The sun., 1918-07-01
Private Soldier Insults One of
"Majahs" Who Opposed Ac-
tors on Diamond.
SUN DODGERS APATHETIC
Poison Ivys Benefit From Gen.
Bells Decision on Clifton
Crawford's Brass Rail.

Broadway actors at the camp ball field
down Yaphank way yesterday afternoon
would be giving out military informa-
ton. and to tell the details Of the kind
of be- tho officers-an Of whom were
Mators--played would be lending lot
Of aid and comfort to the entire German
nation.
On the other hand, II the facts were
printed about the quality Of baseball
played by Clifton Crawford, Harry
Brown. Jean Schwartz. Rovoli and the
rest of the Broadway show folk the
actors would have good case OF crimi-
nal libel to press. even though the truth
were strictly adhered to by the reporter.
Wherefore in the matter OF the baseball
game next to nothing remains to be told.
Popularity the army officers team was
known as the Poison Ivys. largely be-
cause an important part of the uniform
of the Majors encumbering the field In
khaki was a gold poison ivy leaf, or
fg leaf, or something like that, part
way between the outer edge Of the
shoulder and the side elevation OF the
human bean. And the Lambs Club lads
who In a manner Of speaking, opposed
the Poison Ivys. were generically known.
for obvious reasons. as the Sun Dodgers
Sun Dodgers at disadvantage.
Which suggests one reason why the
Broadway Sun Dodgers did not play In
world series form at any stage OF yes
terdays catistrophe-the odd experience
of being abroad in daylight hours abso-
lutely knocked all the poise out OF the
Broadway boys. But, to counteract this
the Majors opposing them got the no.
ton that every time Pitcher Johnny
Birkes of the actors team wound up to
deliver his splitter the pitcher was salut-
ing them: whereupon the particular
Major who happened to be at bat would
loosen his right hand from the bat to
salute In return, thus permitting Johnny
TO crash one over n corner of the home
plate seconds before a Major could get
poised again to swing in the general
neighborhood Of the ball.
But then. on the other hand. the actor
Sun Dodgers were also at a disadvan-
tage in that a ruling was early made by
Gen. J. Franklin Bell himself that
no actor while at bat would be al
lowed to rest his right foot on the
small section of brass rail which Capt.
Clifton Crawford had thoughtfully
brought along in order to make his team
mates feel at home while facing the
pitcher. Gen. Bell. Col. Woodward,
Lieut.. Coils. Tommy ]. Powers and Cy
Dolph and the rest Of the military pow
era in and around the Camp Upton ball
yard yesterday afternoon decided that
the two foot length Of brass rail not only
constituted a gross fracture Of the army
prohibition law. but also would cause
the actor Sun Dodgers to hang around
the home plate all day
Two Centre Fielders Always.
Ma1ah Gardner Crane-known off,
cially as Andy-opened UP for the Poison
Ivys by bunting one that went through
Actor Pitcher Birkes. Actor Second
Baseman Wright Kramer. First Centre
Fielder Harry Ralph OTTO and Second
Centre Fielder Clifton Bill Crawford.
always tire Broadway Sun Dodgers
played four outfelders two constantly
sharing honors at centre fleld.)
Now Majah Cranes two beautifully
putted legs could have kept on sprinting
right past first base and circled all the
way home, but instead he paused at
first base-which Is slang for the posi-
tion on the field WI ich technical writers
on the sport know as the initial sack
There Majah Gardner loafed instead Of
running on to second base.
"Aw, keep runnin' yuh big stiff''
Who had spoken? Who among the
solidly massed ranks OF brownish clad
private soldiers trimming the field lad
thus addressed his superior officer?
There was ghastly silence Faces
toward that part OF the canvas leg
gined onlookers from which the terrible
words had come.
Undoubtedly the unheard of oral
breach OF discipline had issued from a
spot back OF first base occupied by On
locker Irving Berlin. who Mt present is
a common private at Camp Upton. but is
working and studying hard to work up
20 the rank Of private. And just as the
mt al tat -,
about decided that Common Private
Irving Berlin was guilty the clarion
voice rose again. as Majah Crane con-
tinued to loll about frst base instead of
beating 1t to second.
And This to n Major!
Keep runnin'. yuh poor rummy! Beat
Il, Vuh fathead-run"
II wasn't Irving Berlin at ALL largely
because Common Private Berlin, being
partly soldier and partly Lambs Club,
couldn't get overexcited about either
team. The spectator who was so rau-
cously addressing Majah Crane was
none other than Yaphank Yankele. Pr-
vate Yaphank Yankele being half
brother Of Yaphank Bonnie. who has
leased his Yaphank bungalow for the
summer to Yaphank Yankele and is
spending the hot weather travelling in
Europe-travelling it should be added.
by easy stages In a generally eastward
direction.
Only for the fact that an important
sporting event was in progress a court
martial would have happened all over
the side lines then and there. But the
incident was not forgotten. Some time
to-day, so 1t was learned late last night
by long distance telephone from Wash
ington, Yaphank Yankele will be court
rnartialed and. II is said. will be SEN
fenced TO serve an indeterminate SEN
tence Of not more than 500 years and
not less than 400 years, the first half
OF the sentence at Fort Jay, Governors
Island, and the other 200 or 800 years
in the Federal prison at Atlanta. And
after Yaphank Yankele has served his
time he will have to complete his SER
vice In the army besides, so 1t looks as
II the offender was up against 1t.
Nothing, Not Even Putouts.
Nothing happened then for two or
three innings, not even any regular put
outs. so far as could be seen But in
what corresponded to the fifth inning
OF regular game the Poison Ivys and
the Sun Dodgers got into an argument
as to whether fair ball knocked over
the fence was an out or homo run.
For thirty-hve minutes the argument
held up the game and 1t was only set
tied when 1t dawned on somebody that
the nearest fence to Camp Upton In a
white picket fence in front Of Glenn
Hoopers chicken farm. four miles down
the road toward Capt Roy Riggs sum
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