The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-10-03
PHYSICALLY THE
FITTEST ARMY
No Nation, in Modern History, Has
Ever Taken the Precautions
Against Defects As America
CREAM OF MEDICAL PROFESSION
Famous Physicians Give Up Practice
That They May Help Uncle Sam
With His Boys.


With His Boys.
Headquarters Eighty-eightl Divis
ion. National Army Camp Dodge, Oct
2-When Americas national arm.
lands on French soil to begin th'
march to Berlin the world will SET
the physically fittest collection of in
dividuals ever gathered under the ban
ners of war.
No nation. in modern history a
least, has ever taken the precautions
against physical defects or submitted
its men to a more rigid examination
than the United States is now doing
Today at Camp Dodge the cream o
the medical profession is gathered te
pass upon the manhood of Iowa. Min
nesOta, North Dakota and Illinois
These men arc passing upon the SC
loctive soldiers, not in lots as cavalry
horses are picked, but as individuals
Zach recruit is gone over as careful
ly as if he were being chosen to en-
ter the arena like the gladiator of old
W luC WI mo >oNhSAs 80
single combat against an adversary
For instance, among the physicians
at Camp Dodge is Dr. Charles Lyman
Green, one of the leading men OF his
profession in Minneapolis. Minn. Dr.
Green's professional income in Min,
neapolis mounts up into several th0uS'
ands of dollars each year. Hc is a
wealthy man. Yet DIR. Green is giving
the benefit of his expert knowledge
toe Uncle Sam at Camp Dodge under
a contract wage of $1O5 month.
Dr.. Miller, Of Chicago, admittedly
al the lead among tho medical men
OF the second largest city in this con-
tinent. is also at Camp Dodge draw
lug a majors salary.
These are but samples. There is
host of others of equal calibre. They
are specialists in nerve diseases. i'll
tuberculosis, in eye, car and nose all
mcnts. and in every other branch OF
anatomy study.
The sclectivc who thought when he
had got by the local examining board
that he was physically fit for the
army had surprise in store for him
ut Camp Dodge He goes through an
examination here that makes his home
test look like pastime. And the
surprising part of it all is that so few.
about 2hs per cent in fact. fail to get
by the line of doctors and specialists
Ttting in judgment upon them. Which
proves that the manhood of the west
ranks high with that of any place on
the globe.
Real drill and hard work arc now
the regular orders of things among
the 10000 or more recruits in camp
here. The Saluting. the marching in
squads. and tho other little necessities
Df military education are still being
given But the advance work which
is more like real soldering is also on.
In the first place, 5000 rifles have
been received and apportioncd to the
men. SO many to a company. Most
of these are the old type Kraags but,
there are a few Enficlds, the kind
now in use in Europe. Tho funda-
mental knowledge of how to handle
|ho rifle can be impaired with the
Kraags. The rife ranges are being
put in shape and soon the pOp-pOp
Of target practice will give Camp
Dodge an appearance of somewhere
lear the front"
Cross country hikes are also in or
lcr 1t is wonderful sight to see
.hese thousands of men. in company !
OrmatiOn strike out across country
or a walk of five miles. They go in
Ill directions, up hill and down hill, !;
II step, with head erect and shoul' !
lcrs back breathing the pure, fresh |
lr of the Des Moines river valley.
The schedule now is 40 hours work
/ week. That means eight hours a
lay counting the afternoons and Sun
lay out that form the mems vacations.
II addition to this drill there is
at night, especially for the
'Oung men who aspire to become Off
crs And the word from Washing
on that the third and fourth training
amp for officers would be filed with
he non-cOmmissioned officers from
he training camps makes it certain
hat these boys selected from the
arms and the towns will be lieuten-
nts and the captains of the next ma
ional army when it is called out.
Keep the boys in camp" is the slo-
an of Major General Plummer, COM
nandant. The general has request
Il of Holmes COwper. appointed by
he government as singmaster for the
amp, tnaL he nave plenty VI dttIdc-
ions in camp on Sunday in the way
f music. Mr.. Cowper, be it known,
, a musician of note himself. At the
ime he became dean of the Drake
University conservatory of music he
'as rated as one of the four best
.merican tenors. And as teacher I
9 has not declined any in ability.
Dean Cowper will have concerts,
ingfests, band music Of all sorts ev-
ry Sunday once things get started.