The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-04-29
LIEUT.. R. {. BOWIE TELLS Of
. THE MAKING OF ]. 8. SOLDIERS
LOCAL SOLDIER BOY MAKES IN
TERESTNG TALK AT ST.
LUKE'S CHUCK.
Traces Career Of the Civilian Entering
Camp to q Full Trained
Soldier.

--
Til" PRINCIPAL and very interesting
feature las; evening in connection win
The usual Sunday evening service OF 81.
| I.ukr'S l.. T.. church Of the Island was
the talk on camp Life" given by Lieu
Tenant r. t. liuwe son Of Mr.. and Mrs.
r. B. bowie of this city. and Il mcm-
her Of Gid 81. Lukr's himself up until
entering III" service Of the country last
August.
Following tho congregational singing
Of '"Amerir;l." Rev Jacob Birmingham.
~. T.. in Il few appropriate words. in
;roduCrd the speaker Of The evening rs
ono of their own boys" who WAS num-
hcrcd among the thousands of brave
, lads who arr preparing for oyer there.
Mr. Bowie opened his remarks by
saying that tho spirit Of the day was
, that the men who were fortunate enough
TO be chosen as commissioned officers
for tho army are the envy Of their
: fellow associates" back home, tho lat
| ter entertaining = feeling that they are
| not doing their bit" and display n
! feeling of dissatisfaction with self. Tho
> young officer then touched briefly upon
the period before he entered training.
stating that he had been connected with
! several developments in his short husl-
ness career. hut that nothing had ever
! inspired him in civilian life AS has the
! lifn Of the soldier.
Then ne dwclt upon n few interesting
| points nf Camp Funston. Kan. "Thc
! army. which IS divided into three parts
! is" he snid. first division, commits
stoned officers: second division. non-com-
! missIoncd officers; third division. pri-
Yates, or regular enlisted soldiers. hut
| all men are soldiers. even to General
Pershing himself The non-comms
! stoned officers are the men between the
commissioned ones and the privatcs,
! the non-commissioncd officers ranking
down to a corporal. who is responsible
for eight men. which group il known as
squad"
Camp Funston" said the speaker.
was selected for the purpose by 4 man
or keen thought. and consists of NV"
miles OF level ground. which is difficult
To secure i'll this hilly location. Then
came the necessity OF water near me
SPOT, after which all carpenters nrocur-
able in that section OF tho country were
put to work on tho building Of this
western camp. which was built in about
six days. hut which is constantly being
| improved upon. there being splendid
| roads now. and the last undertaking
along these lines consisted OF the erec-
ton of a number Of sturcn buildings on
| The zone whore men do shopping. which
section is n vcritahe God-send to the
boys. These barracks arc placed in row
! aftrr row and arc similar in construction
and anpcaranc. making 1t difficult for
civilian visitors TO find their proper
routes of travel
Speaking of tho recruits who enter
Camp Funston. the young lieutenant
stated that they ar" NOR" or less hSl-
tatcd 1T first coming as they do from
all walks If life. they are lead III their
frs, destination, which iS called the
hath. specially constructed for Inc nur-
pose Of the men being brought there 10
discard everything of III" Girlllan nc
emerging 70 another building, in tho
second story Of which they are fitted
gu, with the soldier uniform. then TO-
turn IN tho former building 10 arrange
their own clothes to hr sent back nome.
While this process may Sc"m somewhat
peculiar ut first thought. II mas nceh
adopted in order that contagious disease
of all form he loSsened By this trans
formation at first entrance Of men from
MI stations OF life TO minEle WIN 'hc
thousands Of others in tho camp. ana
Same has resulted in the decreasing III
, disease sevcnty-fivr per cent at thi*
into tricks and driven seven miles I"
the detention camp. which is nothing
moro than the elementary school ol
suIdicrs Among the first shots re-
crIyrd here is tho innoculation against
typhoid fever. Camh Funston mas mn"
nn ease Of this fever since last sep
Irmher which is proof Of the gopd re-
suits accruing from this process. neither
has thCrr bCcn smallpox. Spinal MON
nights has affected small percentage
of those not able to withstand the OK
posure' at tn" outset.
The recruits are handled roughly NJ
first, this being necessary to impress
The necessity Of rigid discipline upon
all. but after "A short time they are
sent 10 the regular camp. md from
that time hrnr" things ar" picked w
rapidly. du" To being surrounded by we'll
scaSunrd soldier. In Tn" iIrSt wv"
wc"kS course first aid Is taught, the
object of which is Ia be- able I" lend
assistance to Z fellow soldier.
Regarding the anuS"rnentS ht'"rdrn
the "bnyS" ~ Camp Funston. MI. h""lc
stated that holidays are granted nj Ger
tain times, otherwise the men are limit
cd L. find employment within tho area
Of camp. Every Friday night The men
engage in athletics. This form nj phy-
siral development being essential. Tor II
n man has no athletic ability. he gen
orally has no fighting ability. TWO
theatres are sustained within thr camp
nropcr where good vaudeville ana PIE
turrs arc 70 ~, seen. TIN" prratcS arc
ncrcr permitted /" K" {" thcs" houses
during drill hours. Madame Schuman-
Hcink sang two afternoons nj. on" III
these theatres during the past winter. us
we'll "a the appearance OF several other
noted theatrical stars.
Another important and interesting
subject is IN" range practice: the camp
while handicapped for some tim" du"
to lack Of proper artillery equipment,