Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-14
CAMP LEE REMAKES
PHYSICAL M|SF|TS
Hundreds Barred by Inhrmities or
Deformities Are Developed
Into Fighters.

Great work has been accomplished in
Camp Lee bv the development battalion,
which is turning "misfts' and physically
weak men INTO first class fighting men.
The problem of developing the physical
"misfits" in the army into men who can
capablv perform full military service, Is
now being successfully solved by the
Third Development Battalion Of the
Depot Brigade Into this organization
has been sent the men from the various
battallons who are unfit for military
service
Others arc drawn from other camps,
particularly from ports oI cmharkatlon.
Although onv established on July l. zoo
men have already been graduated from
the battalInn and are now serving their
their country. IN active capacities. Seventy
five who were considered unfit for all
military service when they arrived AT the
battalion have already been forwarded
for active ovcrsca service Recently 30t
were transferred to the United States
Guards Tor service in this country, that
will relieve physically tit overseas men for
duty abroad At the present time there
arc 500 mon IN the battalion. though the
average for the last month was IN excess
Of 1000
Probably nD greater humanitarian fea-
turc is connected with the army IN this
country than this rebuilding Of mon
Men who have had fiat feet All Of their
lives hy the callsthcncs and other eA-
ercises required have 50 had their arches
raised that they arc nov serving their
government in satisfactory manner
Hundreds Of the soldiers have hearts
that fail To function properly They are
- II hg
system Of exercise required IF such mon,
thev. too, improve and are able to perform
duties Of the soldier
The medical feature of the work is
under the direction Of Major T A.
Nanames, formerly famous orthopCdiC
surgeon Of Portland. Maine, and Lieu-
tenant G. r. Wiley, OF Chicago, who Is
recognized in army medical circles as one
Of the best heart specialists IN the service.
Series of exercises for both the heart
cases and the at-footcd men have been
prepared hv these respective physicians
and the men arc directed ~ them every
day IN tho line officers as signed 70 the
school
These exercises. with some variations,
are based upon those used by both the
British and French At onc time, since
the war started, there were so 600 British
soldiers who werc suffering with soldier :
heart Of the men who are sent 10 the
battalion. - 10 80 per cent are developed
so that they are hysically fl for active
service on the Western Front OF the re-
naming soldiers 90 per cent OF them are
capable OF performing service IN TINS
country and only 10 per cent are ultimate
IL discharged from the service This Is
considered an excellent record and com
pleteiv IustIfles the establishment OF those
bsttallons IN the various cantonments III
the country
one OF the important features in the
battalion Is to develop q strong spirit dc
corps or morale This falls 70 the line
officers, Captain VIII G. Atwood, of New
Jersey IS the commanding officer Of the
battalion The first detail connected with
this feature Is TO assure the man that his
case is not hopeless. In various ways
their spirit IS maintained The quarters oi
the men and the battalion area are par
ticularlv attractive The men are not
available for fatigue duty. but maintain
and improve their own area
There have been several remarkable
cases improved at the camp and excellent
men thereby saved for the service. One
of these was q chemist of Philadelphia He
had a severe case of fiat foot. and had
been forwarded from one camp to another
When he reached the surgeon at the bat
TALON, II was ordered that he take the
prescribed orders He was materially I'M
proved and today Is a sergeant Of the first
class IN the signal corps, and is a specialist
on duty IN Philadelphia. where he has
charge of lens trouble III gas masks
The ease Of a Negro is worthy OF men
ton He had slight physical defect
Also he was mentally down on the world
having been kicked from chaln-gang to
prison lit frequent intervals. Once IN the
battalion ms morale, as we'll as morals
began 70 improve lie IS now an excellent
sergeant
Another man who Vas about ready toI
discharg. from the service was forwarded
u tins battalion He soon improved and
Is now hattaliun scrgeant-najor.
Although approximately - per cent Vi
the men form ardod 10 Camp Lee are from
Pcnnsy ivania, the vast majority Of the
men sent to the development battalion
are from Virginia and " est Virginia
Another feature Of tile work Is the
school that is maintained for iIlitcTatcs
~ix hundred soldiers attend this school
daily In addition, foreigners are taught
TO speak English Once an illiterate
reaches the battalion, hc cannot be trans
ferred until hc learns how to read and
write he Bayonrt Camp Lee.