regiments this week for specia
tourses at Fort sill are Lieutenant F
3. Runyon, OF the 3iith, who viii stud,
advanced field fertilization work, anC
lieutenant c. ]. Knapp, OF the 3i2th
who takes a course In bayonet work
The old Fourth New Jersey Band
(which has been at Camp Mcclellan, a
Annston, with the New Jersey Nationa
Nuard regiments, has arrived at Cam