Evening star., 1940-08-07
Drum Lauds Spirit
OF Army Modified for
New York Maneuvers
Visits 2eth Division
In Constont Tours Of
lst Army Eneompment
BY ROBERT A. ERWIN,
Star Staff Correspondent.

NsG1SoocA1nEIt rHLlIo, IN. I ., aug.
Lit. Gen. Hugh A. Drum, COM
mander Of the Nations lst Army
and generalissimo of the big Army
maneuvers in this Northern New
York sector. has become the symbol
for the spirit with which more than
10000 soldiers are swinging into a
brief but far-f1ung three week de-
tense training program.
The white-haired, bespectacled
and genial military leader has be-
come familiar figure to all Regular
Army and National Guard divisions
mobilized for the maneuvers. He
is literally here, there and every
where, operating from his general
headquarters in a white house at
Canton, N. Y, seat of st. Lawrence
University.
His big black sedan bearing the
three-starred plate of a lieutenant
general cruises intermittently over
the highways and byways of st.
Lawrence County and over some
roads that are remote and almost so
rougn as 10 De unnt Tor motor travel.
Visits 29th Division.
Without advance notice, Gen.
Drum made flying visit to 29th
Division headquarters here, to which
District, Maryland and Virginia Ma
tional Guard troops are attached.
In few quickly spoken but pleasant
sentences he summarized the spirit
OF the 1st Army--a spirit of which
he has become quite proud.
Half the battle is in the state OF
mind, and the men are in the right
state of mind" declared the general.
They are making the best of their
lack OF the weapons of modern war
fare. After all, you can train and
train well, even if the weapons are
not here-when the men have such
fine attitude.
These 29th Division troops have
made the longest trips to camp, some
of them as far as TOO miles away in
Southern Virginia" said the general.
Some of them have come by motor,
and this shows what motorized units
can accomplish in speed and dis
tance.
Il have been impressed greatly"
he continued, "by the cheerfulness
of the troops as they arrive. They
are jumping to the job-fulf of life
and ready to 60
Frozen Meat Being Tried.
1--WE are trying out something new
in the food line" he said. Fifty
pound blocks of boneless frozen beef
are being distributed as part of the
meat ration"
Knowing only too well that an
army marches best on full stomach
the general is leaving no stone un-
turned to assure delivery of we'll
balanced rations to all troops. When
he arrived in 29th Division head
quarters accompanied by an aide,
he was greeted by Maj Sidney Nor
gan, Washington, assistant division
intelligence offlcer who had visited
the general at Plattsburg IN. "
maneuvers last summer. Maj. Gen.
Milton A. Reckord of Baltimore.
division commander, was absent at
the time on a tour of the division
area.
Close on the lieutenant generals
trail were news reel and newspaper
cameramen. Tell Gen. Reckord
I'm taking over his division ex-
claimed Gen. Drum as he peered
over military maps for the benefit
of the photographers.
Battle in the Rain.
Rain and road work were the
high lights of yesterdays life in the
29th Division. Intermittent show
ers soaked the entire area and
drenched hundreds of troopers. The
second big shower was the signal
for shower baths with the skies as
the spray. Many an officer and en-
listed man stripped to natures
bathing suit, grabbed a bar of soap
and stepped out into the rain for
real bath.
Between rains. four companies Of
the l2lst Engineers, District Ma
tional Guard, repaired and widened
county roads leading into various
2sth encampments. pulled up weeds
and cut off overhanging branches
from trees.
District units on road work in
cluded Engineer Companies A. c, E
and F, commanded respectively by
Capts. James r. Quade, William F..
Jerginsen, Pearson c. Conlyn and
George w. Johns. Many of these
troopers are workers in Federal Gov
ern1nent Offices in Washington and
the road operations started them on
the way toward renewed physical
fitness for the big maneuvers to come
week after next.
This is fine camp in every re-
spect but the mosquitoes" COM
mented Maj. Ralph S. Shields, COM
mander of the 1st Battalion of En-
gineers, who inspected the road
work accompanied by his adjutant,
1t. Harold j. Leath.
Worship Services Arranged.
Meanwhile, the spiritual side of
the 29th Division camp life was not
being neglected. The division chap
lain, 1t. Col Churchill j. Gibson,
rector of st. James Episcopal Church,
Richmond, announced that a big
Protestant field service would be
held at Canton 9 miles away, next
Sunday. Soldiers wishing to attend
will be transported there in trucks.
On the following Sunday there will
be a field mass for Catholic troop
ers and service for Jewish troopers
at Canton.
Aviators flying planes in the
maneuvers will use a small-size half
inch scale map run off on Regular
A rlA A>1s