The Benson signal., 1918-05-25
OUR MEN TRAINED
BY RIFLE EXPERTS
SOLDIERS IN TRAINING CAMPS
TAUGHT HOW TO USE AND
CARE FOR WEAPONS.
BRITISH COMMUNAL KITCHENS
They Prove Successful In Saving Food
and Fuel State Councils of De-
fense Will Advise War Risk Claim
ants.

IcHSS VIII ADVISE war HISk Nlalm-
ants.
(From Committee on Public Information
WaShington.-The National army
and many organizations of the Nation
al Guard having been equipped with
the United States rifle, model of 1917
(modi1ied Enfield), it became neces-
sary to devise some plan whereby
troops could be efficiently trained In
the use of this weapon in short time.
A statement authorized by the ord
nance department tells how experts in
shooting. many of them members of
United States teams which won inter
national shooting matches. were COM
missiOned and sent to various camps
to instruct officers and men in shoot
ing and in the operation and care of
the rifle.
In one camp officers under instruc
tion from these men gave demon
stratiOn in dismOunting and assem-
bling this rifle while blindfolded, the
record time being Z minutes for dis
mounting and % minutes for assem-
bling. There are SO parts to the rifle.
chanicS' classes, the mechanics being
hanics' classes, the mechanics being
trained to make repairs to rifles in the
field. Frequently they will have to do
their work at night. when they will
not be allowed to use lights, and there
fore they must be thoroughly trained
in taking down the rifle and putting
In new parts by sense Of touch.
Communal kitchens are being estab-
lished throughout Great Britain and
are proving successful in saving food
and fuel, according to reports to the
department OF commerce. An article
from a recent issue Of an English
newspaper is quoted:
1.-THE war has brought home to the
public that the communal or national
kitchen is necessity and can be
made a success. Within compara-
lively short period there will probably
be installed many hundreds of these
establishments throughout the coun-
try. The national kitchen was origi-
nally intended to supply poor people
with nourishing and attractively pre-
pared food at low prices, but there is
considerable prospect-certainty, in
fact-that the more prosperous will
form fair proportion Of the custo-
mers.
"As an example of the outfit Of
peoples kitchen that at Hammersmith
London) may be taken as q model.
This supplies about 5000 customers a
week, which probably represents 12,-
600 to $4,000 consumers, as custo-
mer commonly purchases for his or
her family"
The council Of national defense has
urged the state councils to provide
voluntary aid for dependents Of men
in the service in collecting anotments
of pay and family allowances, arrears
Of pay, travel pay, extra pay. or other
money due estates Of deceased SOL
diers and sailors.
Allotments and allowances under
the war-risk insurance law are paid
directly by the treasury departYent to
the persons entitled thereto; claims
for insurance taken out under the law
should be addressed to bureau Of war
risk insurance, treasury department,
Washington, D. c.; claims for arrears
Of pay. extra pay and travel pay Of
deceased soldiers and sailors and all
other claims should be addressed to
auditor Of the war department, Wash
ington. y. G.
Consul General Thackara, at Paris.
cables: "a decree Of April s, published
April 6, gives notice that all merchan-
disc prohibited from importation by
law of May. 6. 1915, will be seized and
sold for profit Of the state unless a
regular import authorization be pre-
sented within five days after arrival.
For first 80 days after PRONUNCIATION
of this decree requests for derOgatiOns
from It's provision can be addressed to
the minister of finance, In case parti-
cular circumstances Justify an excep-
ton"
Two per cent Of the enlisted person.
mel Of the divisions and detached units
Of the regular army, National Guard,
and National army, excepting the
coast artillery and various staff corps,
will be designated to attend the fourth
series of officers training schools,
which will open May Is. Admission
has also been granted to some men
who have had at least one years mill
tary training under army officers at
educational institutions which have
earned government recognition.
Night driving of motor-truck supply
trains from the West to the seabOard
has been started by the quartermas-
ter's department as a step toward final
training to fit men for service in
France.
According to the council of national
defense, the experience gained in
cross-country convoy work has made