Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-06-14
THE IN. P.'S"
Soldier Whose Duty II Is to hdln'
tain Order.
they ARE STRICTLY ON The JOB,
Job Of Being a SoIdier-Policeman Like
that of Civilian Officers, Not so
Easy rs it Might Look-mil'tary Po'
lice Fine Men who Make Good otfI'
cers-A Chapter on TX. P.s.
(By James d. Grist.)

| Easy rs It Might Iook-mHNary 70
lice Fine Men who Make Good OttI'
cers-A Chapter on TX. P.s.
] (By James d. Grist)
There are two kinds OF "l's' at eF-
ery military training camp Throughout
the country-kitchen police and mill
t,ry police. While few IL any soldiers
ever aspire TO the former position
there are many who do aspire to the
latter, and who. after their enlistment
into the army. never rest satisfied un-
til they secure place on the torce. Al
most every soldier must at some time
or other during his military career be-
come a "K. T." since 1t doesn't take
any special qualifications OF training 10
hold that place: but those who aspire
to he M. P's." must have more or less
special qualifications for the place. that
Is. experience us policemen IN civil hie'
possessed of extra good judgment anu
tact or have other qualities that a
good policeman must have. kitcheh
police are assistants to those exalted
members of every military outfit, the
cooks, the highest esteemed, most court
ed. and most honored Of all soldiers. IL
ia the duty of the "K. P.'s" to peel
"spuds" and onions, scrub the tables
in the mess halls, bathe the dishes
cut the wood, burn their fingers at the
command of the cook in opening the
range ovens to ascertain whether or
not the Brown Betty" Is done to
turn, and in short, to he tiunky anu
ma ior- domo TO the imperial potentiates
of the mess halls and chow lines.
| Naturally. few if any, soldiers Ike
the lob OF IL. T." though 1t Is the un-
written law Of the army that no soiuier
IL out of the green Or rookie stage
mill he has served "K. T." some sew
cral times. About the first duty tha'
new soldiers are called upon TO per-
form is that of II. T." The detail Is
always arranged in rotation. Say there
are fifty new men In an outfit. flV.
or more, as the case may be. are as
signed to kitchen police duty To-Day
another five tomorrow and so on. IL
can't be helped and every soldier comes
to take il as a part OF the military
game so long as he is a private soldier.
Non commissioned officers never nave
to assist in the culinery department oil
IN. army in such n mcnial capacity.
They tell a story at Camp Sewer OF
a young rookie who was placed on "k.
r." duty the day after his arrival at
camp. knowing nothing Of the duties
of the kitchen police and being aDso-
lutely new to the military game In all
its phases, he conceived the idea that
he had been appointed an officer since
4thv iiett,ezf III Il p ,-wefe DIS
name on the assignment bulletin.
Forthwith he sat down and wrote
his mother, saying: MY rise in the
army is assured. Already | have been
appointed X. P.'
In due time he received a letter
from his mother full of good advice
in which, among other things, she
said: "My boy, | am overjoycd at the
progress you are making. BE not
oyer-exalted on account OF your rapid
rise in the army and be not too hard
on the private soldiers. Remember
that 1t was only few days ago you
were private yourself"
II is the duty Of the military police
or M. P.'s" as they are called. 10
conserve order among the soldiers. to
see to it that in their dress and gen.
eral behavior they always conduc'
themselves as soldiers should, TO SUI
pervise traffic and transportation In
and about camp. to clean out ques-
ltionable places IL such there be, and III
short, to perform all those duties thai
civilian policemen are called upon to
perform and to do their work in the
most thorough manner possible.
They do 1t, too
There are five cars Of Piedmont q
Northern electric line awaiting at tht
station at Paris on Saturday Afternoon
to carry soldiers over 10 Greenville FOL
Ian afternoon and evening Of recreation
land amusement. There are probaDl!
900 or more soldiers at the station
impatient with desire to get on thos'
cars and go into the city. 1t is i'm
possible to haul them all. Still every
one OF those men, determined that III
Is going to be one of the first to ge
into town, begins pushing and crowd
ing and jamming his way toward TIT
cars. In very few minutes there Is
writhing, shuffling, scuffling mass o
yellow riot there, and 1t would seen
that scores OF soldiers would be crush
cd to death. A khaki clad soldier
large of build. a blue band bearing th'
letters M. T." in white on his lef
arm and q stout hickory stick in hi:
right hand, makes his appearance or
the platform OF the car.
He brandishes his club toward th'
crowd.
"Cut out the rough stuff" he says t.
the crowd In q voice that means Dusi
ness. "All of you can't get on thi!
train. No more OF that pushing now"
The mass let's up in It's feverish hast'
for q moment perhaps, because Of th'
stick and the look Of determination II
the face OF the blond giant behind th'
stick. Then perhaps some fellow OIL
In the crowd starts pushing toward tn
front again and the whole mass Il
crowding and pushing once more.
The M. p" gets down of the ca
platform and wades into the crowd
He spies some fellow perhaps who h
doing more pushing than anybody else
He points the big stick at the fellow
and says: I'm telling sou for the las
time to stop it."
The fellow in the crowd is hot anc
, mad at the idea OF the m. r.
speaking to him and maybe he says
GO to hell" and renews his efforts t