New-York tribune., 1918-09-10

enlist there. Why, we have naval re-
scrvists coming here most every day
trying to get into the marines"
1t ended with the boy getting a
place in line while the marine re-
turned to his application blanks and
the woman in black went out to wait
There was not a smile, not whisper,
not snickcr in the entire crowd.
They made a place for the boy and the
men on either side Of him chatted with
him while they waited. He was one of
the gang.
When the application blanks have
been tilled--and men obviously under
weight, lacking in height or otherwise
unit are weeded out right then and
there-thc candidates gather at Il door
marked Examinations" Inside the
Examinations" door the applicants be-
come "class."
In the Examination Room
Before volunteering was stimulated to
an abnormal degree by the exploit of
gade at Belleau Wood these Glasses"
generally of about thirty men each,
were handled by the examiners with
machine-like precision. Now there are
forty or fifty in each "class," which
Is almost moro than the examining
room can accommodate and the ex-
amlners work under pressure, knowing
that before they have finished another
class will be clamoring for admis-
sion.
TO layman the tests still arc run
off with remarkable smoothness, but
the physician in charge apologies for
them and explains the reason for the
"confusion."
Fall in, there" comes crisp COM
mand, with an explanatory "get in line,
one behind the other, facing this way"
This way is in the direction Of scr
Gcants who test the vision and examine
the teeth and throats of the applicants
Other marines are casting appraising
glanccs along the line and as they picl;
a man of suspicious slcndernesS or un-
disguised shortness, they call him out
with here, you, been weighed yct?"
and weigh him or measure him forth
with
Process of Elimination
1t is a process of elimination from
the time the man first enters the door
of the recruiting station and the ex-
waste no more time on poor prospects
than they have to. "Stretch," the man
at the height gauge will say to likely
looking lad, you can stretch all you
got a mind to. Now, walk out" and he
examines the mark. "Too bad, YOU
lack half an inch. You can 60"
AS the men in line pass the eye,
throat and teeth examiners they cross
the room to surgeon who examines
their ears and noses and puts a num-
Der on each application blank. Those
who pass him are directed to take off
their clothes. A number CORES ponding
to, that on the application blank is
mixed on the chest of each.
Then, in the "swimmin' hole" get-up
the college men, the longshorcmcn, the
tallors and the rest are lined up again
and examined. This test includes an
examination of the heart, and the whole
line is instructed to squat and rise
alternately. keeping up the exercise
brlskiy until the surgeon reaches each
with his stethoscopc. This sight has
its ludicrous aspects, as the forty or
! fifty men, each wearing nothing save
the number linked on his chest, spas
medically contract and clongate, each
! Jostling his neighbor in the process
Lcvlty is not encouraged though
KNOCK Off that Laughin'"
KNOCK off that laughin' there!" ane
Lay off on the talking; tell about i
after you get home." is the trenchan
advice offered by a sergeant at every
outbreak.
There is another thorough physica
examination after the heart test, tn,
examiners calling out such phrases a.
"Thirty-one, incipient hernia" which
are promptly echoed from another cor
ner with "Thirty-one, put on you
clothes" "Put on your clothes" is tn,
thumbs down" of the examination
room.
When it is over those who hav
passed are told that their names ar
on file and that if further enistmen
is permitted they will be notified. Ii
the meantime, they are just to wait
And so they have been waiting, thou
sands of them, since August g.