The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-03-06
'MERCURY" SQUAD
 .OF DIXIE DIVISION IS.
 BEING WELL TRAINED.
Members Are Crack Run- ners and Will Act as Messengers on Field
 of Battle

l Camp Wheeler, Macon, Ga, March , l Special .)-Under the direction of Captain Henry of division headquar-
 ters, a plan has been adopted where | by a wound in the back will be a ! badge of bravery when found on the l body of a member of the mercury souad" Time was in the American armies when a shot in the back was | looked upon as a sign of cowardice, likely to have been inflicted while running away from the enemy. With running team, such a wound will show that they have stood their ground and were in the performance of their duty
 The government has called on every line of endeavor to put all they had In the present war. Besides all the industrial, commercial and financial in- terest which can be used in the pro-
 pagation of the war it has called upon
 boxers. wrestlers and now upon the
 last line of athletic defense--track
 stars.
 These runners or messengers of the
 Dixie division arc to be the one human
 agency in the department of liaison
 that will keep the advancing infantry
 in touch with the supporting artillery
 It will be the final resource for the infantry when all other branches of the service-wireless, rockets, wig wags, sirens, pigeons and dogs have failed to communicate through the curtain of fire
 For sometime it has been gener- ally conceded that bombers and ma chine gunners have been taking tho greatest risks in battle, but these Will light in comp parative safety when their risks are measured in compari- son With that of the mercury squad' l. is expected of them to run across the gas-fumed areas and out on the shell-swept battlefields. It is the one great opportunity for the athlete
 Great courage will be as necessary as fleetfootedness in qualifying for this service. A major must be con- vlnced that every one of the nine ac- tive members of the mercury squad of his battalion possesses the stay With 'em'' bravery. So hard is the go- ing on the misshapen battlefelds and so hazardous the task that the dis tance for any relay runner will be 2oc yards, unless he finds his next relay killed or too badly wounded to continue.
 So the boy who once circled the cin- der path for one of the southern col leges or brought the cheering stu dents of a preparatory school to their feet as he dashed under the wire may have the opportunity of saving the boys of the Dixie division from the driving Huns.
 The following Alabama men. pur- sung the course of instruction un- der Lieutenant Renard French army. In the Herbert system of physical training, completed the course to be. come instructors:
 F1rst-class instructors Corn. I Marshall, Company A, 106th engineers. Sergt. R. McNeil Company E. Serrt, J. Il. Holmes, Company M; Sergt. C. l. Swayze headquarters company. 123d infantry.
 second class instructors Corp. c. E. Boutwell,, Company F, 106th engineers. Corp. E G. Hannon, Company A: Serpt | E. Clark, Company B; corp. O. D scott, Company D; Corp. w. A. Mur- rell Company F; Corp l.. A. Pitts Company G; Sergt A. King, comnany Il Corp. J. English. Company ID. Sergt. l.. Davis, Company l.: Sergt w, ii, Erickson. M. G. company, 12sd in fantry.