Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-02
ROCKIES At MEADE
LEARNING QUICKLY
Although Many Are Only Six
teen, They Look and Act
Like Regulars
VERY FEW ARE REJECTED
BIZ a star Correspondent
,itizens' Military Training Camp.

The drenchtng downpour TINS morn
ing In no way dampcned the enthusi-
asm of the boys, but 1t did give them
their first taste Of the discomforts OF
military life.
It isn't actually an infant regiment,
but some of them could not be much
younger without being switched from
army chow to bread and milk. That $
what makes this particular citizens
military training camp different from
nll that have gone before. The army,
that ponderous. smooth running ma
chine, has caught them young. and the
lads will go home with the imprint OF
discipline, self control and obedience
that will last
Many Of the boys are only sixteen.
some do not look that. There is the
case of little Joe Burns. Youngstown,
Pa. Joe went home today. It was a
hard pull, but they finally got him to
60. Joe says he is disgraccd. "for what
will they say. of a, man who is sent
homeT' lie IL under sixteen years,
and weighs ninety -four pounds, so Joe
won't do. He almost cried his eyes out,
and drank water till his tummie could
hold no more, but simply could not
tip the scales at 100. As 100 pounds
Is the minimum, Joe must wait until
next year.
The whole idea is to give youths and
young boys military training ut their
most impressionable age, building up
a great civilian reserve. from which SOL
diers and officer material may be drawn
in an emergency. They" so runs the
legend, do not want TO have to request
the veterans of the last war to bear
the brunt of the next one. 'They"
think the men who fought the last war
have done their bit.
PershinC Eypec;cd at Camn
At any rate, the plucky boys Mt this
camp. and others like it throughout the
country, are preparing to carry on.
General Pershing Is expected to come to
camp today as the guest of Brigadier
General Charles J. Bailey, command
ing the Seventh Division, which is sta
toned here. So the top man in the
ginners, and they will gaze at him.
They" don't all feel humble be-
gnners. Some of them are good. Take
little Paul Kaufman, 1920 North
Eighth street. Philadelphia. for in
stance. Paul says they call him Young
= Jack Dempsey He said today he is
so good not man in camp anywhere
II of his weight can knock him cold. Those
II are Pauls own words. They can't
II knock me cold" Paul says he is good at
II soldering, too. Il just came down
II here to brush up" he confded. "You
see | got all the real stuff during my
II rine, months at the Wenonah Military
III Academy--all Of it.
II There is plenty Of music in camp "to
II jazz the boys up as Lieutenant
II Charles G. Lowe put it. This music
II does help n lot, but it failed to take
away the sting when the bugles sounded
first call for reveillc" at the unearthly
| hour OF 8 rs this morning. And with
reveille at 8 :25. the boys had some job
getting their wrap putties untangled and
| draped around their shanks in time to
| tumble into line before the last note of
H the bugles waited away. Some of them
| | didn't. They will next time.
II Retreat" is @ O'clocl: in the evening.
/ but the boom OF the gun does not end
H the work. At 6 80 is first call for
II moving pictures. These are pictures of
the army in action. The tasks of the
cay end at O'Clock at night Tattoo"
gives its sweet notes at o. "call to
H quarters at 10 :45 and "taps" plant
i'eiS sounds down the curtain at II.
H Musical Program
II After "rccall'' at s o'clock last night
some OF the boys got out their mouth
organs and mandolins and joined BY
H kindly regulars, they held a "sing.
song their very first in the army. The
old barracks echoed just once again to
the singing of youth and hope. and
courage: and 1t may be the wraiths of
some who: too. had sung there not so
long ago listened and approved.
1t is husky bunch of youngsters
mat has come down here for a month 8
| training. Only five or six have been
| rejected physically out of all who have
applied. The boys will get plenty of
| physical drill in addition to their
soldering, and the ball players from
H Girard College will find plenty of teams
| TO play. These boys came down COM :
p,letely equipped with bats. masks and
gloves. They are Charles Freeman,
H Waiter Watt. William Klein. Oscar
i P"nnock, Edgar Lorah. Ralph Gibbons.
| James Costello. Lafayette Dawson,
TTainor and Earl Lange.
II Leroy linuSer, 54G0 Lebanon ave
nue.. Philadelphia, who cut his hand on
the way down. is in good shape again
the injury was not serious He saws
soldiers do not mind such little things.
Three men in camp hikcd all the way
from CnionIown. Pa. distance OF
- miles They made it in six days.
II Private Andrew Lcachk0. formerly Of
the Twenty eighth Division. was tha
II leader.
II II got a squad of eight men to
gether,' he said. land started 70
march them SlHwn here, so as to break
them in. See: l wanted to get them
in shape before the camp opened
II 'Well. five of them dropped out and
II went home again. Two plugged along
II with me-"
II The two referred to were John
II Gregor and Joseph Hudock neither of
II whom have had previous military cx-
II periencc The men carried a banner
- n(niontown to Camp Meade Training
Camp The faithful three clung rn
their banner and brought il to camp
with them when they arrived Friday.
Upon investigation, 1t was found none
OF the three had made application to
come to the camp and been ur, I'd
In the regular manner. The Whole
i thing was irregular, so today the H.,
began laboriously marking the rcvers
side of their banner, Camp Meade to
tniontown.'
Men Are Accepted
1t was not necessary, for such pluck
earns its own reward. The men hove
been made regularly accepted members
OF the training regiment.
Ice tea is being kept on tap in every
mess hall, free to all, and is mighty
acceptable to the boys No trouble or
expense has been spared to make them
comfortable and keep them well. As
A. i. Harrison, of 1872 North Eight .
eenth street, Philadelphia, nut it,
Home, was never like this, but who
Cnrcs?'