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Show UTAH BOYS READY TO DO THEIR PIIRT FOR (MM SALT LAKE, March 25. Members of the l-15th (Utah) regiment are in tip-top condition from overy conceivable conceiv-able military standpoint, and aro figuratively fig-uratively chafing at their bits, awaiting await-ing tho order that will tell them to break camp and begin the long march to Berlin. This was the information brought back to Salt Lake by Colonel Richard W. Young, wh6 returned yesterday yes-terday from Camp Kearny on his way to Fort Sill, Okla., where he has been ordered to rqport as a member of the efficiency board to examine the qualifications quali-fications of United States army officers. offi-cers. Colonel Young said it was his belief be-lief that no other regiment in the country could surpass the l-15th in the efficiency to which it has been trained during its stay at Camp Kearny the last six months. That it is holding jus own with any of them, is as far along .and as well advanced as any, he said he felt no shadow of a doubt, and expressed ex-pressed the conviction that his statements state-ments would be fully substantiated when the men were given an opportunity oppor-tunity to show on the actual field of battle what they could do. "I hope this opportunity will come soon," he declared. "Tho fact tnat the war department is calling men from other cantonments canton-ments throughout the country for serv-lre- in France does not discourage us in the least," he added. "We know we are up to full requirements, and although al-though we cannot fathom the purposes of the war heads, we are content to rest in the belief that they understand what is best and are doing it. We have no idea when the call for us will come, but we shall bo there when it does come, be assured of that." Need 135 Recruits. , Owing to the fact that many men have been discharged from Cam? Kearny on account of physical defects, and to the large number of transfers which have- been made from time to time, Colonel Young said, tho regiment is at present suffering from a shortage of men. He said about 135 additional men were needed to bring tho regiment regi-ment up to full war strength. Although the voluntary induction of draft registrants reg-istrants has been ordored stopped by the adjutant general, Colonel Young said those who are outside the draft ago limits could enlist and that they would be welcomed at the camp. Asked whether he thought tho l-15th regiment would be denuded of officers when the time comes for forming skeleton regiments, as was done at Fort Douglas not long ago in the case of the Twentieth to form the Forty-second Forty-second and Forty-third, Colonel Young said that such would inevitably be the case, as no reservoir except the regular reg-ular army exists from which officers who aro efficient can be drawn. Tho training schools, he said, are not able to provide trained officers, and the regular army is thus the only source of supply. Tho reputation of the men of the 115th for shooting accuracy is as high as any regiment in. tho camp, said Colonel Young, as may be readily seen from the fact that they were selected to fire the exhibition artillery barrage fire a short time ago. The arrival of the new Enfield rifles at the camp', he said, has resulted re-sulted in accelerated vigor in target practice and training. Tho boys show great prido in keeping their rifles in first-class condition, and feel more than ever a keen desire to get a chance at the Boche. |
