The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-07-06
Army Spreading Baseball
rom the New York Times

From the New York Times
 The recent organization, with the full approval of the Secretary of War and the Commanding General of the Depart ment of the East, of a baseball league composed of clubs representing the diff ferent military posts hereabouts is one of many things that go to show that athletics are progressing in the army. There are no better trained athletes in America than the men who compose the rank and file of the United States Army and Navy. Go where you will, whether it be in the Preside in California or Fort Columbus on Governors Island in the 'Harbor of New York. you will be sure to fine a set of strong bodied young men who each day keep their already good constitutions in tip-top condition by in- dulging in various forms of athletic ex- ercise.
 There was a time when the officers en- gagged in the games, but to great ex- tent this has been abandoned. The ath- letes who make up the hundreds of foot ball, baseball, track teams, etc., through out the regular army service are the men who have not been so fortunate as to &C., quire Q commission.
 Just at this time 1t Is baseball that is the ruling favorite in the army, and there Is not regiment or a company of artillery within all the service or a ship in the navy that does not boast of a creditable team. For instance, in the Department of the East league there are eight teams, consisting of seven military organizations and one naval, that at the Brooklyn navy yard. Every Saturday these teams meet in competition at one or the other of the reservations, where, in the presence of their comrades and generally one or two thousand civilian spectators they fight for supremacy and the ultimate winning of the pennant that is to be awarded to the champions.
 All of the teams are unusually strong, are neatly and appropriately uniformed, and are sustained by their comrades. The taxpayers are not called upon to pay a cent for their maintenance Such a thing as an admission fee in the army Or navy has never been tolerated.
 It was the American army that intro duced the national game in the far east. In Manila such an occurrence as a base ball match had never been heard of un- til the American occupation. To hear the men tell the way the natives received it's introduction, and the expressions of wonderment they uttered when they first had chance to watch the uniformed "Americanos' pitch, catch and bat the sphere, forms a most interesting topic in army as well as navy circles.
 The games in Manila, as in the United States, are played between the different regiments or crews of the warships. There is hardly a day that a match is not played. Be sides the military and naval people sure to be present, the na- lives in great numbers generally also manage to get in close enough proximity to the soldiers or the tackles to get a good view of the contest.
 view of the contest.
 An officer high in the navy not long ago said that these contests had been of immeasurable benefit to the authorities in the Philippines in dealing with the na- lives. It brought the latter into closer communication and fellowship with the Americans and it has resulted frequently, he said, in making of an enemy a friend. The natives have taken a great fancy to the game, and already in Manila and the other towns on the Island of Luzon and elsewhere in the archipelago can-be seen the little dusky-skinned Filipinos busy throwing all kinds of round-shaped substances at one another; sometimes a ball of thread or discarded American fnade ball. or, these are missing, one of