The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-11
NOTED ATHLETES AT
DIX ARE REJECTED
Famous Ball Players Among
Those Found Physically +.
Deficient.
MANY HAVE POOR HEARTS
Southerncrs Want to Go Home
to Get Chance to
Cool Off. \
MANY HAVE POOR HEARTS

CAMP DIX, wRIoHrsrowN. y. j., Aug
io.-"A mule has more brains than any.
horse that ever lived. and yet. the aver
are man feels elated when he is told he
has horse sense and wants to lick the
fellow who calls him a jackass." said an
old army sergeant at the remount depot
"Just look at that bunch Of animals II
Won want an illustration" And he
pointed to a big corral in which were
about 200 horses and mules.
"Those horses will stand out In the
blazing sun all day." continued the ser
geant But look at the mules. They
are strung out all along that fence. The
fence doesn't look as II 1t could AFFORD
any protection from the sun, but you'll
find there is just enough shadow to cover
the mules back.
when the day warns up every mule
In the herd will wander over to the
fence on the south side Of the corral and
line UP in that streak Of shade. Then. as
the afternoon wears on, they will work
around TO find the shadow on the west"
ern side OF the field. Yes, sir, give me
the mule every time for so-called horse
sense"
Would Go south to Cool Off.
Just as the Delaware men Of the
Fifty-ninth Pioneers were delighted to
come North last winter to get warm. So
the Southern officers and enlisted men In
training here now wish they could go
South to cool OF. To the men Of the
Eighty seventh Division especially, most
Ct whom come from the southern Missis-
sippi Valley, the hot weather Of the last
week has come as the biggest surprise
Of their army training. They came to
Camp Dix boasting OF the hot weather
they had experienced at Camp Pike,
Arkansas.
I'VE take our hats of to Jersey when
it comes 10 hot weather" said a promi
nent officer OF the division. I'VE thought
we had warm weather in the South, but
you've got us beaten to a frazxle. Even
when the thermometer fiirts with the
century mark during the day down yon-
dab the nights are refreshingly cool.
while up here II begins to heat up for
the next day before Il starts to cool of
from the day before"
In proportion to their representation
among recruits professional athletes
tons than any other group OF men called
into the National Army at this post.
This paradoxical situation has been true
since the opening OF the camp, and other
cantonments probably have had a SINH
lar experience.
Many of the men who have stood up
and taken the worst kind of punishment
In . short ring battle show under the ex-
pert examination Of surgeons that they
lack the stamina to go through a long
campaign In the field.
Many Ball Players Rejected.
I'm hon nj al
for poor heart action OF some physical
ailment that has not interfered with
their earning fame and a livelihood on
the diamond. Some OF them are sent
home and others into the non-combatant
service. The percentage of those who
win place In the line regiments Is con-
siderably below that of Mr.. Average
Man
The situation has so impressed ath-
letc officers of the various regiments
that they no longer count upon using
some star athlete who has been drafted
into camp until he Is well past the
physical examinations and ready for as
signment to regular unit In recent
draft there were three famous ball play
ers. boxer and a runner with a track
championship. all OF whom fell down on
the final examination for one cause or
another.
Different from the usual cause of re.
lection in these cases was the experience
Of Lewis Santop of the Lincoln Giants OF
New York, who arrived In a recent
colored draft. He Ia rated as one of the
heaviest hitters on the American dia-
mond to-day and he was looked upon as
an important addition TO the negro team
at Dix. But when the doctors at the
camp came to examine him they found
he had broken and badly twisted arm
as result of a baseball accident sew
eral years ago. 1t made II impossible
for him to handle a gun or salute prop
erly, and so he has been discharged as
physically UNIT for army service.