The morning times., 1896-11-01
NEW DEPARTURE
IN THE U. S. ARMY
Soldiers to Be Given Systematic
Training in Athletics At All
Military Posts.
HIGHLY POPULAR WITH THE MEN
Gen. Miles Pet Plan in Oper-
ation-Football and Other
Matches for Soldiers.
Copyright, 1861

"ii Hds concluded that prolonged
peace is making his soldiers altogether too
'a'. hereafter they must be trained down;
anu among other things they must learn
70 run IL Is not meant to insinuate that
running Is hereafter TO be the favorite
'houe OF warfare of our forces, unless in
pursuit OF fleeing enemy; but it is es-
sehtial Tor soldier to be active and 1.-the
'imped. 1t is not sufficient that he is
We'll Versed in the manual Of arms and can
go through the bayonet exercise without
oahser TO bis Comrades; his calling is one
"hicb requires an athletic physique, and
the Army authorities propose TO see that he
gets 1t.
AN athletic team will Immediately be
formed at every POST in the department of
Colorado, in accordance with specified
rules to be Commanded by a ommissloned
officer, selected by the post commander"
90 reads the order issued by Gen.
wheaton, U. s. A, comma nding the de-
pdrtment In Question. The order has been
approved by the War Department and by
Major General Miles, Commander in chief
al the Army OF the United States, and, in
Consequence, field athletics are to become
Just as much recognized part of the SOL
aiers training as drill or target practice
for long time past Gen. Miles has been
urging upon the dep;Stment at Wash
ihstoh the Importance of giving the rank
ana lie or the Army athletic instruction;
ana now that the department has at
iehgth approved of the suggestion. the
different Commanders are promptly act
ing upon IL, and athletics teams are being
formed at every fort and army post
throughout the country. Matches between
the teams OF different posts are also to be
arranged.
Athletic teams, as n rule. are made up Of
men who take a natural interest in field
sports, and who Join an athletic club of
their own accord. They do things differ
emily in the army. however; nothing is left
to the option of the Individual. But un-
like some military orders, irksome simply
from the fact that they are orders, the
command to form athletic teams has been
hailed by the men with delight: and now
between and after drill hours, the parade
ground OF post or fort is turned into an
athletic ground, and men who otherwise
might be in the guardhouse for some trivial
iniracton OF military discipline, may be
seen in regulation track costume, running,
vauting, jumping, and infulsing i'll almost
every variety Of athletic exercise
That the introduction of athletic train
ing into the army is good thing for
the men, both physically and morally, is
conceded By all. While the greater part
of the United States army was busly en-
gagged IN chasing bands of hostile Indians
all over the Western portion of the country,
the need OF field athletics was not par
ticularly felt; the men had exercise enough
and TO spare in endeavornG to keep within
striking distance OF their active foes.
But when the savages were safely disposed
of on the different reservations and the
mOnotOny of garrison life began, the once
hardy soldiers lost their activity, and
what in their fighting days was but
short launt, became. through the ener-
waiting influence of garrison life. hard
days work.
1t was while stationed in the West
among these men that Gen. Miles, himself
an old Indian canpaigner, began TO see
the need of a thorough athletic train
ing for the soldier. Other nations take
pains to develop the physique of their
soldiers well to drill them in tactics;
why should not the United States do the
same? he reasoned; and from that time un-
til now Gen. Miles has been an enthusiast
upon the sub ject of field athletics. To be
sure, the troops were often taken on prac-
tice marches across the country, or al
lowed TO play an occasional game of foot
ball with some civilian team or team
from some neighboring army post; but
there was no system. and the exercise was
transitory in its effect.
Thus far the official introduction into
the army of field sports is in its infancy,
but the doubtful stage is passed, and army
athletics are with the soldiers to stay.
report has just been made TO the
War Departmentby Col. Shafter, at present
comm anding the department of Cali
fornia, of series of competitive ath-
Ietic games held by the soldiers of the
department, in which hand-ball, tug-of-
war, standing high jump, running, put
ting the hammer and shot, hurdle races,
and baseball were the principal games
INDUCED in; and some very good records
were made.
Not only are the men instructed in or
dinary field sports. but they have some
novel sports of their own. favorite
one is a swimming match in light march
ing order. while another is 1G0yard
race OF 44O-yard race, the contestants
carrying their guns and being in heavy
marching order.
All this tends to give the men animproved
ph ysiQue and to better lit them for the
difficulties of long marches The United
States Army" to quote the words of an
officer stationed at New York, lis fine
body of men, and with thorough athletic
training, they will make troops second to
none in the wcrld."