The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-02-27
PUTS !" PEP"
into SOLDIERS
The New Arrivals at Camp Dodge
Have Worked Wonders Among
-. bott, Officers and Men.
GOOD SOLDIERS HAVE BIG FEET
The New Arrivals Are Larger and Bet
ter Developed Men Than the War
Department Contemplated

OS00T1bOSUL ~OVSSUSP1~S~V
DIVISION HEADQUARTERS, Camp
Dodge, Feb. 26-Let's go.
This is the spirit of the eighty
eighth nation army division here to-
day. The influx OF approximately 15,-
600 addition men drawn for service
from Iowa and Minnesota has put re-
newed life into the command which
for four months has labored along with
far less than it's authorized strength.
1t will be the end Of the week be-
fore the last of the new recruits has
passed through the registration build
ing. but the prospect of the division
being on q war strength basis has put
pep into both officers and men.
The immediate prospects for the
men reporting this week are not en-
tremely bright. Every possible pre-
caution is being taken to prevent the
possible advent OF contagious disease.
1t is presumed the new recruits will
bring q number of diseases such as
mumps, measles, scarlet fever, chick
en- pox and perhaps the dreaded spin
al meningities with them.
To prevent spreading these diseases
among the soldiers already here. two
weeks quarantine has been established
for the newcomers. This means that
they will not be permitted to leave
the camp site, except under unusual
circumstances--will not be permitted
to mingle with the other soldiers, will
have separate messes and quarters and
wills 0t be allowed to enter the Y. NJ.
c., 4. buildings, the Knights OF Colum-
bus halls, the Liberty theater or any
other community centers for two
weeks.
During this period they will receive
their physical examinations, be
mustered into the service and their
clothing and equipment will be issued
And an odd feature OF the work of
Outfitting the new\recruits was learned
in dealing with the first and second
increments. .ss
..Aii good soldiers have big feet
has been a proyerb in military lore
for ages.
The eighty-eiyhth division is no ex-
cepton only 1t went one better and
developed bigger mon all around than
the war department contemplated.
As regards shoes especially. how
ever, warning has been issued to di-
vision supply officers to be sure and
give the soldiers shoes that are plenty
big enough.
it doesn't seem probable that after
a man has attained the age of say thir.
ty years that his feet should suddenly
take nation to grow. This is the
case, however, as demonstrated by the
first soldiers to report at the canton
ment.
The division surgeon reports that
after so.called foot and shoe survey
it was found IS per cent Of the men
were wearing shoes too small for them
In one organization the percentage
was "a. sits
Military training has tended to
broaden and thicken the feet Of the
men until most OF them are wearing
shoes two and three sizes larger than
they were In civil life.
In the matter of clothing, too, it was
discovered the development of back,
arm and leg muscles, amounting to
nothing less than the soldiers "Out-
growing their uniforms" in many in
stances.
The matter OF lOcalizing the soldiers
who are reporting this week has been
modified and almost entirely done
away with by the military authorities.
Col. r. P. Howell, commanding the
313th engineer regiment, who has
charge of the registration of the re-
cruits, will not adhere to the original
plan in assigning the embryo soldiers
whereby they were placed among
friends and neighbors whenever pos
sible. n
No other selecuves have been or
dered to report from North Dakota
or Illinois.
The entire $4,000 men are coming
from Minnesota and Iowa and should
the original plan be adhered to it
would leave the 349th infantry made
up of Illinois recruits and the 33Sth
field artillery made up of North Da-
kota men without additions to their
ranks while there still would probably
be a surplus after the Minnesota and
Iowa organizations had been filed.
Therefore the total number Of men
reporting under the present call will
be prorated among the various organi.
cations. The officers from the various
organizations will be stationed at the
registration on certain days during
the week and will take all the recruits
that come on that day. For instance.
on Saturday the OfllCerS from the 35Otn
infantry regiment. the 339th field artil-
lery regiment. the 313th supply train
and tho 31Sth ammunition train will
be stationed at The registration build.
ing and will take for their respective
organizations all the selectives who
report ON that day. t'''
As nearly as possible it has been
arranged to have the officers OF the
regiments representing the districts
from which the selective are expected
on duty the day the men from this dis
trict are scheduled to arrive.
Maj. Cen. b. H. Plummer, division
commander, has returned from three
months tour of the western front In
France and Flanders with the word
that Americas weight of national army
men In the front line trenches will
mark the end of trench warfare.
The commander Is optimistic regard.
ing the outcome Of the struggle. Crack