Camp Dix Pictorial Review - Content - 20 April 1918

Front Cover, Camp Dix Pictorial Review, Volume 1, Number 4, 20 April 1918. GGA Image ID # 18ceb208b2

The April 1918 Issue reviews two books, describes a model recreation room, and includes photographs showing Camp Dix, Browning Machine Gun in Action, Muledrawn Ambulance Team, Base Hospital Scenes, and more.

Front Cover - Photo Collage of Scenes at Camp Dix

p. 2

• TRENCH MORTAR PIT
• GENERAL SCOTT IS INTERESTED
• SMOKE BARRAGE IN THE DISTANCE
• BROWNING MACHINE GUN DEMONSTRATION
• DEMONSTRATING THE BROWNING AUTOMATIC RIFLE - Colonel Stokes Lying Down, Snipping with the Browning Automatic. The Assistant Chief of Staff is a Good Marksman Shooting from the Hip.
• GENERAL SCOTT AND MEN LOOKING AT BARRAGE FIRE

 

P.3

• COL. M. B. STOKES, 311TH INFANTRY
• GAS MASK PRACTICE
• MULEDRAWN AMBULANCE TEAM
• BAYONET PRACTICE, CO. I, 311TH INFANTRY
• 153RD DEPOT BRIGADE BAND - The boys of the Depot Brigade at last have a band, and a good one, an experienced one. Originally organized on the Mexican border at Douglas, Ariz., in 1916, as part of the 4th New Jersey Infantry, this band was recently transferred from Camp McClellan, where it was known as the 104th Engineers’ Band, to Camp Dix. The members are Jersey City boys and the organization has remained practically intact since its formation. Bandmaster Salem B. Davis has been 28 years a bandmaster.

 

P. 4

• SCENES IN THE BASE HOSPITAL

The Base Hospital at Camp Dix consists of about 75 buildings, a well- appointed town in itself. On this page are shown two typical wards, Nos. 23 and 31, the former showing a number of cheerful convalescents. To feed the patients a large kitchen is provided, of which two views are shown. This contains a battery of three aluminum steam cookers.
The bacteriological room of the hospital laboratory is an interesting corner. To look over the enemy “bugs” under the high-power microscope, discover their insignia and to what battalion of the disease Huns poison brigade they belong, so as to be able to determine the best method for the doctors' counter-attack; this is an observation post fully as important as any at the front.

 

 

p. 5

SCENE IN DENTAL ROOM, 59th PIONEER REGIMENT

The dentist makes cowards of us all, or, at least, nearly all. It is said that toothache was the only thing that would make an Indian cry. But, then, many a white man’s toothache has been cured at the sight of the dentist’s door.

Drills, probes, gags, gas attacks, nerve treating—both tooth and pocket; ugh! But when you join the army Uncle Sam looks at your neglected teeth and says hep, and you march right up to the dentist’s easy arm chair and get a new grip on yourself.

And when it’s over with you show your friends your gold mine and live happy ever after, and in a few weeks the scales tell you that you have put on a bit of avoirdupois, thanks to your “fixed” teeth and army grub and exercise.

Moral: Kaiser Bill had an American dentist; everybody, hep!

• TOO MANY SWEETHEARTS

A one-hour-and-twenty-minute Musical Comedy, with a laugh every minute, to be at The Army Theatre, Wrightstown, Sunday to Wednesday inclusive, April 21, 22, 23 and 24.

Photo by Santcross, Pointville, N. J.

• BUGLERS, 309th INFANTRY

Photo by White Studio, New York

• 78th  DIVISION CRACK SQUAD
  (Rear row, left to right) Adams, Le Master, Schoenfeld, and Langbein. (Front row, left to right) Turner, McGrath, Stanley and Heindorf.
• BASEBALL TEAM OF 1ST BATTERY, OFFICERS’ TRAINING SCHOOL

P.6

THE CAMP DIX PICTORIAL REVIEW

PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY I. L. COCHRANE - 321-323 Cherry Street Philadelphia, Pa.
EDITORIAL OFFICE: 6TH STREET. CAMP DIX, N. J.
SUBSCRIPTION, $1.00 PER YEAR
Copyright, 1918, by I. L. Cochrane.

Now it is time for some fellow to dig up a chapter from Plutarch to the effect that the highly cultured Athenians saved an hour a day by twisting the sun dial. At least it seems strange that these ancient Johnnies with all their wisdom did not avail themselves of such a simple and wise expedient to daily an hour longer in their play and work.

 Possibly the suggestion was made during the days of democracy, and legislators, of course, could not be expected to grasp anything so fundamental. In the reign of  autocrats, oligarchs and chaos their rulers no doubt preferred more hours of darkness for conniving and schemes, hence no dictatorial decree ordering the sun to remain in the heavens another hour each day.

Simple, effective and highly satisfactory that extra hour surely is, but one is constrained to believe that only the stress of present- day world conditions could bring it about without another half century of newspaper and Congressional discussion. The law is a temporary one for war times only—but, it is a safe gamble an act will be passed without much ado making the plan permanent.

What would you say if a pretty French girl were waiting for you to ask the question and give you a farm with everything on it except a mortgage?” So runs a supposed letter from an American soldier in France. It may as well be admitted at the outset ; many an American soldier will ask the question and a fair maid of Picardy or Normandy will answer in the language of love—the spoken word chosen will matter not.

It is also a safe venture that there will be fewer mésalliances than some good folks anticipate. The real French lassie—not those one meets in a hurried visit to Paris or reads about in Balzac or Zola—has the God-given good sense to sweetly overlook masculine shortcomings and is one of the best homemakers in the wide world.

There was a pre-war saying in France that “all good Americans go to Paris when they die.” In other words, the average American likes France; the French temperament agrees with him; French ways of living are pleasing. Here’s to the future Jeanne O’Brien’s and Jean Smiths !

“Business is Business and War is War.” Truly said, but not in the sense seemingly intended. Manufacturers and merchants have long since recognized the folly of permitting their employees to shift entirely for themselves in matters of recreation.

Now our dear old Uncle has awakened to the fact that a soldier is a better one if an abundance of amusement is provided for the boys in khaki and blue. Business is business when the greatest efficiency is attained per individual unit in the organization, and by the same token war is better carried on to a quicker victory when individual and mass efficiency is increased by a high-spirited army that is imbued with a maximum of courage and enthusiasm.

There is no end to the good times a soldier may have if he prefers to remain on the cantonment and ask for no passes, but mighty few feel so inclined. The entertaining in camp is splendid, but every man is an American and that means, even though he does appreciate to its full extent the necessity of discipline and organization and its atmosphere, once and awhile he likes to get away from it, and he does almost every possible chance.

If his family is nearby, home he goes, where his mother is only too pleased to let him do just exactly as he wishes, but the majority cannot go home— home is too far away.

Where, then, may he go ? To any YMCA, to hundreds of homes who are glad to welcome him; but then he often dislikes to accept the hospitality of strangers.

Where then? Fortunately, in all the surrounding cities, Pointville, Mt. Holly, Pemberton, Burlington, Trenton, etc., he can find soldier clubs. If he drifts into Wrightstown for an evening or an afternoon, he will find two now running full blast and shortly there will be another managed by soldiers for soldiers—a regular club, run on the club principle, where, like a member of the Lotus or Lambs, he is the peer of any one present.

The extension of this work which is going on under the direction of the War Department Committee on Training Camp Activities is about the best thing that can be done next to beating the Hun. Do the work for the boys when they are outside of the Camp; the Camp authorities and auxiliaries will take care of them when in Camp.

Such clubs provide recreation for those who are seeking recreation and it attracts those who, when free to roam at will, might prefer forms of amusement that do not build character. Character in an individual is his greatest asset and, with all due respect to the contrary opinions of Kultur, character in a Nation is also its greatest force.

 

About Two Books

In the piping days of peace, it may be well to spend days reading a book—one long one or even four volumes. These times, however, brevity and clearness combined are the essence of practicable reading.

Especially so in the educational line. When a man starts out to learn anything, he prefers to get there by the shortest road. Such a book is “Military and Naval Recognition Book,” by Lieut. J. W. Bunkley, U. S. Navy (D. Van Nostrand Co., New York. $1.00, postpaid). It is a very useful book to the man who is not a graduate of Annapolis or West Point. It tells in a few words and many pictures how to recognize any officer in the leading Armies and Navies of the world, the organization of our Army and Navy, the duties of officers and men, as well as the composition of the various units.

For instance: A French Army Captain passes. He wears chevrons on both sleeves. Perhaps more on one than the other. Chevrons on a commissioned officer’s sleeve is a strange sign language to an American. Here is the answer:  “Chevrons are worn on right sleeve to indicate wounds—one for each wound. On the left sleeve, the chevrons indicate the number of years at the front. The first chevron indicates the first year and each additional chevron indicates each additional six months.”

Another book boiled down to a few pocket-size pages, but everyone worthwhile, is “Health for the Soldier and Sailor,” by Professor Fisher and Doctor Fisk (Funk & Wagnalls Co., N. Y., 60 cents). Some of its contents were probably learned in school—and forgotten. Many items the reader learns for the first time.

Both the authors are men eminently fitted for the task. In times of peace a man may “bluff” through civil life, although physically defective, but a soldier must stand the test and return to civil life benefited by his military experience. It preaches no sermons, promotes no fads, but straight from the shoulder imparts a series of briefly and clearly told fundamental facts that every soldier should know by heart.

P.7

A Model Recreation Room

One of the most complete and pretentious company recreation rooms is that of the 2nd Company, 1st Battalion, 153rd Depot Brigade, Captain Charles H. Stoddard. A view of this room shows what may be done by a company in the way of providing themselves with a recreation and club room.

In this room,  the 2nd Company has a player-piano with a  large number of records, a Victrola with 200 records, a billiard table, games, such as checkers and chess, as well as baseball outfits. It might almost be taken for a well-appointed civilian club, were it not for the gun racks on the side, giving it an Army appearance.

The success of this Company in so thoroughly equipping themselves is largely due to Captain Stoddard's foresight and efforts. A veteran of the Spanish-American War and the Philippines, he knew the need of proper recreation for his men and started out to provide for it as soon as his Company was being organized.

The subordinate officers and men of the Company were infected with his spirit and enthusiasm, showed splendid team work and reached their goal away ahead of most others.

Although Captain Stoddard, who in civil life is a New York attorney, is blessed with an unusual number of good friends and received a great many contributions from outside sources—such as talking machine and pianola records, he and his men at the same time showed that “where there's a will there's a way." They didn't wait for contributions but started at the thing in a business-like way.

 

The company took in boarders, civilians who were employed around Camp, and fed them so well that the fame of their mess soon spread and then more came. So well was the mess managed that the company made money and used it in equipping their recreation room. The number of civilians in Camp has lately dwindled but the 2nd company usually boards the theatrical people playing at the Liberty Theatre not far away.

Captain Stoddard's company does not wait for things to come to them or be donated to them, when they want something they go after it in a business-like way—and get it, for “the Lord helps those who help themselves." By trying to give their workmen boarders full value, these same boarders turned on them with unexpected donations. A small fee is charged for the use of the billiard table and the income thus derived has partly paid for it.

But, you say, the 2nd company was extremely fortunate in its location and in the business and social connections of its officers. Admitted. But they certainly made the most of their opportunities where we believe some others have not. We see no reason why each company should not have a recreation room, we know they can have one if they go for it.

• THE HAVERSACK, WRIGHTSTOWN

p. 8 – 9

Photo by Figard, New Egypt, N.J.

• MAJOR GENERAL HUGH L. SCOTT, COMMANDER OF CAMP DIX, AND HEADQUARTERS STAFF
• CAMP DIX TEAM ASSEMBLED FOR REVIEW

Photo by White Studio, New York

• NURSES – BASE HOSPITAL CAMP DIX 3.28.1918

 

P. 10

• HEADQUARTERS DETACHMENT
• BRICK HOTEL, WRIGHTSTOWN  - Leased by War Department Commission on Training Camp Activities to be converted into largest clubhouse in Wrightstown and managed by a committee of soldiers.
• BASKET BALL TEAM, HEADQUARTERS DETACHMENT 153RD DEPOT BRIGADE
• COLONEL GEORGE L. MASON AND DENTAL STAFF BASE HOSPITAL

 

 

P. 11

• COLONEL DENT, 26TH ENGINEERS
• INTERIOR OF CAMP DIX HOSTESS HOUSE - Photo by Roshon, Wrightstown
• GENERAL SCOTT INSPECTING PACK MULES
• MEDICAL OFFICERS, 59TH  PIONEER REGIMENT OF INFANTRY
• A COLORED ARTILLERY BASEBALL BATTERY LETS LOOSE
• COTS READY TO MOVE TO ANOTHER BARRACKS

 

P12.

• COLONEL MARKHAM AND OFFICERS OF THE 303RD ENGINEERS
• MAJOR WM. P. COWLES AND OFFICERS OF THE 34TH ENGINEERS

P13

• WOMEN’S SUFRAGE CLUBHOUSE FOR SOLDIERS, WRIGHTSTOWN
• COLONET SARRATT AND OFFICERS OF THE 309TH HEAVY FIELD ARTTILLERY

 

P14, 15 AND 16 – ADS