The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-12

alluded to in ordinary conversa-
ton. II war talk had been officially
banned IT could not have been more
religiously let alone. The impression
created by this silence was that the
war might be too eriou a topic for
discussion.
Oddly enough, the strange psychol-
oGy Of the situation led the students
TO indorse the policies of both Pres
ident Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt
almost at one and the same time.
When h Arabic was torpedoed the
only comment that could be got out
OF anybody at the camp was will
son is in charge of things and he will
see that they are settled right" But
when the Colonel appeared a few days
later and spoke in his usual vigor-
Gus fashion in behalf of military pre-
~paredness he was Cheered to the echo.
The only sentiment Of his which
did not receive unanimous approval
was to the effect that the United
States should have interviewed in be-
half OF Belgium at the beginning of
the war. Few. II any. of the stu
dents agreed with that. But the i'm
preston that went abroad that they
had cheered the Colonel's attack on
President Wilson was incorrect. That
was voiced in an interview given out
after the Colonel left the camp
grounds and was not heard of by the
students until the following morning.
The truth of the matter was that
the men who were getting their first
instruction in how to handle rifles
were so wrapped up in the routine OF
their days that they forgot thai there
was a world outside. All touch with
the progress of the great war was
lost as completely as If the cncamp-
ment had been pitched on an island
where there were neither cable nor
wireless connections with ~"civiliza-
ton"
Watches went unwound. The days
OF the week We're forgotten. The
huEle calls summoning to mess or to
assembly were the only ties that
bound the rockies to time or place.
The only happening in the outside
world that broke through and COM
manded general interest and discus
sion was the murder of Leo NJ. Frank,
and 1t held attention for a day only.
The men talked shop-the shop
that they were working in. Nothing
could illustrate more forcihly the en-
tent to which this was true than the
comment passed by one grizzled SER
eeant of regulars to another as he
listened to the hum of conversation
Mt mess.
why. Bill" he said in an awe
struck undertone, they talk Just like
us"
No higher compliment was paid to
the business men while they were in
Plattshurg thar this certihcation from
Johnny Regular that they were reGu-
lar fellows. And they were. Those
who had money and position, social
or political, forgot il. An sweated
and swore n worked on "A plane Of
equality that led one prominent rookie
to remark when the experience was
over:
II had never imagined that there
could be such free ~comradeship be
tween everybody outside of "A jail
Probably If many of the same men
who stood up under the hard work Of
the instruction camp had had To un-
dergo the same grind under compul-
sion-on a Jail chain gang for in
s~tance-they would have collapsed.
II is not easy for men who have been
used to office routine, whose hands
are soft, and whose backs and feet
are even tendcrCr, to accuStom Them
selves to the routine ~ rising AT
5:45 \. NJ, and keeping on the jump
until : T.. NJ, singing forty pounds
of pack and rife on their shoulders
much of the time,
you may he surprised TO ncar me
say So" said the commando Of one
of the companies in the first camp
but | do not believe that amy batch
Of army recruits of the same size
would have gone through with what
you men did in your four weeks with
out losing more men. 10y a long shot
The difference is in the spirit.
1.-THE regular army recruit goes al
: the thing without sentiment, simply
as business. You had a purpose II
coming here, and YOU wouldn't give
up even II YOU wanted to That's
= why | can say to you with ontir,
truthfulness that II would he easlel
=, for me TO take o and train you
. as officers than to make competent
private soldiers Of you without tn,
spirit YOU can't make the officer, an,
" the private soldier doesn't know any,
, thing about that spirit"
: What IA dust covered regular re
marked to II pair of equally dust GOV
cred rockies IN the curse of the hik'
may have some bearing in substan
tlation of the captains remarks.
"You can bet your neck II I didn'
o have to get out into the road an,
d tramp | wouldn't 70 IT," he said, 81
: we fellows GO I like you when
ever we wan, o We wouldn't h