The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-02

Camp Shelby, Miss, August 1-(Special) 'Oh, and you say some of the boys really sing?' the elderly lady, who had come over from Alabama to visit her son at Camp Shelby, exclaimed T won der if Jimmy-boy sings with the other boys! I hardly think that they could get him to do anything like that!
 Couldn't they? They didn't have to. Just then the conversation in the car parked on the roadway at camp was in- terrupted by a section of artillerymeu returning to their battery street after having completed a detail The men were tired and hot and perspiration had hampened their khaki clothing. But they were singing. Yes. singing.
 A big, strapping sergeant was leading the singing, which ran something like this:
 Hall Hail! The gangs all here!
 What tn h-do we care?
 What tn h. do we care?
 Iah! HaH! We're full O cheer,
 what the h. do we care-Billr'
 Oh' now wouldn't that be just fine if Jimmy-boy could sing like that?" the elderly lady in the car exclaimed. "I nave ai"ays wanted him to take vocal lessons' put he wouldn't listen to it."
 Ihe men had turned into their streets and the echo of their song could ho heard coming out from the end of inc long-tented lane.
 oy tnls tune the chauffeur. who had been sent to inquire into the findings of Jimmy boy" said to be in the reeiment where the car had just halted, had re- turned with the name of the battery. The negro drove the car into the street. where the soldier-singers had turned in ana II was not long before the elderly laoy was embracing "Jimmy-boy," who proved to be the big, strapping sergeant who was leading the singing
 Ihls IS just an instance which is a typical demonstration of what the thou sands and thousands of 'Jimmy-bovs'' from Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee Ala oama, Arkansas, Florida, West Virginia and Mississippi, are doing at their reg ular sings" conducted by an official song leader
 Song Director Wengierd at Camp Shell by is one of the busiest men at this large cantonment.
 Throughout the morning and after noon he gathers with either a company or a regiment out in the opening ar around some of the numerous Y. M. c. A. or Knights of Columbus huts to go through an hours. sing with the fellows:
 And Wengierd is one of the most pop- ular men at Shelby
 The other day he was over at the gem eral Knights of Columbus headauarters conducting an exercise, in which about 60 men were participating. Wengierd always has one of the fellows of the company lead the singing. On this par ticular afternoon several chaps had been tried out and all had done we'll Then the lads began shouting for their fa- voriate leader: .Stimpson Stimpson," for several moments the floor was empty Then tall, blond Kentucky lad walked up the aisle of the hall and picked up song leaflet.
 No sooner had he taken his place than his fellowmen began suggesting songs by numbers on their folders: NO 20" cried one. Thirty cried another But Stimp- son had favorte all his own. He real ized that the fellows had been singing sometime and that something with plenty of pep would go good just now.
 Twenty-Five, announced Simpson, and within just a second or two, he started off
 Good morning Mister Zip-zip-zip, With your hair cut just as short as
 mine.''
 The fellows followed. and sing-it was great.
 These small classes are conducted througout camp and at several places once a week entire regiments meet and with their regimental bands accompany ing them. 2000 voices are lifted in song.
 The singing of the soldiers impresses one in very sensitive manner and those who have never cared much for a song or singer are always eager to get an opportunity to hear one of these 2000 voiced choruseS.
 It has been said that the American soldier sings his way to victory. Those who are from Camp Shelby will be well trained in this small, but important line of detail.
 Among the songs popular with the men