Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-09-12
GAMBLING UNIVERSAL In THE
ARMY CAMPS.

"Life in an Army Training Camp"
by Frank Tannenbaum, who joined
the army in 1918 and whose military
experience includes three different
branches of the service and train
ing in two camps is an article which
first appeared in the "Dial" of April
5, 1919, and is now spread broadcast
by the American Union Against Mill
tarism. The article treats of such
things as The Curse of Boredom in
the army, the Reduction of all men to
one type, the craving of the soldier
for women, Gambling Universal"
etc. On the latter subpect the author
offers the following interesting de-
tails (Which we have heard confirmed
by soldiers returning from the war
to civil life):
"It is no exaggeration to say that
practically every soldier CANDLES.
There is no other activity that is so
popular or that seems so satisfactory.
Gambling has many forms, but the
shooting of dice ("craps') is the
most popular. Of all games it is the
greatest game of chance and luck, and
is therefore the most universal. "Crap
shooting" for nancy is prohibited in
the army, and in my camp there has
just been issued an order increasing
the penalty. But that is the one rule
that no one obeys. 1t is played every
where and on all occasions. | have
seen men on the drill field given a
few minutes rest take the dice from
their pockets and start a game. At
night when the lights are out they
| will crouch around candle shielded
from observation, and stretched on
the floorf or straight on their stom-
achs, with bated breath and flushed
faces, either as participants or OBJ
servers, spend hours in the game.
After payday it is usual to stay up
all night, and many man is broke
before morning dawns again, to spend
the rest of the month in borrowing
smokes" While "crap" playing is
the most general of all games of
chance, it is not the only one. Cards
in varying forms, with poker holding
its own as the chief, is certainly next
in line of favor. After payday many
will stay up nights and play for high
stakes, until practically all of the
money is held by very few of the
card experts in the company. To this
must be added the capacity to turn
every situation into a game of chance.
Men will gamble as to who will buy
drink when in the canteen, or as to
whether there will be chicken for din
ner. Every dogmatic statement is
met by challenge-from the spelling
of word to the day of mastering out,
or as to whether it will rain of snow
in the morning. Probably the most
interesting game of chance / wit
messed took place one night when |
was teaching spelling. l had class
in elementary English and some boys
were in the test as observers, others
as students. The spelling lesson de-
veloped into spelling match, the men
betting against each other as to
whether they could or could not spell
the next word. / agreed to give the
words in order as they appeared in
the spelling book, and words with the
same number of syllables. In a little
while the observers began to bet, each
choosing his particular favorite to bet
on. The tent soon filled to overflow
ing and the game was in full swing.
Up to eleven, when taps was sounded,
we had an exciting time of it. have
never witnessed so much will and en-
tEusiasm in the learning of spelling
as for the pupils, they learned more
spelling that night than in any other.
1t was a very successful evening, al
so, for the schoolmaster, in spite of
the fact that the rest of the scedule
was crowded by this sudden love for
spelling. 1t made the school. 1t gave
it social standing and the teacher an
unwonted popularity"