Evening star., 1940-08-09
29th Guard Division
Takes on Business
OF War at Camp
Majority Philosophical
On News of Senate Vote
On Mobilization Authorit,
BY ROBERT A. ERWIN,
Star Staff Correspondent.

By ROBERT A. ERWIN,
Star Staff Correspondent.
RENSSELAER, FALLS, N. Y, Aug.
e.-The business of war and less of
the routine freedom of Army camp
life prevailed today in the 29th Divi-
sion encampment along the Oswe-
gatchie River here
Several thousand National Guards
men from the District, Maryland
and Virginia were considering the
words of the commander of the 1st
Army maneuver, 1t. Gen. Hugh A.
Drum, who had driven home to COM
manders-from platoons to divi-
sions-the value of field training,
whether or not modern weapons
are available.
Brigade and division exercises
next week will follow the company,
battalion and regimental drills of
this week, the first of the three
week 1St Army maneuvers in the st.
Lawrence River sector. After that
comes the big maneuver itself, sew
eral days in the field under condi-
tions of real war as they can be best
simulated.
Told of Senate Vote.
Newspapers. radios and word of
mouth spread throughout the vast
maneuver area last night the flash
from Washington that the Senate
had passed the bill permitting the
President to mobilize the National
Guard for the Nations defense.
Noting safeguards placed in the bill
as passed by the Senate, the ma
Jorlty of guardSmen were philo-
sophical. They are ready to go. They
feel there is job to be done-de-
fense of their country-and they are
ready to do it.
This news from washington drove
home in the minds of the guards
men the message of Gen. Drum they
heard in a mass meeting of COM
missioned and commissioned
officers at Canton, near here, on
Wednesday night.
Gen. Drum made a searching and
frank analysis of the defense situa-
tion and stressed the point that
well-trained personnel was necessary
to handle the new defense facilities
provided by Congress.
In 29th Division headquarters the
intelligence section and other groups
In the high command proceeded to-
day with command post exercise
administered from Sd Corps Area
headquarters at Heuvelton. The
problem yesterday called for the
defending forces, the Blues, to at
tack the invading Black Army.
Ordered to Cross River.
The fictitious enemy had blown
up bridges on the Grass River in
this Far Northern New York State
area, in the 29th Division front.
Today the 29th Division regiments
were ordered" to force a crossing
of the river at 2 am. with the
assistance of special engineer pom
toon company. The engineers in
this case would be the 121st En-
gineers of the District National
Guard.
Todays problem called for the 9lst
Infantry Brigade of the Virginia
National Guard to make the primary
attack on the right flank of the
enemy with a simultaneous effort
from the 58th Infantry Brigade from
Maryland.
1t. Col. Manton Eddy, intelligence
officer of the Sd Corps, with head
quarters at Baltimore, was one of
the official visitors yesterday to the
29th intelligence section, COM
manded by 1t Col. Edwin P. Con-
quest of Richmond, who, in private
life, Is a prominent Richmond con-
tractor. Col Conquest is a graduate
Of Virginia Military Institute.
In the dual role of commander
of the 91st Brigade and the 1st Vir-
ginia Infantry is Col. John Palmer
Bright, Mayor of Richmond, acting
brigade commander in the absence
of Brig. Gen. Samuel Gardner
Weller, whose duties as State
adlutant general in connection with
prospective National Guard mobil-
ization are keeping him in Rich
mond.
Virginia Unit Arrives.
The last unit of the Brigade Head
quarters Company from Berryville,
Va, arrived late yesterday by truck,
bringing the remaining equipment
for headquarters. Eight men were
In the detail, commanded by Master
Sergt. Donald G.. Cooley.
Among the real war veterans of
the 29th Division is Sergt. Fred
johnson of the adjutant generals
section, 29th Division Special troops,
District National Guard He is the
postmaster of the 2eth Division and
the chief clerk in the post Office
setup in tent behind the canteen,
where special troopers buy soft
drinks and candy during the day and
early evening.
1t is Sergt. Johnson's task, super
vised by Second 1t. Charles Rust,
division postal officer, to handle the
great volume of United States mail
that pours into the division head
quarters every day. To date not a
single letter has gone astray and
the mail is delivered at least once
each day by enlisted carriers work.
ing out of the post office.
The mail address for 29th Divi-
sion troops is A. P. o. % (Army Post
Offlce), Canton, N. Y.
A song service for the division will
be held Sunday at 7:30 pm. either
in the church or on the lawn of
Rensselaer, Falls Methodist Church
The Rev. Frank Mindham, pastor
impressed by the number of troop
ers who voluntarily attended the
usual Wednesday night prayer
service, arranged the Sunday night
event.
The sermon will be delivered by
Maj. Edgar Cordell Powers, chaplain
of the 104th Medical Regiment
Maryland National Guard. His text
will be Gods Law of Interdepend-
ence."
Rockies Learn to Drill.
Veteran non-commissioned officers
of the 5th Maryland Infantry from
Baltimore spent the day yesterday
teaching the new Army drill system
to rockies.
Today their course includes the
more advanced extended order
drill. Their recreations after hours
include games of softball, bunk IA
tigue-synonym for well-earned
S,,