Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-20
TROOPS BEGIN HIKE
IN HEAVY RAIN
Engineer Regiment Snaps
Out of Fort Humphreys Bar
racks After -Four Days.
BY WILLIAM j. WHEATLEl.
staff tofrespor.dent of The Star

on-Fretting under confinement 10
their barracks because Of the conun-
nous rain. the troops of the l2lst Reg
imenf of Engineers met their officers
nj rryoi]le early today with strong
pleas that they he taken out tor some
kind of drill. even il only marching
They were rewarded
In doWnpour and covered win
slickprs the troops left the barracks
for the first time in four days for a
road march, to snap them out OF the
lethargY into which they were Slil',
ming. In fact. loating in barracks had
become such n habit for some of the
mon that they were beginning to look
llpon it as a right. \ member OF one
detachment oven sent word to the
recruit COMPANY. which was nolSIN
drilling ON the second floor OF one OF
the barracks. that the training would
have 10 cease in order that the men
l,eloyy could get their rest. rms mes
sage WAS followed h. Il prompt VISIT
-, the TON sergeant To find tn" sender
If the message, but the latter h;td
disapnoared, saving himself hlGh
rosition on the report card. Al any
rate the sergeant called attention 1e
the rainy day drill Schednl'' P,li'i,'4
ont that they we're not supposed I" NJ
'@NN'A
he put them all to work.
vittle Engineering Training.
The field engineering training Tor
che District truors has practically
been nil since they arrived IN camp
'rhoy have been receiving the same
instruction which they obtained IN
their armory Al Washington during
the past wear. and although RAINY
Gav in barracks is welcome once III
q while. the present rainy season 4"
beginning to pail on them. ana they
are anxious to get out on their pf;tc-
tjral road building and bridge con.
&trllrtinn work. The elaborate held
program which had been mapped "u'
for the first week IS about ready 70
go into the discard after ona-daE use
and four days OF tn" tlNe'daN falhE
schedule which had heen prepared
have been used un.
The troops today were given a pfac-
tical demonstration Of the fact that
with all the intricate machinery ana
Instruments furnished for reducing
labor and increasing efficiency the
ARMY is not vet free to discard the
mule AS the troops slept peaceIullE
last night their motor truck tranSpof-
tation sank slowly into the earth
" hich had been softencd by the con-
tinuous rain Efforts to work II loose
served only to dig deeper and when
there appeared possibilities OF dislp-
pearing distress calls We're sent out
for the Army mules.
Band Members Aid.
After few tugs by these animals,
and when the teamStcr was about to
conCede that the task was too great
even for the Army mule, the mem
bers of the l21st Engineers Band,
who had not had their morning re-
hearsal. were called out to use some
of their Drawn. With n large gallery
of the line troops standing around
offering suggestions, the mules and the
bandsmen succeeded In moving the
motor transportation to hard ground.
Company +. commanded by Capt.
George w. Johns. has organized a
glee club for the entertainment of the
camp.
The company put on its first eXhi-
bitiOn last night in the barracks. and
II was announced that Ii will soon be
ready to appear before the entire
regiment when their scouts learn just
how much the troops viii stand for
The troop is led by Sergt II. p
Meyers and Herman r. Lavenroth.
Raymond shores. To the PLAYING of
the latter. private Adams e. Mouton
and William s. Ennis staged Il Charles
ton contest. Private John Raush
raised the dampened spirits Of tho
men hy half-houl monologun: pri-
Yates William Wolfe and Paul Work
man. ANA Bernard Mcdonnell and
Mouton boxed.
staff ATTENDS Dinner
The rcEimnntal non-commiss!onpd
staff attended dinner last night given
at the Mason Hotel in Alexandria by
Col. 0ehmann. The latter. in a brief
address, laid down some Of the plans
he had for building UP the regiment
during the coming year and explained
how much the success of this work
rested on the shoulders Of the non
commissioned officers
fteglmental Scrgt. Maj. Blake Ccff-
man, veteran guardsman, in reply,
told col. oehmann that the non-com-
misSioued officers stood behind him to
a man.
Plans. he said are being formulated
NOW for forming an organization to
he known rs the Non-commiesioned
Officers Association of the 12Ist En-
ElncerS. He told Col. Oehmann that
preparations now are being made to
give a dinner Monday night in Alex
endria. 20 which will be invited all
the noncomS, for expressed purpose
NJ launching this association. This
h' added. would mark the beginning
"f movement to make the National
capital engineer regiment the model
in organization and morale. which
other guard ORGANIZATIONS of the coun-
Try would want to copy. He said that
reports from the companies indicated
that most of them would be repre-
sented 100 per cent at the dinner.
Plan Dance for Tonight.
The enlisted men of the Engineers
are PLANNING a dance to be held to-
night at the hostess house at this
post. 70 which they have invited many
Of their friends Of Washington. This
IS the first Of a series OF social fuuc-
tons mapped out during the period
OF their enc2mpmont for the purpose
OF relieving the monotony of camp
life
AS a part Of the program to increase
the interest in the Washington Engi-
ncers. plans arc being made now for
the publication next week of a Year
book FOR the 121st Engineer Regiment,
TO carry a history OF the outfit. de.
sCriptjons Of its method of operation
and statements Of the valuable train
ing TO lac had by an enlistment in it.
The committee on ways and means
has been appointed IL plan the pub
lication. ana the following members
OF 1t Will hold a meeting today Capt.
LYMAN y. shapiro. medical denart.
ment: Lieut.. George Hardin. Lieut.
Homer +. Willard of Company f and
Co"pl. Jack Mursell of Company +.
The mechanical work will be handled
hy this company. which is made UP
largely of printers, and it will be
printed on the presses of the post,
which were said to have hcen used at
Pershtng's headquarters in France.
The wife Of Master Sergt Lucious
L. H.