Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-16
UNIQUE TRENCH MORTAR
NOW USED At CAMP LEE
Instrument OF Destruction Invented
by Englishman Makes Appear
ance on Grenade Course.
COATS AND BLoUsEs ARRIVE
Clothing Situation Materially Re-
Dcycd by Appearance OF 1000
Garments - Officers Confident Of
Results Of Inspection.
tFrom a staH Correspondent.)

CAMP LEE. January 1.-The Stoke:
trench mortar made It's appearance on
the grenade course OF the Eightieth
Division for the frSt time to-day. Cap
tain Peck. OF the British Army. as adj
N'sory officer, and Captain q. C. Moore.
OF tho Division School OF Arms. had d
class ot officers from tho school Oil tho
course. explaining TO them the various
advantages OF the gun and drilling
them In It's use. Two OF the mortars
wero used in the drill
On tho western front they are almost
as favorably known to the English
soldiers as the French 10 is known TO
the men in The armies OF France. The
gun wao Invented by an Englishrnan.
Wilfrcd Stokes. when there was d ne
cessi,y for a gun capable OF dealing
Wholesale destruction. and yet light
enough TO be carried Into the front-line
trenches. The complete mortar weighs
1o3 pounds. To insure easy transrorta-
ton il is constructed In three sections.
and in the drill to-day three officers
carried one of tho sections. The bar
rel. the mount and the base plate form
ed tho burden Tor each one OF the three
men.
The mortar Is fired In an unusual
manner. Tho bombs. three inches In
diameter and Weighing eleven pounds.
are loaded from the fnuZzle OF tho gun.
When t. strikes tho bottom 1t is hr.d
automatically out tho Sans route that
the bomb has Just cid down. Or course
II takes an expert 10 tire rapidly and
s,sy out OF the way OF Lis own amnuni-
ton. The guns are capable OF hiring
thirty shots 10 the minute. II Is one
OF the most destructive weapons used
IN tho front-line trenches.
OFFICIAL BULLETIN
REMARKS On DISTURBANCE
Tho Official bulletin Of tho division
to-day took cosnizance OF TIE diStur-
baucG that occurred In Ilopcwc!l on
sunday night between police officers or
the city Of liopewell and some soldiers.
Tho paragraph VIII be read to.mor-
row afternoon at retreat formation 10
every organization In the division. The
drunken soldier mentioned IN the bull
letin WAS turned over 10 the military
po!cc by the Hope we'll police. The uui.
letin states:
An unfortunate and very unsoldicr.
- demonstration took place In Du Point
city on the night OF January 70. Ialy,
when "A large number OF negro soil
citEs, assisted /? some white rieu. also
soldiers. iaiertered with the IiopeweIi
police who were attempting 10 arrest
r drunken negro soldier; the police, =.
tho time, acting clearly within their
rights and for tho best Interests. not
oH!y az the community. but OF tho SOL
der as well. T. ia u TACT well known
10 these Headquarters that the police
OF I!opewe!l and Du Pom. City have ONLY
the best interests Of the soldier al
heart, and the hinGlieSt feelings for
him. An rncn are cautioned in the fu-
ture to refrain from any interference
with the police in the performance OF
their duty as such Interference not
only reflects disGredtt upon this com
:nand, but Inay lead to most serious
consequences. II. through error.
"rons is done any colder. the provost
marshal VIII adjust tho case the in
tcrest or the soldier"
Private X. l. Moore, o. the Eighth
COMPANY. Second Training Battalion.
Depot Brigade, was to-day sentenced
10 six months al hard labor 10. tcrS-
ins pass 70. himself aud j comrade
and also FOR conduc, unhccomius
soldier IN hotel a. Petersburg. Moore
pleSded guilty 70 the charges against
him. Besides tho six months at hard
labor lie Viii forfeit two-th!rda OF his
pay for that period.
With tho arrival OF 1000 coats o.
Houses Yesterday, tho clothing Situa-
t!cn IN camp was materially improved
The coats were OF the WOODEN or olive
drab variety. and VIII meet an emery
ency that has existed with some of the
men Of thc division who have passed
through the cold spell with their cotton
clothes. These were all that were here
for distribution. There haa been no
shortage OF oveFcoats in camp for sev-
cral months, but other details OF cloth
inS have been lacking at va,!ou.
times.
NEW SoLEs ARRIVE
ron RETAINS TO SHOES
There also arrived several thousand
hAif.scles. for repair OF shoes OF the
men. The men have necessarily had
thcir own shoes repaired ~ their own
expense, IA there was no leather for
wsried here for repairs. Ncw shoes
were issued, bCt repairs were out OF
tho question torn government stand
point.
The inspection .. the division con-
timued to-day. Concerning the !nspcc-
tion CT the division. which Is now being
conducted By Colonel J. 3. Mcdonald
and Major Philip LAUDER. EriIadicr-
General Lloyd Brett. the commanding
officer Of the division, said: I'VE feel
that VIC arc far If not further
advanced than any OF the national ar
mics III this country. and we are not
afraid OF the result OF the inspection.
Tho men here are Z. fine lot OF soldiers.
end they have been working hard and
faithfully since coming here. feel