The Springdale news., 1918-07-19
CAMP PIKE NOTES.
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By Erwin Funk.
Camp Publicity Secretary

Camp Pike, Ark, July 15.-It is
announced that no civilians will be adj
mitted to the July class of the officers
central infantry training school which
begins at Camp Pike today. The class
will consist of some 1000 enlisted men
from various camps throughout this
part of the country. That civilians
will be admitted to the August class
is now fully expected but the condi-
tons governing admission have not
been so far announced. 1t is expected
that the training school for officers
will be continuous and that about 600
officers will be graduated each month.
The present class of student officers
includes some 200 negroes and q
colored lieutenants from Camp Dodge,
Iowa.
Now that the June draft men of this
camp are out of quarantine, they will
begin to feel some of the effects of
soldering in real earnest. They had a
fairly easy time of it while they were
getting their typhoid shots and small
pox vaccination, but we suspect some
of the fellows failed to appreciate
it. They will from now on. Many Of
them spent those first two weeks
wheeling rock and policing the bar
racks area and the constant cry was Il
didn't join the army to be day La
borer" Now that the day is approach
ing when they will make the acquain-
lance of the rifle range and the bay
onet dummy, they will find out just
why they are in the army.
The Army Y. M. C. A. at Camp
Pike only fell short of the half mil
lion mark few thousand in two lines
in June: attendance at the building
and programs, and in the number of
envelopes given away free to the en-
listed men. There was substantial
increase in the work in every depart
ment. More men attended the relig-
ious services, more stamps were sold,
more money orders were issued, more
books were taken from the libraries,
more men are taking an interest in
some form of athletics, than during
previous months. June was high
water mark in the "Y" buildings but
July already gives evidence of sur
passing it.
Word comes from the east that the
soldiers who have been recently trans
ferred from Camp Pike to Camp Dix,
New Jersey, are already making a
name for themselves in all depart
ments of army work "Y" secretaries
who accompanied the troop trains on
their Eastern trip and visited with
them at Camp Dix, say that no one
ever need make apologies for Camp
Pike for it has fully measured up to
the eastern standards in every in
stance. The spirit of the men, the
thoroughness of their training, their
moral standards, and their conduct in
general, has reflected great credit up
on their officers and upon the Red
Triangle secretaries, who have play
ed no small part in this matter of
preparation. When Chaplain Reeves
was asked how Camp Pike succeeded
in turning out such fine bunch of
men, he replied. Catch them young
and then train them up the way they
should 60"
Many letters are coming to the
camp with regard to the conditions
under which women will be accepted
for the Army Y. NJ C. A. work over
sea. 1t is preferable that women be
between the ages of 80 and As years,
and none under 25 years will be con-
sidered. The government will not
grant an oversee passport to any wo-
man who has son, husband or broth
err serving or son oversee in Red Cross