Evening star., 1939-08-06
BY the Associated Press.


LONDON, Aug 5.-Despite rain,
floods and mud, England's first
peacetime conscripts are ready, will
ing and able after three weeks OF
army life.
The boys have not had an easy
time The weather has been un-
usually bad, rain has hampered their
drills But in typical British fashion
they have muddled through.
The first levy of $4,000 for the
militia" as the draftees are called,
has been in the service long enough
now to sleep comfortably on its army
cots. BY the end of its six-month
period of enforced training, the en-
tire first draft of nearly 250,000
youths between 20 and 81 will be in
uniform and second class will be
close on its heels.
Preparations Incomplete.
Inauguration of the consumption
plan vividly recalled scenes in Amer
ican cantonments of 1917. There
was the same spirit of confusion,
incomplete preparations and contra
dictory orders. The pace, however,
was more leisurely.
The conscripts generally disre-
garded the order to travel light to
training depots. One brought car
rier pigeon, which he released to
fly back home with news of his ar
rival. A second ignored the third
class railroad ticket and four shill-
ings to cover incidental expenses en-
route, which were inclosed with his
order to report and arrived in
Rolls-Royce driven by a uniformed
chauffeur
A sporting draftee came equipped
with his golf clubs and another
brought his bride of a week, who
learned to her distress that the 1899
Military Training Act had made no
provisions for her.
Many Live in Tents.
Because not all camps were ready
for the first detachment, many Of
the conscripts were quartered in
tents until completion of permanent
barracks.
An initial shortage of uniforms
was aggravated by a walkout of $50
girls employed in a military tailoring
establishment because their person.
| able young foreman had been trans
ferred. Militiamen of normal size
have now been outfitted The very
small, the very tall and the over
weight, however, are awaiting spe-
cial uniforms.
Their battle dress" is a cross be-
tween beach pajamas and coveralls
done in khaki. For recreation hours
there are gray flannel slacks and
dark blue sports Jackets.
The government has striven to
emphasize the unmilitary aspects Of
the CONSUMPTION program and the
militiamen have been eased into
army life.
Democracy Emphasized.
The program has been presented
| as something of a national young
mans camping trip at government
expense. The democratic aspect has
been stressed. with sons of the upper
classes being among the first as
signed to kitchen police and fish,
monger's assistants being the first
to learn how to fire anti-aircraft
guns.
Minor breaches of discipline were
overlooked and commissioned
officers were under orders to go easy
on the new men.
One London paper said, THE war
Office in its anxiety to prove that
the old bullying, swearing sergeant
major is thing of the past is 60
ing it bit.
1T is excellent to know that the
army is well fed and that routine
is leavened with laughter; but war
office zeal gives the impression that
the men, as they lie On feather beds.
are brought their cups of morning
tea by sergeants whose purring lips
nave never used a cuss word. What