The Washington herald., 1909-06-19
TRAINING THE BODY.
D. FREpERIc J. HAsKIN.


OF the North American Gymnastic Union
win cpen at Cincinnati to-day and VIII
continue until June 2. During this period
thousands Of German Americans and their
descendants win participate IN ali sorts
Of gymnastic feats. cheered on BY many
more thousands OF friends and relatives.
There VIII be a big parade and Impressive
civic ceremonies, drills. physical culture
exhibitions. contests Of skill and endu--
ance, dances. games. concerts by German
singing societies. and many other features
Of interest.
Elaborate preparations have been made
/ for the gymnastic festival A STADIUM has
been constructed for the races and other
athletic events. Congress passed Z. special
/ act authorizing the loan of $50 large
tents 70 the organization. for occupation
! by its members during the festival. be-
/ lieving. with reason. that the hotels Of the
Queen City could not accommodate the
crowd Of visitors. A large tent city has
/ sprung up on the Carthage fair grounds.
/ equipped with baths. hospital, gas, post
ONCE. telegraph. telephone, and press
service. and ample facilities FOR cooking
and dining on large scale
The Cincinnati meeting Is a great event
among the German Turner societies
throughout the country. Il IS estimated
that 5000 members Of these societies viii
participate In the festival. and that 10000
/ spectators. in addition, VIII witness the
events. The visitors viii feel perfectly az
4 home In Cincinnati. as probably there
cannot be found so many Of their race
and kindred in an equal area anywhere
fare
| portion of the city north OF the canal
which is known locally as over the
Rhine
One OF the most interesting and inter
ested visitors attending the festival Is
Gen. Ludwig Augustus von Heine. of the
German army. who IS accompanied by his
stan Gen von Heiue was delegated by
the German military authorities 20 study
the gymnastic powers of the American
Turner'S. with view 70 adopting some OF
/ their methods for use in the physical
culture system of the Kaiser's army
The Turner societies probably have
I done more than any other single agency
/ IN modern times 70 promote the cause
/ OF physical education and gymnastics
/ throughout the world. The word turner
means --gymnast" Il was coined about
I 1911 BY Friedrich Wilhelm jain. who IS
/ populariy known among Germans and
their descendants in every land as the
1 ''Turnvater." In the hour % Prussia s
/ deepest degradation. after the battle Of
Jena, jain hit upon the scheme OF bring
/ ing about his country's redemption by
/ training a nation OF athletes. n the end
/ the turner idea played a prominent part
| IN the final overthrow OF Napoleon, and
Father Jahn~ himself a. III head OF a
/ regiment Of turner's. had the satisfaction
OF entering Paris with the allied troops
IN Isl4
| Originally organized as a system of Do
liticsl athletics. the society suffered some
what from prosecutions and ruisunder-
standings. Many cf its members partici-
I pated IN the German revolution Of Isss
and we're forced % fee 20 America La
/ ter. the Organization came into its owu
/ again, and IL IS primarily responsible for
I the magnificent physique OF the millions
I Of loyal Germans who are ready 20 follow
I the Kaiser's eagles 10 battle There are
I 7ee0o9 active male members Of Turner So
Z Cieties IN the German empire and the gOs-
pei 0f the TuTuVereine Is being preached
I and practiced. too. IN one form or an
other. all over the world
I The Importance or physical culture vas
urged by jefferson. Franklin. Dr. Ben
I Jamin Rush, and other early patriots
4 In those days the education o. the body
/ was generally along the line q military
4 drilling. The first educational institution
4 10 introduce gymnastics as part OF the
/ regular instruction was Round Hll
/ School ar Northampton. Mass New
/ York High School followed IN IS25. Har-
ward. Yale, Brown. and Williams were
! among the pioneers IN the movement At
+ first the exercises were too violent This
/ led % a reaction in which manual train
! ing was substituted. but proved unsatis-
I factory Since then various systems. in
I cluding many worthless and some harm
/ ful fads. have had their vogue.
/ Important events IN the history of
! American athletics were the orga nization
I az the first boat club. the Enickerbocker.
! OF New York. n 1s33. the first baseball
I club. in the same city in ISs5, the firSt all
! round athletic club. the New York in
I iSSS and the introduction OF the bicycle
/ in the same year and OF lawn tennis in
| 1874 The first Y NJ c. A. gymnasium
/ was opened IN New York IN 1859 IN the
! late '10s and early SOS Cymnasiums
/ began 10 spring I'D everywhere. and now
/ phere are probably 4eo0 OF them in Amer
/ ica. including a number Of municipal
/ gymnasiums, the first of which was estab-
iished in Boston in 1859. Amherst was
/ the first college 10 make physical e5ucs-
tior compulsory.
Millions OF people are either practising
/ gymnastics or very much interested in
the subject So great is the popular de-
nnsnd for knowledge that The Turner'S
started a course OF instruction fo- teach
| ers IN New York a early IS 1854 and in
/ IS74 they established large physical cUI-
ture normal school in Milwaukee. The
7. NJ {. A. opened a training school for
physical instructors az Springfield in 1SS7.
and there are gymnastic normal schools
et New York. Boston. ChautauCua. and
other places. In the American kinder
/ gartens. primary schools. high schools
4 colleges. and universities the training o.
| the body keeps pace with the mental and
moral education Of the children and tho
young men and women OF the nation.
A striking Illustration OF what gymnas-
( tics can accomplish among the young j.
New York public schools. established in
/ 1903, OF which Mr.. Roosevelt IS honorary
| vice president The teachers finding
many Of their $4,000 pupils unruly, tho
athletic league Idea was suggested 20 help
i them and carried out with the assistance
OF funds furnished by Carnegie. Morgan.
and other prominent people A system OF
prizes and honor buttons was established.
/ the rule being that no boy or girl could
compete who failed 20 do well IN the class
room. The scheme worked Ike magic.
/ --.,.to-- ore eers n have lltt'e trouble