Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-08
FRENCH BAND PROVIDES
FINE entertainment
Organization Comprises Sixty Men,
Who Were Recruited From
Twenty Regiments.
MANY PROGRAMS ARE PLANNED
Red Cross Home for Convalcsccnts
Nearly Completed, and Plans Arc
Made to Have Richmond Chapter
Present at Formal Opening.

CAMP LEE. July THE French mil
itary band. which was sent to this
country as an evidence or the unity
between France and the United tSates.
delighted several thousand soldiers and
ccrts which arc to be presented at
this camp. The band is composed of
sixty musicians. who were recruited
from twenty infantry regiments OF the
French army. They have all been
placed in the auxiliary service I'm
France on account of wounds. shell
shocks or injuries from gas. which
were received in front-linc service The
majority of the men wore the small
French badge cvdencing that they
II number wore tho War Cross for
bravery on the field of battle
From a musical standpoint the work
OF the band saturday justified the claim
made by its friends as being the best
military band in the world. Direct
ing the work Of the musicians was
Captain Gabriel Fares. who for e,rh-
teen years was the director Of the re-
'publicainc Guardc of Paris. which many
critics consider the best military band
on earth For ten years he was a
director of one of the naval bands of
France lie has seen thirty years SER
vice in tho French army and navy. lie
was retired seven years ago. but re-
turned to the service at the outbreak
Of the war.
Adju,an, Roger villatc who has par
ticiDaicd in Il number OF important bat
Ties OF the war. is assistant director
Of the hand. He is former conductor
OF the Twenty-cighth Infantry Band.
The majority of the members OF the
band were professional musicians be-
fore the war. and were members OF
the principal orcheStraS and bands of
taken first prize at the Paris Con-
servatory OF Music.
The band was sent to this country
by the French missions. It's tour being
directed by the army Y. NJ. G. \. X.
Howell. of New York, Y. NJ. G. \.
secretary, is accompanying tho band as
Interpreter and assistant manager II
arrived in this country OH May II. since
which time 1t has toured the New Eng
land States. Bcsides the environments
in taht section, IL has played in Bos-
ton. Newport. cape May. Baltimore and
Washington. II will play in Richmond
Wednesday night.
There are six additional concerts TO
be presented within the next few days.
To all Of these the general public h
invited. ON Monday afternoon at $50
the band will play for the patients at
the base hospital At 1880 Monday
evening the Frcnchmcn will entertain
the cowboys of the veterinary training
SCHOOL TN tuesday afternoon. from
$50 20 1:30. the band will play at the
band stand at Thirty-hfth Street. and
from to Will be at Third Street In
event of rain the concert will be given
at tho nearest Y. NJ. G. a. building
TWO NEW RED CROSS
DIRECTORS REACH CAMP
To handle the steadily increased
amount of work that is being done by
the Red Cross at this place. two ad-
ditional associate field directors have
been appointed, They are George w
Nanway, OF Dallas, Tex, and Walter
Detmers. of Erie. Pa.
Work on the Red Cross home for
convalescents and on the home for
nurses is nearing completion Within
the next few weeks they Will be opened
for the benefit OF thos- for whom they
we're constructed The convalescent
home is built near The convalesccnt
barracks. while tho nurses home i'm
mcdiately adjoins the base hospital
The furniture for these two buildings
is now arriving. The opening eXer-
ciSeS will be preceded by an appro-
pirate program. in which Red Cross
chapters of Richmond. Petersburg and
Hopcwell will he asked to co-operatc
Major Alexander i. Cronkh:tc. the
only son of Major-Cieneral Cronkhite
and Major Dabncy Elliott. who have
been instructors in the engineers train
ing school. have been transferred to
Camp Forest. near Chattanooga. Tenn
Several letters have been received at
camp from Captain Armistead Dobic.
aid to General Cronkhitc. Captain
Dobie stated that everything was
moving smoothly with the men over
there