Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-09
Uncle Sans Vacation
Camp.
~ Frederic J. Haskln.

Great Lakes, H., Aug. g.--Uncle Sam
is entertaining over thousand American
youths at vacation camps this summer.
The vacation camp for the sons Of the
wealthy has already become a regular
institution Of our summer life. Hundreds
Of parents pay large sum OF money 70
send their boys TO private camps during
the summer, where they will receive plain
food, plenty Of regular exercise and
wholesome amount Of discipline. This
summer the navy has invited any big1
school boy Of rs or over, to become o
temporary sailor, and spend six weeks OF
his glmmef vacation at a naval training
station, with all the advantages Of yaca-
ton camp and none Of the expense. In
fact he is paid the same wages as an ap-
prentice seaman, s33 month.
The summer naval schools, as these
vacation camps are called, were started 70
advertise the navy and help recruiting
There is one camp here and another m the
East. The boys enlist for period Of three
months, six weeks TO be spent m active,
service and six weeks in the Naval Re
serve Force
when they go home" says Lieuten-
ant Robert Wyrnan, head OF the Summer
| Naval School here. I'VE hope they Will
talk about the navy. In fact, we expect
them to spread the news around pretty
thoroughly that there is q navy. As they
come from all over the country this will
have the effect Of spreading an intelligent
interest in the service through the land
We have 707 men in the school now from
almost every State in the Union except
the eastern States"
The boys seem to take 10 camp life Ike
q duck 10 water, in spite Of the fact that
q
hOme before, and many of them came
with very little idea Of what sailors life
was like One youth from the far West, for
example, who was among the FIRST arrivals,
was put INTO rather makeshift quarters
! the first night ard told that he would be
/ sent 10 the resguar barracks In a day or
/ two as soon rs things were ready.
SENT MS OWN FURNITURE.
/ "Oh, that's quite al right, hc replied
I obligingly, beamng az the officer m
/ charge 81 him just put me any placc
/ I'm having my own furniture sent on from
home, and can manage with anything
until it arrives
When the news was broken 10 him that
his furniture for the summer would consist
/ of hammock and q sra bag, he adapted
+ himself 70 that idea quite as pleasantly
school il the way it strips life of All non
essentials and throws boys from al sta
tlons Of life together in one zig democratic
community, boys who have had every
/ luxury, and boys who are there because
they want to earn the s33 a month 70 help
them through school next year
Many If the rockies were brought ~
the station by their proud and ANXIOUS
parents some of them arrived ID state l1
limouSines A former conrnandant Of the
Great Lakes Naval Training station, and a
prominent army officer both delivered
their sons to Lieutenant Wynan with the
/ request that he he not sparIng Of discipline,
not that their boys needed It especially,
they FASTENED to add but simply because
they realized the value Of strict military
training in aidirg young men 10 cope with
life in general The mothers who come
with their sons. on the other hand, are
more anxious about such subjects as fresh
milk and eggs, and whether sailors wear
rbbers, and as for discipline, they hope
Lieutenant Wyman will do MS best %
| promote a gentle homehke atmosphere.
Dudley Dowell, who came up from
Little Rock, Arkansas, with 20 other boys,
Is most enthusiastic about the school
Dudley was waking sternly UP and down
Yesterday afternoon, doing guard duty
and looking exactly ike recruitlnl
poster with his white uniform gieamlns
against the dark blue water, when he wa
asked about his camp life 50 Tar.
Il think its fine, beamed Dudley
giving a proud hitch to the gun on m
hip. "Of course the first night OF two ~
nearly all fell OUT Of our hammocks, bu
now we sleep 20 hard we never turn over
We have 10 get I'D al FIVE in the mornnl
and scrub the deck, and We have 70 wash
uniform every day, he continued as ]
these were the most thrilling events he ha'
ever experienced.
BOYS FIRE BIG GUNS.
But the thing that appeals 10 Dude,
most. as 10 every other boy We talke'
with. IS that they are learning 10 hr
regular three-inch guns. They all uanag
/ to bring this into the conversation yer,
casually every few minutes. Besides TN
noisy occupation they have all the rest
the Irregular training for naval recruits
infantry drill, artillery, seaInanship, sig
mails and rlhe range.
Ensign Isle Maxon, who teaches then
rife shooting, IS going around these dal
with q slightly worried expression. ne
move with all the abandon OF growing boy
and when a whole company OF them nav
loaded rifles in their hands, Il takes
brave man to stav within range. Ia spit
. of the awful risk he 5 running, however
Mr. NIaxon euiovs his work with theT
immensely He i sprightlv Young office
in SpotleSS white uniform with a Slngl
gold stripe on MS shoulder. Today whe
he asked class of rockies if they had an
questions, one earnest youth inquired
all seriousness, DO YOU think you j eve