Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-02
ATHLETICS AND CHARACTER.

No Proof That Sports Make u Nation
of Heroes.
From the Spectator.
One would like to know, If it were pos
sible to find out, what the precise effect of
their devotion to gymnastics was upon the
Hellenic people. 1t may be reasonably
doubted whether it enlarged their mental
powers. for all Greece shared in this pas
sion and the triumphs of Greek thought
and art are almost confined to Attica One
does not even owe intellectual gratitude to
Spartans or Boeotians. 1t did not make
them exceptionally heroic, for the Mace
DOMAINS, who conquered them and the
world, were not specially devoted to sport,
and were, We fancy, till the time of Philip
at all events, excluded from the contests at
Olympia.
1t did not save the nation, for Greece was
utterly subdued by the Romans, who gain
ed their physical prowess in another way;
and 1T did not keep them alive, for al
have survived the Roman, whom he indeed
in way absorbed, the Jew, who aohorred
and Still abhors gymnastic training surviy-
ed both Roman and Greek. Except an ex-
trace any result from the games upon the
Greek character, and it is doubtful whe Their
this was universal or confined to a few rich
citizens In Greece generally, and the 10000
poses are to modern Europeans 1.-The
Greeks"
That question of the influence of these
games on character has some Importance
Ior the modern world, for the passion for
competitive athletics has caught hold of it,
and everywhere, especially in England
France, the United States and the great
colonies, they begin to play a more i'm
portant part In life. Fifty thousand En-
glishmen go at a time to see a foot ball
match, cricketers are watched as carefully
as statesmen. and an international running
match excltes almost the interest of a bat
tie. The papers are everywhere crammed
with the reports Of athletics, and a man
who can make record" is as much hon
ored among the younger generation as ever
he was in Greece.
1t Is probable, as prosperity increases and
the workers gain more leisure that the
passion will develop further and we shall
be curious to see what influence it has up-
on the national sentiment. 1t need not be
a bad Ole, for We suspect that certain
barbaricism-we want that word greatly,
as distinguished from barbarism-iS essen
tial to the vitality and fighting prowess of
any race that dwells in cities, but we can
see no reason for believing that 1t will be
specially good. One can hardly affirm that
the games preserved the manlness Of the
Greeks. and they certainly did not pre-
serve them from incessant internal war
International athletics, We see in news
papers, are to furnish rev bonds to bind
.oselhei tHe ia tlohS, Out II they are on
ly bound as the Greek states WERE the ad-
vantage will not be conspicuous. The prob
ability Is that Olympic games, ancient and
modern. had and will have the effect of
games merely, that is, of distractions, in
nocent or otherwise according to circum-
stances, from the peremptory work of the
world. They are not worse than other
amusemsnts, and being enjoyed in the open
air and under Thousands of eyes, they are
probably better than some of them Rather
population of foot ball players than a
population devoted, like the Chinese. to
cards, CT, like the Bengalese to gossip. but
that Is about as much as it is as yet justifi-
able to say.