Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-12
.SPROUL TO REVIEW
MILITIA IN CAMP.
Six Philadelphia Companies Enc
thusiastic for Work Begin
ming at Mt. Gretna
MANY WANT GUARD PLACES
By a Std6 Correspondent


Mount Gretna, Pa. July 12.-
Governor Sproul will visit the camp Of
the Reserve Militia Brigade here on
wednesday, motoring from Harrisburg,
It was announced here today. The
Governor will review the brigade. A
number of National Guard and army
officers will also attend.
With the preliminary work of eettips
established in camp completed, six com.
panies Of the militia from Philadelphia
are now In the midst of the military
life and rigorous discipline at Can't
Major Marshall Henderson, which
opened officially yesterday morning fot
the reserve militia of Pennsylvania.
Tired and sleepy, the men were
aroused from their cots yesterday morn
ing by the trill of the army bugle.
which, tor the coming week, will regu-
late their routine life. The Phila5eI-
phia men had arrived late the night
before under command of Colonel
l1endler. But their fatigue is now for
gotten and the schedule of the camu
Is swinging along smoothly, all orders
Delng carried out without the attend
ant confusion that might be expected,
The life here is proving a huge success,
and for the time being Philadelphia is
forgotten.
There were no formal exercises mark
ing the beginning Of the final encamp-
nent of the Pennsylvania reserve mill
tan, the men, most of whom have seen
experience in other camps, many over
seas, turning out and falling into their
military duties with no confusion.
Brigadier General Charles Cresswell,
commander of the militia, and his staff
arrived Thursday afternoon and after
establishing headquarters completed tho
plans for the opening of the camp,
all of the $500 members of tho
organization were in camp for the OPEN
ing, the two Philadelphia cavalry troops
being among the few organizations that
did not arrive in time to start work
with the inauguration of the military
program.
The men were given a sample of the
kind of work they will do during the
encampment Immediately upon arising
yesterday and this morning. The vari-
ous companies were taken out on the
parade ground and put through stren-
lous course of setting up exercises be-
fore breakfast.
After breakfast the camp, which was
absolutely clean to the civilian eye, was
policed and then the real work of the
week began.
Most Of the militiamen are not raw
recruits, so the officers were not com
pelled to teach them the rudiments OF
military carriage and behavior, begin
ming the week instead with a series OF
simple field maneuvers.
Although the militia officers will be
in charge of this work, high officers
of the Iron Division, the old Pennsyl-
vania guard unit, parent of the militia,
will oversee the work.
Colonel Ed c. Shannon, "Old Two
Yards" commander of the 111th In
fantry Colonel Fred A. Snyder, com
mander of the 103d Engineers. and
Colonel Robert NJ. Brook
field, assistant chief Of staff of the
Twenty eighth Division, are among the
overseas notables here to help perfect
the work of the militia.
Colonel Brookfield is Philadelphian,
He was formerly professor of mathe
matics at Central High School, and
while there organized II Company OF
the old Third Regiment, made up en-
tirely of Central High School students.
Te has not vet received his DISCHARGE
from the army.
Stiff Program
The program laid out for the civiliaI
soldiers is a stiff one. Their military
studies at their respective armories dur
ing the winter will be made the ground
work for more extensive course laid
out by the overseas men.
This is the last camp of the reserve
militia. 1t has definitely been decided
not to use it as nucleus for he new
National Guard, formation of which
already is under way. As soon as the
units of the new guard are organ nized
the reserve militia will pass out of ex-
istence. In spite of this and in spitJ
of the fact that it was war born
made up Of men who werss
unable to serve in the army, but who
were eager to do what they could fot
the welfare of the country and ths
safety of their state, there appears t,
be no let up in the interest and enthu-
siasm, at least of the officers and en-,
listed men now here. Most of them
are expected to trv for places in the
guard.
OF those who were in the old guard
but who were rejected for federal serv,
ice most are hard bitten by the fashion
of the military life and of the new
comers many feel that the one or two
oo..n. |bay baya attandod haya anI.