The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-19
CAMP LEE

Camp Lee, Va, July 1.-THE in
fux of troops to Camp Lee has not yet
taken on the proportions IT is ex-
pected to in the next few days. Only
500 men arrived yesterday afternoon
and. though that Is enough to keep
the mastering Office busy, It is no.
where near equal to the record days.
when from 1900 to 1000 arrived day
after day The recruiting office, how
ever. shows no decline IN its activity
for the total men enlisted at building
2721 up to yesterday morning sub
stantially overlapped the 100 mark.
the exact total being l.72i.
Civilian business men are co-operat-
ing heartily in giving the recruiting
campaign the publicity needed to ac-
quaint men with the advantages In
the army. Among the most effective
mediums are the movies and theatres,
which nearly all are showing slides
advertising the army between shows
The medical department Is launch
ing a special drive to enlist more men.
setting forth the peculiar advantages
of this branch OF the service. In fact.
il opens the way to one OF the best
positions attainable by an enlisted
man. besides preparing a future for
its men in civil life. The enlisted
sists Of master hospital sergeants.
hospital sergeants. sergeants first class,
stable sergeants. sergeants corporals.
cooks. horseshoers, farriers. saddlers.
wagoners, first class, and privates.
Among the studies and various
phases of the training may be men,
toned instruction In pharmacy, ma
terra medica. physiology. anotoyny,
sanitation, dietetlcs, minor surgery and
clerical work: all of which are USE
full subjects in civil life as well as in
the army Opportunity is also offered
enlisted men to become proficient
laboratory technicians qualified in the
following subjects: Bacteriology, path
ology. histology, and physiological
and sanitary chemistry.
The pay is good, since on the first
enlistment II ranges from 80 dollars
a month TO eighty-one. A master hos
pital sergeant draws eighty lone dol
lars. hospital sergeant s71., sergeant
first class, s5s.. sergeant s44. cor
poral SS5., and so on. with all neces-
sary expenses furnished by the gov
eminent. as well as the free tuition
and practice. The pay in all branches
of the service increases with every en-
iistment, so that private on the
seventh enlistment would draw $40,
and the master hospital sergeant.
sos. When ii Is also, taken into con-
siderauon that an enlisted man re-
tires on full pay the proposition is not
"a bad one.
+ If a man enlists at the age OF
twenty and Is reasonably intelligent
there is no good reason why he should
not at thirty years. become master
hospital sergeant or hospital sergeant
and retire at the age of fifty with a
steady monthly income OF 500 or 500
a month. Here. IL may also be said
and with authority. that the man of
fifty who has spent his life in the
army is far superior physical being
than the average civilian OF the same
age. Numerous retired soldiers are
living examples. They are. at the
age OF nifty or sixty. in their prime
Many SO into business and add to their
monthly incomes not TO speak OF their
savings while still in the service. How
many civilians fifty years o. ago can
boast OF a monthly income of 500.
per month and permission TO buy at
army commissaries at cost.
Recruiting at building 1921 in Camp
Lee is continuing at a brisk rate and,
while the tnflux of troops Is not yet
more than average. they are expected
to arrive in greater and greater num-
bers as the summer passes. The num-
Der OF men enlisted in Camp Lee up
to this date Is over 1850. nearly a
mile or men, II they were placed side
by side allowing one yard perman
A line of puptents' for these men
would extend from Petersburg out to
camp.
An increased number OF civilians is
expected in the near future as we'll
a..
quartermaster corps. as soon as the
recently published regulations author
izing the enlistment for one year only.
OF men without previous service. for
these two branches. Here Is an ex-
ceilent chance for young men to take
a one year course in the university in
khaki. to develop themselves ply
sically to qualify in some useful
speciality as we'll as receive continuous
pay while learning. A year in the
army Ia at worst little loss of time to
a young man and a year we'll spent
in more ways than from a merely An
ancial and educational point of view.
II every young man read the news
papers regularly and kept himself in
formed on the advantages OF the SER
vice. enlistments would be doubled at
least. Few men. even in the army,
realize that there are no less than
eighteen branches of the service open
to recruits and that the applicant
can make his choice from among them
That forces are maintained by the
government in the Philippines, China,
Alaska. Siberia. Panama and OF
course, the army of . occupation in
Germany. That, though the average
young mans pay in civil life is higher
than in the army. it doesn't accumu-
late as fast because. out of 1t. he must
deduct his support The lowest rate
OF pay in the army Is $50 monthly
and that Is practically all velvet"
Neither Is IT generally realized what
1t means to a man. at the end of his
enlistment. to find himself equipped
with skilled trade. besides a con-
siderable amour; OF cash laid by from
his earnings. 1t is not at al. unusual
for man to have $500 at the end Of
his term all saved from his army pay
quite painlessly since in order to do
this he has only to deposit slightly
over $40 = month with the paynlaster
ana the trick \ done. The writer had
that much 70 the good after one en-
listnaent ma tho pay then was SIS d
n1oAth 9or n privAtss II certatnly can
~ gall n IL q a \