New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-16
Camp Upton Steaks Put
Courage in New Fighters
Abundant Chow" Endears Citys First
Quota of Selected Men to Uncle Sans
Service-Youths Eager for Uniforms and
RiAes-Too Husky To Be Homesick
By Ray n. Leek

already gives promise OF an early fall
all operate 70 make sleeping one Of IN.
easies. things the youthful soldier,
do.
Medical men who studied the MEAD,
of the recruits before they left their
! homes called attention TO the fact tia.
I inconsistencies was one Of the serio1.
maladies that had resulted in the IN.
valding home Of numerous British And
Canadian soldiers after service IN
France and elsewhere in Europe. Ia.
! first week Of the New Workers. military
! life has failed to reveal any seriou,
cases OF homesickness. A crowded ,ir.
hour schedule OF activities probably
has had much to do with that.
Lessons in military movements h.y.
been administered in homeopathic.
doses thus far. They have consisted
principally of teaching the new soldier
how to salute, stand and walk. Oec,.
sionally the sergesnts who are trying
to convert the raw material assigned
10 them into soldiers have charged
their men through the dust and wood
ashes that cover the camp, and endesyor
to arouse the enthusiasm OF their
pupils by giving their pine covered oh.
! jective a high sounding name.
Here's where we take Berlin, For.
ward, march," "Now we're goin' after
Constantinople,' are the favorite OK.
| pressions Of the veteran teachers.
But the men have no difficulty /,
getting the military point of view. ana
are beginning to show that they are
not taken in by the often boastful talk
, OF the veterans from Gettysburg or the
student officers from Plattsburg.
"I've discovered that becoming 4.
! soldier is just matter of hardening
up new muscles and forgetting about
those that were brought into play in
civilian work." said Henry Tobias. ,
former secretary 70 a lower Broadway
! lawyer, now hoping to become a mon.
com in a short time.
when ] came out here I had cal.
louses on the ends of my fingers from
hitting the typewriter KEYS. Now NV
fingers are about well and my feet are
more calloused than they ever were no.
fore. But feel so much better think
| ought to give the government nv frat
pay check instead OF accepting il for
myself"
Only Per Cent Rejected
The most trying ordeal Of the week
was the long-drawn-out physical ex.
animation 70 which every man was sub.
jccted, followed by the shot in the
arm" as the incubation against dis.
eases 10 which soldier is exposed Is
called. The test was the most rizid
ever given 10 any large batch Of re.
cruits, ard the result THE rejection o.
slightly under 3 per cent of the number
approved By exemption eXaminers-is
looked upon as a high tribute TO the
work of the exemption boards.
A large structure that will be one Of
the seventy buildings making up the
base hospital when that institution is
completed here was used for the er.
aminations, The recruits were fed into
highly organized machine, made I'D OF
medical specialists of every known Va.
rlety, and came out absolutely assured
that they possessed sound bodies and
minds. or returned to New York 10 re.
sumo their civilian occupations.
Each man approached the first physi.
clan with a blue pencilled number
scrawled upon his wrist. Three den.
fists, with small searchlights, then
made minute examinations of his teeth,
! making a perfect record of every flaw
TO be found. This record will be used
not only as a foundation upon which
TO work out plan of better teeth for
the recruit, but for Identification pur-
poses.
The eye tests came next. Several OF
the early arrivals were rejected be-
cause they found it impossible 10 read
small type at the distance required by
the army regulations. Then came the
knee tests for establishing the state
of the recruits nerves; the hopping
test, TO reveal possible heart weakness
and fiat feet, and, last and most obiee.
tionable, the incubation.
Many of the men were given four
injections at one sitting, with the re-
suit that numerous complaints OF lost
appetites, sore arms and heavy heads
were heard about the camp. The re.
suits were not serious, however. and
but one case found its way TO the hos
pital.
While the government is busy max
ing the camp comfortable for It's new
soldiers. il is just as industriously
making this part OF Long Island IN
comfortable for proiteers OF every va.
rety. The few articles that the recruit
must buy will be sold TO him at res,
sonable prices or not at all, II Genelsi
Bell has his wy.
Price fixing is comparatively slr.
pie task here, since the heart OF %.
camp is more than two miles and hsh
from any part Of the boundaries OF .ns
government reservation. Consequence
nobody who fails TO deal fairly WIN
the soldiers is permitted 70 get elo.e
enough 10 them TO do business WIN
them at all.
Extras Are All Cheap
The few fruit and soft drink stsnos