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Show Military Courtesy Taught in Old Spelling Bee Way CAMP KEARNY, SAN DIEGO, Cal., Oct 25. Men of the 65th field artillery, artil-lery, formerly part of the 308th cavalry caval-ry are given unusual training in mill- ( tary courtesy, in which both their officers of-ficers and their fellows participate. Methods, resembling the old time "spelling bee' are used. The usual procedure is for the men to gather in a circle on the parade ground with an officer in the center. "Private Thompson will act as the major commanding a battalion," the officer of-ficer announces, "and Private Wilkins will show us how he would report to the major as orderly." Thompson thereupon takes his place in the center of the circle and Wilkins goes through the form of reporting as orderly. "Is that all right?" the officer offi-cer asks. Thompson gives his opinion of Wilkins' performance. "What do you think about it?" the officer asks the men generally. This 'always brings a volley of criticisms, some based on fact and some not. Eventually it is -left to Thompson; if 'he decides Wilkins reported correctly, he keeps his place and some other enlisted en-listed man performs some other stmi-ulated stmi-ulated duty which would bring him in contact with "the major." As long as Thompson makes no error himself, and accepts as correct nothing that I bis parentrs in the game do incorrect-lly, incorrect-lly, he holds his place; when he errs ho is superseded by someone else. I The game Continues as long as there is time for it. U is approved heartily by officers, who sify It tends to put the men on their mettle and to give exce; lent training because it pits them against each other in contests in which the officers interfere as little as possible. pos-sible. The moral effect of assuming the places of superior officers, and of seeing their fellows in such places, is considered beneficial also, as impressing impress-ing upon the men that they have opportunities op-portunities to rise. The game produces many laughable situations. Sometimes a private, "reporting "re-porting as orderly" to another grinning and embarrassed private, will knock gravely on an imaginary door, get his hands crossed and salute with his left hand while removing his hat with his right. Sometimes he vill forget to knock, and sometimes he will salute outside the Imaginary door to the major's ma-jor's office, where theoretically he could not be seen. If the "officer inside" in-side" returns a salute the rest of those present generally "hurrah" him considerably. con-siderably. Some of tiie men's remarks also produce pro-duce a laugh ,or afford an index to their theories of courtesy. Calling upon one of his men for an explanation of the proper way to approach an officer, one of the battery officers of tLo regiment regi-ment the other day got this answer: "Well, first crack off the .bat I'd get a 'sir' to him." "You consider that necessary when you address an officer?" was the next question. "You bet," tho man replied. "All right," said the officer, "you'd better use it when nddresslng mo hereafter, here-after, then." |