The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-11-12
BY FREEMAN TILDEN

went down to the concentration
camp at Yaphank on Long lslano "
find out what the Y. NJ. c. A. Is doing
for the fellows who are going TO 90 me
fighting for those who stay at nome
and buy Liberty Bonds. went down
there to find out what the officers
think OF the Y. NJ. C. A. and what the
men think of it. / came away aDso-
lutely convinced that the Y M. y. "A.
is doing work that could not De uons
by any other existing organization anu
work that is vital to the moral ana
physical welfare of the great army we
are putting in the field.
This comes from man VINO mas al
ways SHE'D a little at organized eIIorls
to improve something or somebody. IN
general I've felt that If the game was
to make a better" man, there was
fifty-fifty chance of also producing a
stupid man, in the process. l sort OF
felt that though the waiting room OF
an interurban trolly car line is a good
place to stand under when 1t rains, you
don't have to weep in gratitude about
it, or consider 1t for permanent
home. think you get what l mean
Clarence and Phoebe.
Now say without reserve, after a
day at Camp Upton, short day but a
busy one, that every dollar put into
the work the Y. NJ. c. A. is doing, dur
ing this war, is going to get tremen-
dous dividends, ont only while the
fight Is going on, but in that precari
GUS period-when the boys come home
It is going to make the difference be
tween a happy, singing, contented
army and a depressed, homesick, and
listless one 1t is going to mean the
difference between cleareyed, clean
self-respecting body of men, and-the
other kind And that, believe me, is
good enough for me.
Well, the argument ceases right
here. The rest is what / saw, what
heard, and what felt at Yayhank.
Camp Upton isn't much to look at In
the full glare of the sunlight. 1t looks
unfinished. It is unfinished. And not
only that, but several thousand carp
enters, lest you should forget, pound
the fact home to you at every cor
ner, "Bangi Tap! Slam! This place
whang! isn't finished-blipp!-yet!
And you say, 81 see it isn't'-and side
step a falling plank that nearly go
you permanent exemption.
The stumps of trees still stare a
the sky. Rockies who have been tole
to keep their eyes ahead fall comica
victims to the rude wit of interminabl!
tangled roots. Remember, the whole
place was a virgin, but not respect
able, wilderness of jack-pine and scrub
for Thoro *
reek of koot-pounded clay in the air
1t was only few weeks ago that tend
erly-cared-for Plattsburg officers were
sitting under sideless shelters, like
toads under mushrooms.
But when I stepped out Of an Off
GERS mess-room, after having one o
the best meals l ever ate anywhere
there was something more than hal
a moon shining on Yaphank, and thu
landscape was about as mellow as thu
good food had made the campers
Looking off from the narrow ridge OF
which headquarters and the flag ar,
placed, thousands of yellow lights ar
blinking from the endless lines of two
story barracks. There is an even-pac
ed motion in the streets. Dark figure
moved deliberately, but no slouchin,
along. Nobody is assisting TELEGRAPH
poles to stand erect. All moyemen
seems to have a definite object.
Camp Upton is very new; 1usty in
FAINT which isn't yet sure about the 10
cation of its toes. A few studios gee
graphers may know where any part
cular company or regiment or office
is situated The rest navigate arounl
with ohni1f tho nho IF
cess as you would have of finding
man on Broadway from the mere des
cription that he wore a black derb
hat, and was unhandsome.
My job, in the moonlight, was to fin
a certain Y. NJ C. A house. There ar
six such houses in Camp Upton, wit
two more building. They all look alike
being not only painted uniform gree
but run In the same mold as to design
wanted to find a particular Y. M {
A. house because Malmberg had toll
| me there were to be jinks of a yer
altitudinous order that night. 1t seem
that two companies of the Three Hur
dred and Fifth Regiment were full @
! pride as to the number of vaudevill
artists they had. Whenever a ma
from l Company met a man from Con
pany F. he would say, kid, we've go
| more talent in our company than an
| other company in this dump Say
the member Of Company F, the equs
torial climate you have, no." And so
| went
1t wasn't only the men, either. Cap
Eaton is friend of Captain King:
but he simply had to tell him tn
truth that he, Captain Eaton, has tn
most remarkable stage talent you eve
lamped. At which Captain King snici
cred disdainfully
Well, before we can go to France
these things have to be settled
You've got to prove it to me, kid see
| How? At the Y. NJ. G.. A, naturally
There is no other adequate place L
| the big, roomy hall, with plenty @
benches (easily converted writin
tables are a part of the engeniou
seating system), with stage at on
end, and a piano, and all appliance
and means to produce the drama
! Malmberg told me about this cor