Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-12

Corporal Nellie Catches $50
Letters a Minute in Test
at Meade
ALL SOLDIERS TAUGHT
Many Men in Liberty Division
Are Disqualified for Over
Seas Service
Camp Meade. Admiral. Md, June ~.

~"
All records at this caInp for receiving
arm semaphore messages were swept
by the board today when Corporal Ralph
Meile, of Company C, 324th Field Signal
Battalion. caught a message that was
flashed at the remarkable rate of $50
letters to the minute.
Nellie Is n native Of S~latington. Pa.
and prior to enlisting in the field signal
service had served four years in the navy
Today's record stamps him as the camp
champion for receiving army semaphore
messages.
That he can better today's record is
certain. for net once during the test did
he display the slightest nervousness or
show that he was being overtaxed. But
he probably won't better his record, for
not a man in camp can c as fast as
this signal corps wizard can receive.
THE secret of my success" says the
soldier, 'is very simple. Practice and
constant practice made it possible
The arm %semaphore system is taught
to every man in the service. and the
average soldier, after a few months
training, is capable of receiving forty
hve and fifty letters a minute. Sixty
letters a minute Is considered fast work,
for 1t is not SO easy to read the code
when flashed by the RAINY system as 1t
is when Tags are Used.
Company c. of the 324th Field Signal
Battalion, has developed a bunch of speed
kings SO far as this particular art is
concerned. and more than so per cent Of
the company is capable of receiving
sixty letters a minute. A score of them
have scores of eighty and better, and
many have exceeded the hundred mark.
In the group that has taken eighty and
better are Corporal Joseph Dewitt, of
Pittsburgh Sergeant Fred J. Goetz,
Sergeant James Z. O'Hara.tof Oil City.
Pa. Sergeant C.. j. Finnell, New Ken
sington. Pa, and Sergeant John NJ. Will
hanson, of Sewickley. Pa.
Oficers Are speed Kings
Commanding officers of this unit are
recognized as speed kings. too, for one
of them. First Lieutenant Robert w.
Strowbridge, Of New Tcrk, was one of
the central figures in today's test. 1t
was Strowbridge who flashed the mes
sage to Nellie. .
The arm ~semaphore. system Is similar
in principle to w~igwasging and Is used
extensive v by all SIGMA. men. "Meile,"
, said Lieutenant ~Strowbridge. can re-
ceive as fast as any man can send, and
that Ia some stunt. l am confident that
he car take 200 letters a minute, and
while 1t Is much easier to send than to
receive. there are few men who are able
to manipulate their arms at such a ter
rife speed. Every letter sent requires a
change in POSITION, and to send 200 let
tiers a minute Is n stunt that few men
in the service can do
G Company IL one of the dandy out
fits at Little Penn, and or its roster are
mer from almost every walk of life
Captain J.. v. Far Osten. commander of
the unit, is an old Western Union man.
and brought many wrinkles in the eff
cheney system Of that company to Camp
Meade.
L~ieutenants II. W. Marks. John Alex
ander and Bert L. Coombs are specia
lists in various technical lines and have
aided in the work of training the COM
pany. Concerning the arm semaphors
work, they have worked out a simple
system that Is very popular with the
men, for instead of forcing the men To
send stereotyped messages they permit
the men to use their own discretion.
For instance, n trained man will take
charge of a rookie, and after teaching
him the semaphore alphabet will inform
the recruit that he will receive the fol-
lowing message, II shall give you two
bottles of cold beer If you get this mes
sage correctly"
OF course the rookie knows that this
is pure bunk. blu he Immediately be.
comes interested, and after catching the
message, sends his answer. 1t usually
reads like this: Il get you old top. but
don't hand me that kind of junk.
Homer Thomas. the Cleveland boxer
is a member of this company, and dur.
discuss boxing records and give his
comrades a little inside information con,
corning the fight game.
Too Tall for Trenches
That many men in the Liberty Divi,
sion have been disqualified for oversee,
service became known today and amonf
the men are several of the camp not
ables. One OF them Is Bob Reddington
Of Pittston, Pa, the tallest soldier ir
camp. He is six feet seven inches tall
in fact, toe tall for the trenches--s'
will remain on this side of the ocean.
Reddington Is a member of B Bat
terry, 311th Field Artillery, nj is yell
ing loudly for a chance to go across. H,
may overcome the objections of tn,
surgeons. but it is very unlikely. Her
bert Rels, Philadelphia newspaper mar
and member of the 315th Infantry, IL
another who has been disqualified TO
service In France.
The following P~hiladelphlans were re
jected today because Of physical de
fects: =
Ralph r. Hinck. 81; Walter v
Gawronski. 81 Michele Di Scenza. 81
John A. Smith. FL; Julius Mechanic, 81
Samuel Goldenberg. 20; John Yeager
4; William ~Cayanaugh, IS; William
Kearney. Jr., As Francis De Whine, 16
Elmer Williamson. as John Piechowsk
IS; Russell +. Mandell. rs; Raymon'
Winnals, "a; Walter A. Pertuch, 80
John B. Angeloni. As; Harold II. An
dreas. So; Harry H.. Haas. 10; Engle
bert J. Payson, As; James Largay, "a
MARITIME Puccia, Is; Joseph F. Clark
so; Matteo De Cesare. "A; Giro Nigro
IS; Bernard Boyle. "a; Louis Lerro, 2
James F. MCGOWAN. 20; Salvador
Grasse 8; John Cosgrove. 2: Rocc,
Vslinote. &.