Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-10-19
REORGANIZATION IS
Being ACC0MPL
BY THE j. s. ARMY
Army Unit Proves That Military
Forces Are Real Melting
Pot.

Chicago, Oct. 16.--What the Amer
lean army is accomplishing as an
characterization" agency was dem
onstrated in Chicago last week when
the Americans ALP detachment
from the Camp Upton Educational
Center, now touring the eastern half
OF the country, gave a series Of
drills and recruiting talks here. The
detachment is composed Of 20 men,
representing ID nationalities, who
enlisted three months ago at which
time they were unable to speak, read
or write English. Now, on the au-
thority Of army officers, they drill
with the proficiency Of veteran
regulars" and can speak, and read
and write the language of their
adopted country. Best of all, it
is declared the men, approaching the
opportunities afforded them, are put
ting their hearts in their work and
their service is in gratitude rather
than pulley for their personal inter-
ests.
The detachment is in charge Of
Lieut.. Col. Bernard Lentz of the
general staff, Washington, the ORR
ginator Of the special system under
WAlA@A tlASy nave UccIl tIdluSu Ill
arms. Only one Of the men is ma
tive born American and he was an
illitcrate at enlistment. The others
are Of following nationalities: Span
ish, Lithuanian, Italian, French Can
adam, Norwegian, Finnish, French
Polish, Russian, Armenian, Greek,
Dutch, Jugo-Slavish and Danish.
With the discovery by the war de-
partment that thousands of the men
called in the selective service were
physically able to serve but could
not understand the English Ian
guage, it was sought to remedy the
situation by organizing such men
into companies and battalions for
special schooling. Glass room in
Struction was alterated with drill sc
that the men became good American
: citizens while becoming good Ameri-
can soldiers.
At the close Of the war it was de.
cided to continue the benefit of edu-
cation to all recruits needing it. Thus
the Recruit Educational Centers'
were established for aliens and litter.
ate Americans. 1t was also provided
that aliens enlisted for years might
at the expiration Of that time be.
come full-fledged American citizens
thus reducing by two years the time
required in civil practice. Before
the war Indians were the only eXcep
ton to the rule that recruits must
be able to use the English Language
The first of the Recruit Educa.
tional Centers" established at Camp
Upton proved so successful that the
government decided to show the pro.
duct of it's melting pot" to the ma
tion and the detachment now on tou,
is that exhibit"
department also conducts in al
branches of the service vocationa
training schools where the enlisted
choice, the army University" tina
will teach the soldier anything from
land surveying to gas engineering
from bridge building to wireless tele
graphy, and from blacksmithin ct,
aerial navigation. This is, of course
free to the soldier and in addition
to this food, clothing and army pay
Several If not all of the American
All" detachment expect to take ad
vantage of these opportunities.
The success of the detachment il
learning to drill is attributed largel.
to the Cadence system of close or
der drill" originated by Colone
Lentz. Army officers who have seel
what has bee accomplished by thi
unique system under which the me-
actually give the commands them
selves, executing them at the sam
time, are declared to be enthusias
tic. Veterans who saw the "Ameri
cans All" detachment were impress
ed by the snap and pep" put int
their drilling here.
ice the Classified ads.