The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-26
PRESIDENT LAUDS ATHLETICS
AND APPROVES or ENCOURAGING
BOYS TO SHOOT 4 RIFLE.

Accepts Honorary vice.Presidency Of
public schools Athletic League, and
I'm a Letter Sent 10 Gen. Wingatc, He
Praises the Work That II b Doing.
OYSTER BAY, Aug. rs. The following
letter was sent by President Roosevelt to
Gen. George W. Wingate in response to a
letter rendering him the Office Of honorary
yice-presdent OF the Public Schools
Athletic League:
OYSTER BAY, N. T., Aug. 10, 'O5.
-My DEAR GEN. WINoArE:
In answer to your letter beg to say
that it will give me the greatest pleasure
TO accept the Office of honorary vice-presi-
lent of To, Public Schools Athletic League,
of which you are president. most heartily
believe in your league, and l feel that in
promoting athletics among the school
children of New York city along the sane
and healthy lines it has followed it is per-
forming a service which is Of the utmost
Importance, not merely from the standpoint
Of the physical, but also from the standpoint
Of the ethical needs of these school children.
You have every reason to be proud OF the
success with which you have met. You
have organized twenty-five strong district
leagues comprised Of the superintendents,
teachers and members Of the local school
boards in the different educational district
OF New York, and have established a regular
eeries Of athletic contests, so that this year
fully thirty thousand boys competed for
place in your games, and their chosen
champions won the championship at st.
Louis
Il am glad that you have installed In each
Of four high schools a sub-target rife prac-
tise and are teaching the boys to shoot with
the Krag, and am pleased with the great
success that you have met In this effort.
You have done an enormous amount, my
dear General, in connection with the Ma
tional Rife Association and Creedmoor,
and all good citizens owe you debt Of
gratitude for what you have thus accom-
plished But, upon my word think that
you are doing even greater and more far
reaching good in connection with this work
Of the Public Schools Athletic League.
/ am particularly pleased to see that you
give button, analogous to the marksman
badge Of the National Guard. to every
boy who can make prescribed record in
certain simple exercises, 80 that you inter
est and appeal to the boys who cannot
expect to win in competitions. see that
you allow no boy to compete for this button,
or indeed in your games, who is not Up to
the average in studies and department,
and that you in every possible way seek
TO impress upon them the fact that part Of
the character OF every honorable athlete
Is to despise all that is mean or base.
Il know that what your league has done
has already had fine effect upon the char
acter and physique, OF the boys and upon
the discipline Of the schools. The great
congestion in population, which Of course
means the crowded streets as we'll as the
crowded houses, has resulted in depriving
the children of New York Of opportunity
for exercise. especially in the. tenement
house districts, so that their physical de-
The energies they should work Of in whole.
In the worst feats Of the gangs which repre-
sent 80 much that Is vicious in our city
life, It Il great disadvanta &c to q boy
to be unable to play games, and every boy
to boI or to wrestle. has by just so much
fitted himself to be better citizen.
4 know OF the difficulty you have en-
countered in securing grounds for exercise,
and how you have been obliged to utilize
and am delighted that the city has bsen
induced to make an appropriation for four
athletic fields, which the league has agreed
to fit up and run. I am also particularly
pleased that you are about to organize q
woman's au Hillary branch. for the girls
need exercise quite as much as do the boys.
THE demands such movement makes
upon the time and the money Of those en-
gagged therein are very heavy. You are
doing one Of the greatest and most patriotic
services that can be done, and you are en-
titled to the heartiest backing in every way
from all who appreciate the vital need Of
having the rising generation Of Americans
sound in body, mind and soul. Sincerely
yours, THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
TO Gen. GEORGE WINoATE, President Pub
lie School Athletic League, New York"