The Washington herald., 1917-10-26
MANY SOLDIERS
UNFIT FOR DUTY
Doctors Forced to Turn Men
Down at Camp Meade for
Physical Disability.
By ANDREW r.. KELLEY.

Camp Meade, Admiral. Nd, Oct. 20
They are expecting to get the second
group of conscripts in the national
army beginning on next sunday and
the unofficial hope OF the army doctors
is THAI the physical qualifications OF
the Irrespective soldiers who will
eventually fight "over there" is more
closely observed.
This criticism does not apply par
ticulariy to the doctors who were the
examining members OF local boards
for the District Washington sent
many men who never should have
passed the physical test before the
local boards. But other exemption
boards IN Pennsylvania were even
more lax in examining conscripts and
reflections have multiplied accordingly.
No Excuse to oner.
No excuse can be offered for ship
ping men who are insane, and the
District has had two men whose phy-
sicaI fitness Is apparent, but whose
mental qualifications are such that
they would be a menace to associates
with whom they are quartered.
None OF the army officers desire to
criticise the local boards. They
realize they had a new Job that re-
quired hours of time and hard work
without any compensation other than
the knowledge they were doing their
bit to help the country win the war.
But some OF the physician members
Of the local board apparently worked
upon the assumption that they should
pass the buck" and leave the respon-
sibility for rejection with the army
doctors. The result has been that
HafaA and
shipped to Camp Meade and are now
being rejected for various kinds of
organic trouble that must have been
apparent on their preliminary exam
ination-
Just 10 mention a few, one man was
sent here with one leg six inches
shorter than the other. Obviously he
would never be able TO march. An
other had serious cardiac trouble,
which, translated into plain English.
means. that his heart was bad and
that he is constantly subject to faint
ing spells. Still another had a twist
ed arm that was broken in two places
and made il impossible for him to
hold a rife or go through the routine
OF drill.
Army Doctors Hopeful.
The sitting out process has elimi-
mated these men from the ranks Of
the national army. although a num-
Der are still copfined here because
papers have not yet been issued per-
n1itting their transfer home
The army doctors are hopeful that
the next bunch OF recruits which will
bring the camp population above the
1000 mark will be Of a higher physi-
cal average
The general health of the men in
Camp Meade is higher than that or
any of the other cantonments as the
men are hardening and becoming ac-
customed to the routine and grind Of
army life, and liking it better.
Today was a half holiday for the
men in this cantonment to help send
the hands of the liberty loan clocA
moving towards the $2,O00,OO0 figure
There were athletic competitions be-
tween the different units on the parade
field this afternoon and the Pennsyl-
yanians walked away with the ma
jority Of the honors- They outnum-
Der, however, every other delegation
In the camp. The total of subscrip-
tions is nearly sl.5OO,OOo and the OFF,
GERS are confident that the 5000, 900
mark will be reached before Satur-
day. Some Of the District soldiers
have subscribed their entire pay
monthly for liberty loan and 1t is
this spirit that will keep the hands
of the big clock in front OF division
headquarters moving rapidly.
The first of the colored selected men
will arrive here on Saturday. accord
ing to the revised orders. A total Of
e05 will arrive on that day and they
will be Joined by more than 400 from
the District, beginning on Sunday
morning.
1t was a straight ten-mile hike for
the men from Washington today.
Three hours on the road and they
stood up under it well. Not a man
in the three machine gun battalions
asked TO drop out OF the line, but
they are all pretty tired tonight.
Tonight the ambitious buck privates
went to the school for mon CONS"
and listened to instructions from
officers that will fit them for eleva-
tion in the service. This school will
be a regular feature of the camp
work. and the boys who forego pool,
music, and other forms Of entertain
ment will be among those on the list
for early promotion.