The Washington times., 1923-06-28
CITIZEN TROOPS
GET DOWN
To WORK
Rockies" Drill, Hear Lectures
and Do Guard Duty at
Camp Meade.
By GEORGE FRANKLIN.

months program intended to trans
form the various classes into super
/ doughboys.
From $50 o'clock this morning
until shutdown the men were kept
I busy listening to lectures and get
| ting a. line on squad and company
maneuvers. There was one excep-
ton to this. It applied to the men
Included in the Blue Camp, who
have had at least one previous
years military camp training and
reported this year to take advanced
] standing. For the majority of the
men, however, the experience was
new, necessitating their starting at
the. bottom as raw rockies
4 In mass formation they were
i divided into several groups. Sitting
on the ground in semi circle lines
drawn around improvised rostrums,
they. were given series Of talks
on sanitation. They were told the
importance Of shedding flowing
locks and affecting the cropped
pate, that to be gained by keeping
the nails clipped short, and the
added comforts following gener.
GUS patronizing OF shower and tub
baths. They were warned against
the dangers OF eating with I'M
washed hands after spending hours
in active outdoor activities, as well
as of continuing to wear shoes that
pinched or cramped their feet.
VIII Hear Lectures.
Other lectures will be given them
on sanitary and hygfenic topics as
fwell as on military tactics, strategy.
and the value of mass effort as
compared with individual attempts.
The field exercises consisted Of
practically. everything from awk-
ward squad drills to battalion evo-
iutions. Many of the sstudents
made the sudden discovery. that
somehow they had failed to learn
to walk during the years they have
been toddling around attending to
industrial or professional duties.
As one of them said:
/ I've just got acquainted with my
trotters. / never knew until now
how have been imposing on them
for thirty odd years. Its a wonder
they have not been worn off long
ago. Why did that 20O-yard quick
| step without knowing was on the
ground. It will be worth q; whole
month in camp here just to have
learned how to walk"
4 Night study class will feature the
training period. The latter, how.
ever, will not be made too irksome
for the men who will be allowed
ample opportunities for recreation.
The camp theater will be at their
disposal while leave absences will
be procurable.
Glimpse Of Army Life.
One of the advantages of holding
the training camp at a regular
army post, it is said. is the oppor.
tunity it affords for the men to be.
come acquainted with what army
life really is. That is, army life
for the private. So far as the lat
ter Is concerned the screens have
| been taken down, and the men will
be permitted to see what military
discipline means. from rewards to
punishments. A few examples of
the latter are always in evidence
at the camp. You spot them when
you see an otherwise smiling in
dividual down on all fours cutting
the grass, while reasonably near Is
a posted guard who trails him out
LOT the corner of his eye and sug.
gests now and then that It might
be. we'll TO make HAY q little fas.
I ter"
Field artillery practice Is on at
the camp In connection with the
course of instruction given the
men attending the Reserve Officers
Training Camp. They are using
iseventy-five centimeters. throwing
shells over a thousand-yard range
pinto a bit Of woodland skirted by
a shady open plain. Throughout
the day the incessant crashing of
I the guns followed by the reports
Of bursting shells continued a
source OF interest for the men
attending the citizens training
camp. Many of them expressed
the determination to eventually ne
gotiate a connection with the for
mer organization, although Just
how they will effect II none seemed
to know, AS a matter of fact the
two training camps haYe no con.
nection and 30 far as is known
there 10 no way OF being linked up
In a progressive military training
course except through the inter.
medtary OF an educational institu-
ton.
Many Visitors Expected.
For the next four weeks the
Citizens Military, Training Camp
will continue the chief attraction at
Camp Meade. Sundays it will
draW larger crowd Of visitors.
The men attending the camp come
from Pennsylvania. Delaware
Maryland and Virginia as we'll as
from the District OF Columbia. 1t
is unofficially stated that the at.
tendance from the latter Is some
what in excess of 1875.
Results of the medical examina-
ton of the men show that less
than one per cent Of the applicants
were found physically unfit. In
fact, it is said, that none of them
were forced to give up their plans
to cover the camp instruction
course.
Men in the Blue Camp today
showed what their previous months
training did for them. Many of
them have been denied the oppor-
tunity OF continuing their drilling
during the succeeding eleven
months. yet 1t took them but a few
turns to pick up the trick again
and they executed many of the
maneuvers in a way that would
have been creditable to any body
Of guardsmlen.
The camp has been delightfully."-
cool since the men arrived. They