Evening journal., 1917-10-29
Y. M. c. A. is Real Melting
Poi of Nation During War

NEW YORK. Oct. 29.-The real melt
ing pot OF America has been found. II
is not where Zangwill thought he dis
covered 10. in an East Side ghetto, nor
in any one Of the replicas in Nanhat-
tan. the Bronx or Brooklyn. or In other
cities. but in the strangest place. an
army camp. 10 is down at Yaphank, l..
T., where Camp Upton has sprung up
like magic from the wilderness 10 a
great white city. dedicated 10 the cause
Of liberty and democracy There are no
social distinctions. no rich, no poor. no
educated or uneducated Soldiers all,
the olive drab has wiped all that away
and they stand as men-freemen-sol-
diers Of freedom.
Able Rosenberg, who before the draft
shaved in a sweatshop for s. a week, Is
learning 20 dig trenches beside a man
whose father could have bought out
half the east side. Able did not want
20 Tight and struggled for exemption
/ lie had beard too much about soldiers
In Europe and wanted none Of Their
life. But he came and now there is mol
a happier recruit. and as he laid aside
his pick for a moment he exclaimed "a
4 his partner. a Gentle: Gee, I'd hearC
about romance. but never knew whai
/ 10 was TIL they brought me here. Now
Two felt IT,. and I don't care n do die.
Pale faces and frail bodies are begin
ming TO glow with a healthy vigor new
CIR known before. To men from thl
slums and streets. for whom life Ia,
been dreary. helpless grind, a famlsh
ed struggle for existence, there ha
come as the dawning Of a new day
ideallsm, productive work, full, hound
ing life, and a vague realization Of Ger
tain intangible truths which are wort
fighting for-worth dying for.
The man OF the slums IS essential
an idealist though 70 is stlflod and hid
den. He did not want % fight. but now
as he begins TO see the great cause
behind the struggle and the great ideal
for which the greater part Of the civil
lied world is giving its heart blood
there IS no one more ready than hC
and he feels that his all Is far too no
tie for him 10 give 20 the common
cause. No one would think Of preach
ing universal brotherhood at Camp In
ton, where Catholic and Protestant
I"Nff "hA RNhNiANf anu AlfNk NlN MNIN
Ing and sacrificing and fraternizing 10
geiher: but he might use 70 as an n
Illustration for sermons elsewhere. 70
brotherhood Is a self evident reality. I
IS no longer a subject for propagand
lit Is accomplished, and the very al
seems imbued with it and the scrul
pines TO sing OF 70, and the son Of mil
lions seems TO like 10 as we'll as he o
the ghetto.
Here IN the great military meliln
lnot OF America-whero men must mel
whether they would or not-whore mel
lof every type and nation are tollln
side by side for the dellverance Of IA
world, and where an that IS petty an
shallow las passed like a shadow be
fore the light OF the shining goal, an
} where sacrifice with rugged fnge
points 70 the eternal heights, a gres
organization IS working onergeticall
with the soldiers. that out OF the mel
. ing pot there may come a produl
; worthy OF the land Of freedom-tt
highest type Of America, the Chrlsti1
q gentleman.
r Represented by eight huts, scatterl
through the magic white city, mann'
by workers supplied by as many ass
3 Citations in Greater New Nork-forty
them, IN the military olive drab-
stands for all that IS American. It's sp
e cious assembly halls stand for socia