The Washington times., 1918-07-29
PREACHERS LEARN
CHAPLA|N'S DUTY
AT CAMP TAYLOR

LoUISvILLE. KY, July 2o.-Thc
only school for chaplains ever main
Il made up OF ministers Of many
soon win graduate its second class
at Camp Zachary Taylor. There are
ninety students in the class, which
is made up of ministers OF amny
denominations, some of whom until
recently served as pastors Of big
city churches. Some of the gradu-
ates already have been Commissioned
as chaplains, while others are ZAP
proved candidates for chaplain await
ing appointment.T
NO instruction on theological sub
jects Is attempted at the school The
whole effort is centered upon ftting
clergymen fresh from civil life and
the problems OF civil life into the
military scheme OF things.
II Private Bill Jones gets what he
considers a "raw deal" from his cap
tain, ten chances to one he will md
It convenient to talk the matter over
with his chaplain, for II Is to the
chaplain the buddy" goes In time
of trouble. When Bill Jones appears
with his tale of woe, he must get
sympathetic hearing, and then IL he
has been wrong all the time, and his
injury is but fancied. the chaplain
must know enough Of military law
and military regulations to tell him
definitely just how and why what
was done to Bill was the right thing.
Therefore, the school for chaplains
bears down hard on instruction IN
military law and the army re8ula-
tions.
Diplomatic Handling.
II Bill IL in the right the chaplain,
IL he is polite, will not tell Bill so,
but viii suggest that he Nsee him
again. In the meantime the chaplain
has seen his commanding officer and
asked that such unintentional tnE
justice as may have been done is
rectified before Bill comes back. How
II was done Bill may never exactly
know, but II the chaplain had lacked
the knowledge of just how to go
about the thing the injustice under
which he suffered might have gone
uncorrected.
In the words Of one Of the instruc-
tors at the school, this Is not intend
ed to make OF the chaplain a guard
mouse lawyer Out " Az hAAA
to give Intelligent advice to soldiers.
II the men in. the army are to look
up to a chaplain, It IL necessary that
he have their confidence to the smallest
detail And, as the men Of the national
army are rapidly becoming experts,
there must be no risk of their coming to
regard the chaplain with the half con-
temptnuous amusement the experts feel
for an amateur because OF any lack Of
knowledge OF military custom on the
chaplain's part For this reason great
attention Is paid also to instruction in
military etiquette
International Law Taught.
The chaplains' class Is also taught the
very highest of high spots in interna-
tionaI hw. In addition, there Is instruc-
ton In equitatIon, in the care Of person
and clothing in the field. for the chap
lain follows the men with whom he
serves into the trenches. and may fire.
quently "go over the top" with them II
not he will be found assisting In the
care Of wounded men on the field under
fire. Under such conditions, he, like
everyone else connected with an army
must know how.
lains the students are quartered in
barracks originally built for enlisted
men they get Government straight" to
eat three times a day, and they wash
up the mess kits from which they eat
Just as would any enlisted men. In ad-
dition they sleep on the same straw
filled mattresses to be found on the beds
Of enlisted men
In this way they are learning some
thing Of the conditions under which an
enlisted man lives and works. and most
Of them are finding the experiences
really enjoyable Their attitude Is sum
married. in the answer to a query given
by one OF them. who said:
"Oh, boy! This bunch of preachers
never knew how good real food could
taste or how soft a straw tick could be
until they started putting US through
this course Of sprouts eleven and one
half hours every day."
The school is in charge Of Major A
A Pruden. a regular army chaplain. and
he Is assisted by four instructors, all
drawn from the regular army.