Evening star., 1927-08-16
DISTRICT MILITIA
DIGGING TRENCHES
121st Engineers Have Many
in Morning Lineup Seeking
Treatment for 3Iisters.
BN W. j. WHEtTLEY
staff TorrpeponUcnt of The Star.

BN W. J. WHEtTLEY
STAFF Correspondent of The star.
FORT HUMPHREYS, Va. August
! !G.--Thrilicd by The speed with which
! they accomplished their tasks and the
| sight of their labors taking real form,
! the members of the f2lSt Regiment of
! Engineers. National Guard of the
District OF Columbia, went into The
| field again today to continue their
! efforts in perfecting their military
| education to fit them fer immediate
service in the field if war again
| threatens their country.
| The hard task Of yesterday in the
| field. when many of them We're intro
| duCed to lahoriug Jobs sent the citizen
| soldiers early to bed to obtain well
earned rest preparatory to resuming
the labors of today.
Many Seek Medical Aid.
! Work az military woodsmen and
/ bridge builders played havoc with
office-trained hands during the day,
| and the heavy Army marching shoes
| just didn't set right in the place of
/ the light shoe of the City-hred fellow,
so that when the mournful notes of
! sick call drifted through the barracks
| this morning Mai. George j. Allen.
commanding the medical detachment.
! found a line outside awaiting atten-
ton for hIiSters. A little first aid
administered without much sympathy
was applied. and the young men were
sent back to their commands in time
to march the long distance to the war
sector. where they manned heavy
1, 10
more display Of tenderness than yes
terday.
The euardhousc is empty. the sick
hay deserted and the trenches in "the
hattie area" full. although the shadow
of the camp prison doomed over one
or two who yesterday had not fully
realized that they are now part OF
the great military machine and must
do as they are told and not as they
desire. The recruit school, whose stu
dents consist of new men who enlisted
in the outfit Just before they departed
for camp and which is under the direC-
ton of Lieut. George Evans. Is not
having so much trouble with military
regulations as it is with the muscles
of the men. They seem to find it diff
cult to make their feet and bodies do
Just what the instructor wants and
with the precision he requires.
Trenches Laid Out.
Deep down in the pines and the
quiet that is almost mournful eX-
cept for the frequent skirmishes with
the army of jiggers and ticks. the
whole regiment is laying out a Sc
ries of trenches and machine gun
nests as a part of their war problem.
III Of a. ydS IF "a
being stretched through the area to
represent the barbed wire entangle-
ments to impede the enemy when the
battle of Pig Pine looms. Numerous
ma chine gun nests already have been
dug and we'll concealed, according
to the officers. so that one is the
oretically dead before he can catch
glimpse of them. The men have
made them realistic by cutting small
saplings and fashioning them in the
shape of a machine gun. lest some
one think that they are wells instead
of machine gun nests.
Perhaps the greatest military prob
lem that is being worked out just
now from the standpoint of the rank
and file Is that of the food and it's
cost. These men representing the
District in camp. according to Sergt.
William l.. Greene, who presides over
the 2nd Battalion mess, eat more
than Regular Army troops, because the
appetites are increased by the change
in work and they get ration al
lowance less than those in the reg
ular service.
Complaints Are Few.
The problem is to feed them all they
want, keep within the funds allowed
and still eliminate the kicks, for it is
the inalienable right and practice of
the troops to kick about the mess.
The absence of complaints SO far in
camp indicates that solution has
been reached for this regiment at
least.
The boys of the 1st Battalion to-
day had for breakfast. ham and eggs,
French fried potatoes, corn fakes,
bread, butter and coffee. And for
lunch they had roast veal. boiled po-
tatoes, sliced tomatoes, bread. butter
and lemonade. Realizing that a good
desert will keep down A complaint,
Lieut. Millard. heading the 1st Bat
tation mess, has ordered homemade
ice cream to be served once a day. and
they start in with it at the evening
meal. There is little respite for the
men until after the evening parade
at $50 o'clock. The entire regiment
paraded yesterday and made fine
showing. the ranks of the companies
being we'll filled.
Drill ip Afternoon.
After the noon meal there Is a
brief period Of school instruction in
the shade of the barracks, then the
men are taken onto the parade
ground for infantry drill, where they
are taught to march and perform the
various evolutions expected of well
trained troops. The front ranks have
little trouble. but the rear ranks ap-
parently have a strategic disadvantage
because of the precariOus angle which
some of the front rank troopers insist
on carrying their rifles. They keep
them dangerously near to the eyes Of
the rear rank men. But a steadying
hand from the man behind, which
sometimes upsets his military cadence,
and few sharp commands from the
veteran drill sergeant will straighten
them out in a few days.
Sergt. Harry Hart Of the Reeimental
Ra nd was relieved from camp duty to-
day and ordered TO proceed to New
York to the bedside of his father
who is said to be dangerously i'll.
---- e-