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Show I S BATTERY GOES IIO I. THE GAS HOUSE IT I'M CAMP KEARNY, Cal., Jan. IS '!. That the Utah regiments will remain ' in training hero for many weeks br- '- fore the departure for the French H i "i front, is the composite opinion of hiph ' j' officers of the cantonment, expressed ) todav. Rumors have been ailoat re- ,,: centiy and have spread throughout ' the western country that the Fortieth j division is now putting the finishing touches on preparations for leaving, j II and will move out early during the I coming month. , Tfre reports, which are entirely un- authentic and which consist mostly of rumors, have evidently reached into ' J Utah, judging from the many inquiries 1 i:' which have been made during the past j few days from relatives' and friends of tho Utah men. Many o the in- i' quirers are planning trips to the can- , 1 tonmont within a few days in order i that they might bid the boys the final ' 1 farewell and see them on their way to ' their destination. I Colonel Richard W. Young, com- ; manding the Utah regiment, this j - morning expressed the opinion that the men would at least remain here more than two months before the do- parture order arrives. Ills opinion I was expressed only after he had con- ; ; suited higher officers of the division , in the matter, and with the result that their answers wore in accord -j' ( , ance with his beliefs that no move HI I will be made for many weeks. Of course, the belief of tho officers is a composite gathered from many . s indications and not from official or- : LI ders, which cannot be made public. pi The opinion is expressed in behalf of -IT the Utah people in vjow of the intense ! interest now shown by them regard' !'! Ing the Utah artillery, and to set at it rest their fears that the boys may bo T rushed away under' cover of darkness - within a few days, as the many rumors lit) indicate. ' '! One of the many stubborn rumors Hr :,,- which has arisen during the entire ,j, stay of the Utah men here, is at pres-Hj pres-Hj cnt being circulated throughout the HI 'j-; coast states and is traveling with HI i'H lightning-like swiftness. It is the At early leaving rumor, and probably ' originated, according to the officers, ! in tiae cantonment, due to the fact I that the details for overseas work are i t being attended to. The rumor has HI I '-j now died here after thorough con-Hlf con-Hlf . sideration by the men, but is still Hr. ; i raging in outside circles, according tp j f !j the reports, f ujj Completes Gas Training. Hjr B battery this afternoon completed HI j- the gas defense training by entering ;;( the gas house where the deadly vapor ' 'u was generated and emerging without ; even the usual slight casualty of head-Hl head-Hl aches and coughing spells. The usual HI. 1 nervousness, of course, was felt, Hj'i f which is natural when a man is asked . to step into a room where a gasp of i: ', jj the air may render him unconscious. ! j'ti But a few minutes inside convinced ; i'j them that the mask does all the work : that is expectedl, and many of the ! i batteryraen even vowed that the ozone taken through the masks was more j. strengthening than that of outdoors. j i- At the completion of training Cap-Hp Cap-Hp '; tain Lilley, the English officer who H ? witnessed the tests of the artillery - ! ' ' men, complimented them highly upon j ' j their efficient showing. He said that ji ,y the men hed completed their training jr. in less time than any organization p !J which has undergone the tests so far. HI ! !-Jl 1 ' In two days, ho said, the Utah men had accomplished tho same work that j soldiers behind the line In Europe, in many Instances, took weeks to complete. com-plete. The other Utah organizations will undergo tho tests during the coming week, It was announced today. Captain E. G Woolley of C battery was today ordered to report to tho school of artillery at Fort Sill, Okla., for instruction. Tho school opens January Jan-uary 26. Lieutenant Lloyd Garrison will have command of the battery during dur-ing his absence. |