The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-19

of stature proceeded from fundamanta, causes that could not bA Removed -
 According to the new motto of the land there Is nothing that Jap can not 20. He could come out of ob- decades and win a cauplsEok wars He could make commercial strides that arc the wonder of ths world. supposa he wanted to be talleg. Why? He would go ahead and do it.
 The Introduction of, chairs is only part or the new system! Trained master Tn the art of physical conditioning are now installed as part of the army. Fhey have authority over the soldiers. ana their system must be riRtdly obeyed. They have installed A dietary system. and daily put the men through severe course of gymnastics.
 In the army the system of endeavor- ing to attain height has been made obligatory Its extensions throuRhout the land have not been quite so man datory, but the fact that the Mikado himself takes the exercises Is as good as command to the authority loving people of the land.
 In the schools, the childern have been raised from the floor. The mats on which they used to sit have been abaundon. Chairs and desks are being installed, and the youngsters are subjected to modified form of the exercises imposed on the soldiers
 Moreover the introduction of games calling for severe muscular exertion is being encouraged. Baseball has all ready made its way into the land of the Mikado. and 1t will be recalled that college team made up exclusively of Japs toured the United States last year. Graduates of American colleges who return to their native land take back with them the games that arc popular in Uncle Sam's institutions and contribute a share toward turning out fine body of men.
 These sports are seized with activity by the younger element as an expedtent to help toward the national desire to obtain height.
 The mothers of the nation are being besought to abandon the old custom or carrying their babies on their backs This 1t is explained. Is the direct cause of bandy legs a deformity so promi- nent all over the country. The soft bones of the babes naturally take the curved position. Tn this way is pro- duced men who not only have ugly shapes, but who lose perhaps an inch in height by the process.
 In has often been remarked that seated with Europeans the Jap does not look so small. His absence of height is not then noticeable.
 When the conference was held at Portsmouth that settled the Japanese Russian war. the representatives of the Mikado presented a dignified ap- pearance as they sat at the table dis cussing the peace. It was only when they stood erect beside the towering form of Witte. the Czar's chief speaker. that they appeared insignificant. The Jap's chest is naturally long and | full But his legs are on an average of three inches shorter than they l ought to be. The great wrestlers who have come here from Nippon have | had powerful chests, but were poorly developed in the matter of legs.
 The favorite Japanese sport. tiu Jitsu, which created such excitement in this | country about five years ago. Is really | another admission of the leg weakness | of the people. for its prime purpose was to remove the handicap enjoyed by men of more powerful legs than the Jap had sort of scientific cruelty, it substituted exact knowiedgge of the | joints and nerve centers for natural | strength.
 Among the giants of all nations it is usually found that the greatest deyei- | opment is in the legs. It Is the needed iengthening of these that make the | tail man. Japan proceeding on this seeks to extend itself by creating good props by an elaborate system of exer- else. The attempt iF being made with great systeme, and elaborate statistics are being filed away for use later in determining the extent of success.