The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-26
A Great Movement for Uniform
Instruction..
Authorized by War Department
Under Army Officers.
4 REAL PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
At Camp Steever, Geneva Lake,
Wisconsin,.
By Capt. George P. Morehouse
of Committee of 100.

BY CAPT. GEO. P. MOREHOUSE.
The Military Training Camp Asso-
citation of the United States is a strong
and efficient organization. 1t IS do
ing wonderful work in promoting uni
form military instruction in America
and should be encouraged by all loyal
citizens.
This opportunity, at nominal cost.
for young men expecting to be called
into service, or for those older per-
sons who are connected with state
guard and other state militia units is
an exceptional privilege.
To be under intensive military in
struction and strict discipline for
twenty-four hours each day for two or
four weeks, with regular United States
and foreign army officers, quartered
at a camp authorized by the war de-
partment, amounts to more than sew
eral years of intermittent home ar,
mory drilling.
Capt. George P. Morehouse OF the
Kansas State Guard, who recently
completed the course of intensive
training at Camp Steever, Lake Ge-
neva, in making a report of his ex-
periences to Frank P. MacLennan,
civilian aide to the adjutant general Of
the United States, of the State Journal
who is the branch chairman for this
region of the association-said:
As captain of Company B. Ninth
battalion. K S. G.. I was invited to
inclined men from the west and take
the course. Taking your advice and
thinking it would be a season Of out
ing and also help me in Kansas State
Guard duty. I went there and had an
unique military, experience. My only
regret is that 1 was the only recruit
from the capital city, altho I found
over twenty-five other Kansans there.
All of them were connected with the
Kansas State Guard and in the drill
and discipline made themselves use
full.
Training at Camp Steever.
Camp Steever is an ideal place for
such an encampment and is upon the
extel--tve grounds of the Northwestern
Military and Naval academy, on the
south shore of Lake Geneva, Wis. 1t
is opposite Williams bay and the great
Yerkes observatory, the latter being in
plain view.
The military academy. with its fine
buildings and equipment and it's large
parade ground for close order drilling,
contests and ceremonies. gives it the
aspect of an army post. Then the lake
with its bathing facilities, the terraced
hills, rocky defiles, wooded slopes and
open upIands render 1t a proper place
for all the more extended military OPP
erations. as hikes, marches, patrol
outpost, skirmish and trench warfare
training. There are over two miles
of trenches on the grounds and be-
fore We got away they made us dig
and prepare more.
Capt. F. l.. Beals Of the U. S. A. a
splendid man and noted disciplinarian,
was commandant and in command Of
the battalion. The four companies weR
in charge of the U. S. reserve officers,
spirited drill masters and instructors
Capt. c. ]. Sowle, Illinois national
guard was adjutant and senior in
structor and an officer always palms.
taking and exact to the minutest de-
tail.
Major c. r. Yates, staff officer
of the regular British army and with
extensive experiences in Flanders
where he was wounded and gassed
twice-was the instructor in bayonet
practice, trench warfare, hand gren-
ade and machine gun work. The ma
jor. a genial and athletic Britisher
was always popular and gave daily
lectures and demonstrations.
' There was full complement of sur
geons to bind up barb wire cuts and
bruises and administer compound pills
to some who ate too much and were
not equal to the coarse fare. We had
a large Y. NJ. c. A. tent with fine at
tendants photographers,a moving pic
ture company and press correspon-
dents. Thus it was we'll equipped for
work and record.
Visits and lectures by italian and
United States officers right from the
fighting lines across the seas gave a
COSMOPOLITAN trend to the military
instruction.
In going to the encampment, our
point of rendezvous was the Army and
Navy club rooms of the Northwestern
railway depot at CHICAGO place for
Ic-
of soldiers each day and well worthy
of a visit. Here nearly a trainload
of our men gathered and It was a
jolly crowd during the ride to Will
liams bay, where we crowded two
small steamboats, and went across the
blue waters of Lake Geneva to Camp
Steever.
This pleasant trip was the last of
our free and easy movements, of the
gang" for two long weeks; for. when
we landed and were registered in. the
strictest discipline of a United States
military camp and institution was ad-
ministcred day and night.
Lone Recruit From Topeka.
Being the lone recruit from To-
peka and before I found the Kansas
contingent I was adopted by bunch
of Chicago and Milwaukee reserve
militia men and shared their tent and
society 10 the emu. hey W cl e a iiiiS
set of well trained gamey civilian SOL
diers, but I always thought they
missed that noted commodity for
which Milwaukee Ii famous; but they
seemed to thrive upon the clear spring
water that was piped to our camp
and the prohibition suggestions from
the man from Kansas" Our tent
sergeant was Capt. John Pierson Da-
vison, a versatile sailor. who had
been all over the world on the battle
ship Texas, and was entertaining day
and night, but administered ship dis
(. cipline at all times.
We were formed into four compa-
MES of about 100 men each, issued
our kit of tinware, a basin, pan, two
cups, knife, fork and spoon, a Krae
rife and assigned to quarters in the
| floorless tents. The camp was in a
fine grove of oak and maple on the
! shore of the cooling lake. During oul
stay the days were fine for work and
the moonlight nights were welcome