It having been suggested to the writer that due to the prominence of athletics in the Army and the Navy, and to the unique functions of the above named office filled by him, a description of some of the features of said office with respect to the manner of handling recruits at this post would be of interest to many naval officers, the attempt is made to set forth certain activities that are not prevalent at other Army posts.
In the first place, in order to form an idea of the conditions, it may not be amiss to state that Fort Slocum is one of the five recruit depots supported by the War Department. Practically all of the applicants for enlistment east of the Mississippi River are sent to Fort Slocum for final examination and acceptance or rejection, as the case may be.
The strength of the garrison varies, running as high as 1500 men, at times. The organizations at the post consist of the 1st, 2d, 4th, 6th, 2ist and 25th recruit companies, general service, infantry, the first named being a band. Each company is composed of a certain nucleus of picked soldiers, termed the "permanent party," and of recruits. Incoming recruits are assigned to these companies as equally as may be, are given a course of instruction in the fundamentals of the military art and then shipped to their regiments as called for by orders issued from time to time by the War Department. This course of instruction is intended to cover a period of about two months, but a demand for recruits may shorten this time to a few days, as was illustrated during the Mexican border trouble. These recruits, due to the amount of drill, study, etc., required of them, are not allowed to leave the depot during the first two months, which fact has considerable bearing on our policy of handling them.
The permanent party before mentioned consists of about 17 sergeants, 10 corporals and 25 privates for each company. From these are chosen the drill sergeants, extra and special duty men and all others on duty pertaining to the administration of the depot.
It is not the object of this paper to inquire into the methods of recruit instruction as regards purely military work, such as guard duty, etc., but to show what is being done in a certain department which should be equally interesting to Army and to Navy alike. The activities referred to are centered in the "Athletics and Amusements Office," which title is fairly descriptive of the work involved.
The general duties of this office are to supervise all forms of athletics on the post, and to provide means of entertaining the soldiers at times when they are not on duty. These duties will be discussed under the two separate heads indicated in the title to this paper.
I. Atletics.
Of course, in the limited time at our disposal, it would be absurd to attempt making a finished athlete of the average recruit. The advisability of such results, even were they possible, is open to question. Therefore, the main idea underlying the athletic instruction of the recruit, is to "get him off his bunk" and to put plenty of fresh air into his lungs. Of course the regular "setting up exercises" are used in drill every morning, but that is considered insufficient. Hence, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoon all recruits that are not actually on duty (guard, drawing clothes, kitchen police, etc.) are given two hours systematic exercise according to a prescribed schedule as noted below. Each company is allotted a certain portion of the parade ground, and the recruits exercise thereon, under the direct supervision of non-commissioned officers known as "squad instructors." Each of the latter controls about a dozen men, there being a selected sergeant in charge of the whole company who sees that each squad complies with the schedule ordered.
Now two hours is a long time, when an athletic drill is considered, and if the go-as-you-please method were allowed, the men would be bored to death before the time was half over, and but little benefit would result. The principles involved in our solution of the problem can be seen from the following letter, which is, in tenor, a copy of that submitted by the athletics and amusements officer (hereafter designated as the A. & A. O.) on the 15th of every month.
Recruit Depot, Fort Slocum, N. Y., July 15, 1911.
The Adjutant, Depot,
Sir: In compliance with G. O. 13, c. s., Depot, I have the honor to submit the following schedule of exercise for the month of August, 1911:
1. The various company commanders will see that their squad instructors thoroughly understand the working of the schedule laid down hereafter, and will see that all apparatus or material required by the exercises is on hand.
2. The copies of "Indoor and Outdoor Gymnastic Games" provided are for the use of the squad instructors, who will conduct the exercises according to the rules therein.
3. Each squad will exercise on the parade ground under the supervision of its squad instructor; it will not leave the parade, or be joined to another squad except by direction of the athletics and amusements officer, or in case the squad instructor is unavoidably absent.
4. The non-commissioned officer in charge of each company's athletics will distribute his squad among the others present, and will devote his time to seeing that the squad instructors observe the schedule below.
5. After each day's exercise, the squad instructors will endeavor to have the men of their squads acquire the habit of taking a shower bath immediately after returning to their barracks.
6. The exercises for the month of August will consist of the following:
- Boxing.
- Medicine ball.
- Football practice in kicking and catching.
- Hurdles.
- Pole vaulting for height and for distance.
- High jumping, standing and running.
- Soccer practice in dribbling and passing.
7. The above exercises are shown by their numbers in the schedule below, and will be performed by each squad in the rotation indicated. Duration of each exercise, 20 minutes. The non-commissioned officers in charge of each company's athletics will be responsible that the squads change from one exercise to the next at the proper time, and will use a whistle or other means of securing the prompt attention of the squad instructors.
8. Each company will exercise according to the following schedule:
No. of Squad | Sequence of Exercises | ||
Aug. 1-10, inc. | Aug. 11-20, inc. | Aug. 21-31, inc. | |
1 and 6 | 1-2-3-4-5-6 | 3-2-1-4-6-7 | 1-2-3-4-6-7 |
2 and 7 | 2-3-4-5-6-1 | 2-1-4-6-7-3 | 2-3-4-6-7-1 |
3 and 8 | 3-4-5-6-1-2 | 1-4-6-7-3-2 | 3-4-6-7-1-2 |
4 and 9 | 4-5-6-1-2-3 | 4-6-7-3-2-1 | 4-6-7-1-2-3 |
5 and 10 | 5-6-1-2-3-4 | 6-7-3-2-1-4 | 6-7-1-2-3-4 |
9. At 2.30 p. m., all recruits who desire to swim will be assembled by the next-to-senior non-commissioned officer and marched to the bath house. He will preserve order in the line obtaining suits, and will see that all of his men return their suits when they are through using them. Men who do not care to go swimming will continue exercising on the parade, according to the above schedule.
Very respectfully, etc.
Advantages of this Method.—1. Due to the fact that the exercise period is divided into six parts, there is no difficulty in securing the necessary variety. Changing from one exercise to another serves to break up the time and make Lt seem much shorter than it really is. It thus serves as a very effective sugar-coating, for as soon as exercise becomes work, you cease securing the best possible results; hence it follows that you should keep the men interested, and unconscious of the fact that they are, in reality, doing good hard work. The variety of the work thus secured also enables us to avoid too much exercise with one particular set of muscles and to secure the all-round development of the recruit.
2. It fulfils the military requirement of efficient supervision. A glance at the schedule will show exactly what each squad should be doing at any particular moment.
3. By proper choice of exercises, it enables us to make a more efficient use of whatever ground space may be available.
4. Being compulsory, it brings out those men who are diffident. Most men dislike performing any athletic "stunt" when they know they cannot do it well. By this system their diffidence or backwardness is dissipated by observing that there are others equally unskillful.
In the selection of the exercises for this schedule a multitude of circumstances arise that closely circumscribe our choice. Especially is this true in winter, when the snow-covered ground renders many forms of exercise impossible. As another instance, running must be indulged in cautiously, as the effect of excessive work in this line would be very detrimental to the average new recruit. The same applies to other forms of strenuous exercises. On the other hand, the work should be distinctly recreative in its nature, and dull treadmill exercises be avoided.
Therefore each exercise on the schedule is the result of much thought and deliberation. It is found that the best results are obtained from those exercises that are athletic in their nature (as distinguished from callisthenic) and that depend for success upon some knack, or that develop a spirit of rivalry. For example, good results are obtained from a judicious use of hurdles. The standard distances are laid off and two or three low hurdles placed at the proper intervals. A squad is allowed to negotiate them once according to their own ideas. After every man has managed to do this "stunt," one of the best hurdlers on the post is sent over the hurdles at top speed. The ease and smoothness of his performance contrasted with the slowness and awkwardness of that of the recruits never fail to make a profound impression and preach a sermon better than an hour's talk.
No matter how "soft" a man is, he can hardly hurt himself over a few hurdles. This particular exercise is good for the legs and abdominal muscles, it affects the "wind" to an unlooked-for degree, and is especially good in helping a man to "find himself." Also, practicing hurdles in this manner is a fair example of sugarcoated work; that is, while the recruit is being improved physically and is actually doing a fair amount of muscular work, this work being disguised as athletics, the man is cheerful and therefore gets much more benefit than he otherwise would.
Boxing is another exercise that is strongly favored, and is especially interesting to the men, there being some very creditable boxers among them, though they are fewer in numbers, perhaps, than in the Navy. To further the interest shown in this particular exercise, we hold monthly boxing exhibitions during the colder months, consisting of four or five "preliminaries" of four rounds each between such soldiers as may desire to compete. These bouts are run according to the rules of the Amateur Athletic Union. We also usually engage a couple of professionals from New York City to go on for six or ten rounds in order to give the men an exhibition of how it really should be done. The soldier contestants are allowed a small sum of money with which to buy the "rub-down" and other minor adjuncts in which the amateur mind delights. The contestants for the main bout are hired for whatever we have to pay, and no distinction is drawn between the winner and the loser; they receive equal wages. We are very careful to comply with the laws of New York on this subject, in order to leave no loophole of attack by outsiders claiming that we run prize-fights.
No admission is charged to these exhibitions, all members of the garrison being freely admitted. All those who desire to contribute toward defraying the necessary expenses of these exhibitions are given an appropriate souvenir of the occasion. Deficits are paid by the post exchange, which finances all athletics and amusements at the post. These contests are largely attended by enthusiastic audiences, and to prove that there is nothing objectionable about them, many officers' families habitually attend. No outsiders except personal friends of officers and enlisted men are allowed in the audience, and in the latter case these friends are allowed to enter only upon special permission from the A. & A. O. in each case.
In view of the fact that practically all officers are thoroughly familiar with the subject, nothing need be said of the advantages of boxing as a form of muscular and mental training.
To supplement the "company athletics" held thrice weekly, we hold a monthly field (or indoor) meet, in which are seen the results of the training and exercise given the recruit during the month. Here is a typical order organizing one of these meets.
General Orders, No. 84.
Recruit Depot, Fort Slocum, New York, August 29, 1911.
1. A Track and Field Meeting will be held at this Depot on September 26, 1911, commencing at 1.30 p. m. The contestants will be recruits selected from the several recruit companies by their respective company commanders.
2. The order of events will be as follows:
Events | No. of contestants from each company | Points | ||
1st. | 2nd. | 3rd. | ||
1. 100 Yards Run (Trials) | 4 |
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2. 220 Yards Hurdles (Trials) | 4 |
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3. Shot Put (16 pounds) | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
4. 100 Yards Run (Semi-Finals) |
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5. 220 Yards Hurdles (Semi-Finals) |
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6. Pole Vault (1st Height to be 7 feet) | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
7. 880 Yards Run | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
8. 100 Yards Run (Finals) |
| 5 | 3 | 1 |
9. 220 Yards Hurdles (Finals) |
| 5 | 3 | 1 |
10. One mile relay race | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
3. The Athletics and Amusements Officer will have on hand at the field, the necessary lists of entries, tapes, watches, etc., required for the use of officials, who will procure same from him.
4. The non-commissioned officers in charge of each company's entries will report at the Athletics and Amusements Officer's Office at 11.00 o'clock on the morning of the meeting to receive their instructions and the numbers for their contestants. After these numbers have been given out no change in assignment of the same will be made except by the authority of the Referee.
5. Entries of each company, written on a single sheet of paper, will be sent to the Athletics and Amusements Officer by 9.00 o'clock a. m., on the day before the meeting. These lists will show the Christian name and surname of each contestant.
6. Running pants and running shirts will be worn by all contestants. No contestant will be entered in more than two events.
7. Contestants will be sent to the field under the charge of a noncommissioned officer who will cause the proper contestants in each event to report to the Inspector in the prescribed uniform promptly upon the "first call" for that event by the Clerk of the Course.
8. All officers and enlisted men not actually and unavoidably on duty will attend the meeting.
9. The rules of the Amateur Athletic Union will govern. 10. Officials will inform themselves as to their duties.
Officials.
*********
By Order of Major Dugan:
H. B. Crosby, Captain 14th Cavalry, Adjutant.
It will be noted that the company commanders select their competitors. That is, they try out the recruits of their companies and may require the best of them to enter the meet, regardless of the personal wishes of the men concerned. No prizes are offered at these field meets. The results are announced in general orders, showing the number of points secured by the contestants of each company, in addition to the usual form. This helps cultivate a feeling of friendly rivalry among the various companies.
In our case, esprit de corps is harder to maintain than in the average organization, except, perhaps, among the permanent party men. This can readily be understood when it is remembered that the personnel of each organization, being composed almost entirely of recruits, experiences complete changes at very frequent intervals.
However, in spite of disadvantages, we manage to make a fairly creditable showing, as a glance at the following list of post records will testify. This list has been compiled from this year's field meets only, since it has but recently become the rule here of complying with the requirements of the Amateur Athletic Union in the matter of recording performances. To be sure, none of these records would last long at the average college, but it should be remembered that we are not training college athletes, but soldiers: and even if we were, one or two months will rarely make a record man from raw material.
Post Records—Fort Slocum, N. Y.
100 yds. dash, 10-3/5 sec, Ret. Wm. T. Lemieux, July 25, 1911.
220 yds. dash, 25-2/5 sec, Ret. G. Minkler, September 15, 1910.
440 yds. dash, 57 sec, Ret. L. C. Devlin, September 15, 1910.
880 yds. run, 2 min, 2-3/5 sec., Rct. W. E. Bagley, October 20, 1910.
Mile run, 5 min. 9-3/5 sec, Ret. H. Butterworth, June 11, 1911.
40 yds. indoors, 4-3/5 sec, Ret. H. Arnold (twice) March 23. 1911.
120 yds. hurdles, 20-4/5 sec., Rct. C. R. Shaw, October 21, 1910.
220 yds. hurdles, 30-1/5 sec, Ret. T. Rielly, June 22, 1911.
Running high jump, 5 ft. 4-1/2 in., Pvt. R. O. McKeeby, May 26, 1911.
Running broad jump, 17 ft. 11 in., Ret. B. Smith, May 26, 1910.
Shot put, 16 lbs., 35 ft. 8 in., Ret. H. J. McGrath, September 15, 1910.
Pole vault, 9 ft. 6 in, Ret. J. Sebastian, October 21, 1911.
Athletic Teams.—During the winter months each of the five companies supports a basketball team. A regular schedule is made out in the A. & A. Office and the games are played twice a week. Last winter a fifty-game schedule was played—each team playing every other team five games. The winning company was presented a handsome silver cup. This year the number of games will be cut down to forty, in order to avoid interfering with the start of the baseball season. We had no team representing the post.
Last fall association football (soccer) was instituted among the regular games, and a team organized from each company. These teams played a forty-game schedule, and another silver cup was given to the winner. This game gives plenty of exercise to a considerable number of men, and is not especially expensive to support —much less so than is baseball. Injuries to the men are of rare occurrence.
The Rugby or American game of football was represented by a post team, and seemed to take better than any other form of team work, despite the havoc wrought by recent changes in the rules. Our team lost but two games, one being to the U. S. S. Connecticut.
During the summer, each company is represented by a baseball team, in a forty-game schedule arranged for two games per week. In addition to this, the post team played on Saturdays and Sundays against outside teams. We had no trouble in filling our schedule of about forty games with good teams that were willing to come to Fort Slocum for their travelling expenses and no other "guarantee." These expenses were paid by the post exchange, which also furnished us all suits, etc.
All of the above games are played partially with the idea of giving the men some recreative and interesting exercise, but since the number that can indulge in them is comparatively limited, the main object is to interest and amuse the great body of recruits that are not playing.
II. Amusements
Under this head are considered all functions of the A. & A. Office that are not purely athletic in their nature. In the discussion of these matters the writer will endeavor to give such data as will help anyone to determine whether or not it would be advisable to institute similar activities at the station (or ship, where applicable) at which he may be serving.
During the winter months we have some function or other at the "Drill Hall" every evening of the week. In the summer, when the men can get more exercise out of doors, and it would be too hot for indoor games, only two evenings per week are given over to entertainments in the drill hall.
Moving Pictures.—A moving picture show is given twice a week in the drill hall, throughout the year, for the amusement of the recruits, though everybody at the post is welcome. Indeed, many of the permanent party rarely miss a show, and the officers' gallery is usually crowded. Our "theatre" is an extemporized one in the drill hall: an operating room constructed on the gallery floor, and about 450 folding chairs of the settee pattern, which latter are also used in connection with all the other entertainments in the hall. Our curtain drops from one of the roof trusses and is rolled up when not in use. Our equipment consists of a Beseler stereopticon with right-angled carbons, the lower lamp being on rails to permit its being used with the moving picture "head." The latter is an Edison Underwriters' Model, Type B, with a "two-wing, inside shutter," which gives satisfaction. Our throw is about 63 feet and our picture about 13 by 18 feet. A competent soldier as operator is giving satisfaction. The fact that circumstances require us to use alternating current makes it hard for any except expert operators to get superlative results as far as illumination of the picture is concerned. Users of d. c. are comparatively free from these troubles.
We hold these shows on Tuesday and Friday evenings of each week, and four full reels are run at each show. We also put on four illustrated songs, and this is what necessitates the stereopticon. Sometimes we run two vaudeville turns instead of the songs, single acts " in one " being the rule. For this purpose we erect a portable stage in front of the curtain, using one of the sections of our boxing platform. All talent, films, etc., are obtained from New York City, from certain agencies that have been found to give us the best satisfaction.
The above program, including five minutes intermission for the benefit of the inveterate smokers and others, averages about 2 hours. An admission fee of ten cents is charged, "canteen checks" being accepted. Our tickets are in rolls as usual, the tickets of each roll being numbered consecutively, and the rolls being of different colors to prevent fraud. When the men enter, their tickets are torn in half, the numbered end is presented to them, and the other half deposited in a box the key to which is kept in the possession of the A. & A. O. This is to prevent anybody from using the ticket over again. As we have an intermission at every show, the numbered halves of the tickets serve as door checks. This method is less troublesome, though perhaps less efficient than having regular door checks.
The slides for announcements, etc., are made usually on transparent gelatine bound between the usual plain glass plates. An outfit can be bought from any of the established dealers for $3.00, which by the way is exorbitant. These strips of gelatine will melt if left too long under the influence of the heat of the arc. Another very simple way is to write your notice on a plain glass slip with Chinese white, which of course will be nibbed off in a short time, but is good enough for emergencies. A better way is to use opaque marl, which can be obtained with full directions from any dealer in photographic supplies.
Piano music makes a most agreeable accompaniment to* the pictures, provided your pianist is really good. The same can be said of a trap-drummer. In moving picture circles you hear much talk of "jackass music." This term is easier to illustrate than to define. When you are showing a weepy scene with the poor heroine leaning over her dying che-e-ild, and the idiot at the traps thinks it is a good time to try his "baby-cry" squawker —that is jackass music. When the Spanish girl dies, through a hundred feet of film, all to the strains of a lively Fandango and castanets—another case of jackass music. But properly handled, a piano and a good set of traps will add immensely to the attractiveness of a show.
There are numerous tricks in this trade, many of .them most interesting, but space prohibits further dilation. The average reader, thinking perhaps of the advisability of securing an outfit for his post or ship, is more interested in the financial side of the proposition. With us, the installation is paying for itself, but that was about all until the last few months, when the average attendance has substantially increased, and bids fair to give better returns. There are several reasons why large returns are not realized, the principal of which is that only one exhibition of each collection of reels is made. In civilian life a dozen or mort "shows" might be given for the same expense of film rental that we are paying. We show each film but once, the four reels making up one show. These reels cost us $2.00 apiece for each night. Our expense account for one show would run about as follows:
Film rental $8.00
Pianist 5.50
Singer (furnishes slides) 5.50
Operator, soldier 1.00
Salary, attendant, pro rata share 1.12
Electric energy (0.05 per kw.-hr.) 0.20
Fare of messenger for films 1.00
Total $22.32
In case vaudeville is substituted for illustrated songs, the cost would be $28.82, as we pay $6.00 for each single turn. We rent our films from a certain "licensed" exchange which, after considerable experimenting, we have found will give us the best value for our money.
Due to a variety of causes, we formerly averaged but slightly over 300 paid admissions, but during the last two months we averaged better than 400. In this connection, however, it should be remembered that many of our recruits, having just arrived, have not yet received any pay. At other stations the attendance might be larger, especially at an isolated post, or on board ship, where you could rely upon an attendance of nearly the whole personnel that happens to be off duty. Excluding the 500 chairs, our outfit cost about $600.00 installed ready to run, so it can be seen that while this enterprise is not exactly a get-rich-quick scheme, it is reasonably sure to yield a good profit on the money invested. Take our case; charging all expenses against the receipts for the last eight months we show a clear profit of $315.00, not considering first cost of the outfit. In many cases the above list of expenses could be curtailed, but whether or not this would be a profitable venture for the average "canteen" with a limited supply of surplus capital is a question that would have to be settled separately in each case. The effect of outside competition would have to be reckoned with, in the case of almost all stations ashore. About the only way to compete is to beat your opponents in the quality of show you give. We are so near New York that even if we didn't particularly care to, we must throw a good, clear, steady picture or none at all. Not that all New York shows have good pictures, but the idea is that we must be as good as the best, otherwise the recruits who know good shows when they see them would " knock " and keep other men away. This necessitates hard work, but comparison with the best has shown that except for infrequent occasions we project as good a picture as any house in the city. With the enlisted experts in each arm of the service available, .this is not an impossible task. The Army and the Navy are better situated in this respect than the civilian exhibitor. Apparently the Navy has no trouble in handling this proposition, as we have noticed at the "exchange" where we get our films large consignments of films for several ships of the Navy.
Roller Skating.—If returns on money invested are desired, roller skating is about as good a venture as can be desired, at least it was found to be so in our case.
In December of last year we bought 100 pairs of the best rink skates obtainable. They cost $320, and "took" so well that 50 additional pairs were bought about a month later. The main floor of the drill hall, about 80 by 150 feet, was given over to skating from 7 to 9 p. m. on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday nights and from 2 to 4 p. m. on Sunday afternoons. To keep out objectionable characters from nearby towns, only enlisted men were allowed on the floor. At first a charge of 10 cents per hour was made for use of skates, but later the time was shortened to one and a half hours with a charge of 10 cents for the whole period. By the end of April the whole sum invested, including cost of repairs, spare parts, and extra pay of attendant, had been recovered, and next season the receipts will be practically "velvet" for the post exchange. Rules for running rinks and regulating skating can be found in Spalding's Roller Skating Guide, which will be a help to anyone embarking on this proposition, but there are many things concerning it that can be learned by experience alone. We used the roll tickets for this amusement as in the case of the moving picture shows, but they were of a separate color. When handed in at the door they were torn up and put in a locked box. Music was furnished throughout the skating by an orchestra, selected from the band, with brass predominating in order to be heard above the roar of the skates. The orchestra received no additional pay for this work, for it was in lieu of the outside concerts that they play during the warmer months. Any soldier owning skates is allowed to skate at these regular hours without charge.
Any person who has tried this form of amusement knows that it is fairly good exercise, especially for the lower part of the body. It takes well with the men, but would probably be less popular without the music, and more so if women were allowed to skate. We have about two hundred chairs arranged against the wall for spectators, and as we use these chairs for moving picture shows, etc., it is not necessary to move them out of the hall. This gives ample seating capacity for the skaters and such of their friends and relatives as come to observe. Most of the skaters are men who have learned before they enlisted, but many beginners also are seen on the floor. The returns from this form of amusement indicate its popularity. This popularity holds out well in the spring and early summer months, but, as before stated, the recruit is required to remain on the post for his first two months. Probably, if our recruits were not required to remain on the post as they are, during the summer months the various summer resorts, miniature Coney Islands, etc., would prove strong counter attractions. As it is, this and the other features described are results of their detention, not causes. That is, we try to amuse the recruit and keep him occupied because he is kept on the post. These features are for his especial benefit, and not for the permanent party man who can leave the post whenever off duty, though we also try to make things attractive enough to hold the latter against the outside attractions—and succeed fairly well.
Bowling.—We have four bowling alleys in the basement of the drill hall which are continually in use except during the warmest months. There are also several alleys in the Y. M. C. A. building, which is a gift of Mrs. Russell Sage. Formerly a small charge was made for the use of the former alleys, but this has long since been abolished, though they were used as much then as now. It takes one man working for a fair part of every day to keep these alleys in the best possible shape. If it is desired to start a set of alleys at a station, our figures seem to show that it would be a very profitable investment for the average post exchange, although the running expenses are fairly high.
Shooting Gallery.—Adjacent to the bowling alley is a well equipped shooting gallery, with the usual array of moving targets, bull's-eyes, clay pipes, ball jets, etc. This is quite popular with the men, especially during the winter months when entertainments are being held at the drill hall every night. At such times the net receipts have averaged close to $4.00 per day. The post exchange having installed this gallery, it of course reaps the financial reward from same. The outfit, including motor, etc., complete, cost about $300 installed ready to run. Apart from the benefits accruing to the men, the above shows that this gallery is a valuable and reliable source of revenue to the post exchange. No competitions for prizes are held, but if they were, of course the receipts would be correspondingly increased. By this means, if necessary, it is believed that a well equipped shooting gallery could be made a well paying investment for almost any post exchange.
We use the service Springfield rifle and adapters for cal. .22 short ammunition. The latter costs about $18.75 per 10,000 rounds and the men pay one cent per shot. We have just added a revolver to our equipment, and it seems fairly popular. The use of silencers might be an improvement, but has not been tried as yet. Dry cartridges are best for revolvers and greased cartridges for rifles. Difficulties arise in connection with the continued use of the adapters or "cartridge holders," and we are asking the Ordnance Department to make us a few rifles as nearly as possible identical with our Springfields, yet obviating the use of adapters.
Swimming.—The post exchange has purchased 150 bathing suits of very good quality, which are available for free use by the recruits of the garrison during certain hours. This innovation is extremely popular with the men, and we could easily use twice the present number of suits. No definite course of instruction in swimming is given, but it is hoped we shall be able to take this up next year.
Conclusion.
The foregoing is an attempt to show what we are doing for the recruit. We realize that there are many imperfections in our methods, many places where improvements can be made. We intend to make those improvements as fast as circumstances will permit. In every such step there are considerations not apparent to the casual observer that must be carefully weighed and examined on every side before the final step is taken. We are trying to build up a broad and definite system that will stand the test of time and endure, and for such work "Make haste slowly" is as good a motto as that adage beginning "He who hesitates."
It is believed that the A. & A. Office at Fort Slocum is unique, in that its activities are wider in scope than any other similar office in military or naval circles. It was partially for this reason that the above was written, and also with the hope that some of the facts above noted might be of use or benefit to others, thus saving them the necessity of learning by experience.