The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-05-03


pine while strict at times, can be
relaxed at other times. and thus men
learn TO know officers intimately.
learn 70 place aonfidence In them.
SUNDAY afternoon watched
baseball game.
Two teams picked from various
units in this camp opposed each
other.
Included in the lineup were col
iege and varsity players, former pre-.
fessionaI stars, even one nationally
known phenom.
They Are All Americans.
Forming a. great v about the diay
mord, privates, colonies. majors,
gergeants, corporals, captains and
lieutenants forgot shoulder insignia
and men overlook the Sam Browns
belts that distinguish authority a
more cosmopolitan group OF fans
never gathered anywhere in any
league park, bush or otherwise.
I saw a major grab the cap OF q
private and huri it UP In the air as
he vented a great shout at his pet
the plate in the ninth Inning,
Come on you big stiff, bet YOU q
months pay we tie the score in the
last half" was the exuberaTlt and
good ~natured reply of the buck to his
seniors actions,
A captain was batting on one Of
the teams.
aEIey you big hunk OF cheese hit
that ball Whatta think you're In
that game for, a Gibson picture,
GWan hit IT," yelled fan.
The captain looked around and
saw IL was one Of his corporals from
his own company, He grlnned and
slammed the next ball pitched for q.
three bagger. and raced home on the
next hit.
Etiquette on q Holiday.
'C'mon out some day sonny and
his batter. Nary a sign OF a salute
and the fetish, military etiquette was
on holiday.
HaIf an hour later the captain
again wore his uniform and his Sam
Brown belt. The corporal approach-
ed the captain, saluted in approved
form and gave a report. The captain
as bruskiy returned the salute and
gave an order. Not even a trace OF
the free and easiness of the baseball
game friendly banter. The cloak OF
nlilitarisn had been denned again. /.
The Officer Who Wins. #
The officer who is willing to get
out and take the hard knocks with
the men. in fact "show them up"
is the offieer who holds the greater
respect.
In a. certain regiment there Is a.
colonel who was Ill for sometime
this spring. Rufnors around the reg
inaent were that he was about "all
in" and might be forced to quit and
there were general expressions of
regret. The "old man" was a n.arti-1
net on military discipline but he was
square.
This colonel also prided himself
on his walking ability, and too, per-
haps some OF the rumors may have
tricSled through from the mems
barracks to him. Anyway there is /
another colonel who also is walk
er and it rlIed the first colonel to,
think that his cornkhalSriot was
stealing some Of his reputation. IS
Tha CoIoneI Made Good. y
All thought of the colonel In
question being in the class of the
'once-wassers'' was thoroughly dis
PEELED one day recently when he
headed q column OF officers OF the
regiment in question, led them for
an hour at a pace of four and q half
A44lS5 pSfs gave lHEltAs f1Il0LIlSEs AOuT
at the same pace, and brought them
back into camp at a FIVE mile an
hour pace.
And the next day he led column,
Of troops at the same pace for sew
eral miles. presumably chuckling
inwardly at his own idea OF proving
he was still there.
Officers and men alike who were on
those hikes now swear by the "old
boy" IL names were mentioned ii
would be Aeae majestic to so desig-g
nate him and might be called on
the carpet. However, no names are
mentioned.
Morale lowered by intimacy?
Never! Do you not see what mean
by confidence that will mean every
man back OF the oficer when he goes
over the top?
This is the kind of spirit and
democratic administration OF mili-
tary affairs that is helping to make
the American army a lighting ma
chine in which each cog is creased
with common sense. Al.