Journalists Under Arms

More new newspapers have been founded for the U.S. Army during the last year than for any other clientele. In Army camps, since conscription, 95 new newspapers have appeared and an unprecedented army of soldier-journalists has sprung up. Though 63 are edited by soldiers themselves, Army papers (mostly weeklies) average a surprising content of well-edited copy. (For an account of one of the best see below.)

New in Army-camp journalism is a three-month course for soldier-journalists at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas. This week were graduated its first 100 students, with Major General Ralph E. Truman, commander of the 35th Division, handing out diplomas.

Founded by Lieut. Milton F. Thompson (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), the school convoys its pupils five nights a week to the Little Rock High School, there to be taught by professionals from the Arkansas Democrat. Laboratory work consists of getting out a 16-page camp weekly, the Covered Wagon, twice-daily releases to the Little Rock papers and the press associations, weekly releases for home-town papers in Nebraska, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas. Copy clears through the Division's eleven-man press section headed by Captain Chester K. Shore, former editor and publisher of the Augusta (Kans.) Gazette.

Testimony to the effectiveness of the class: Associated Press complimented Camp Robinson on the best Army news received from that section. As official reward Lieut. Thompson was promoted from 2nd to 1st lieutenant, last fortnight was assigned to handle publicity for the Second Army war games in Tennessee.

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