The Washington herald., 1910-06-19
BY RUDOLPH DE zAPP.


German turner's everywhere, including
the Columbia Turnverein Of this city and
others who follow their system Of physi-
cal and intellectual training. are celebrat-
Ing this month the one hundredth anniver-
sary Of the founding Of turner" with
gymnastic meets, the programme of which
includes. besides the regular athletic COM
petitions, original poetry, Rotations, ex-
temporaneous speechmaking, and singing
contests. The basic principle OF turner
consists of the training of the body as
well as the mind. the motto Of the turner
organization being Juvenal's mems sana
In eorpore sano," or "a sound mind in
a sound body" The official motto adopt
ed by the American turner societies,
founded on Juvenars saying. is ''Frisch.
Fret, Stark Treu." which means, ALERT.
Free, Strong. True" The turner socie-
ties have done more than probably any
other single agency in modern times to
promote the cause OF physical education
and gymnastics throughout the world.
The word turner" means ''gymnast."
II was coined by Friedrich Ludwig jain.
q teacher Of phIlOlogy in the school Of
the Gray Friars," at Berlin. jain is
popularity known among turner's in every
land as the '9TuTnvater In the hour
of Prussia's deepest degradation, after
the battle Of Jena, jain hit upon the
scheme of bringing about his country's
redemption by training a nation Of strong
men and athletes. In the end the
turner idea prevailed and played a prom
fnent part in the final overthrow Of Napo-
- To Ar,s Ia
head of a regiment Of turner's, had the
satisfaction of entering Paris with the
allied troops in 1914
Originally organized as a system OF
political athletics, the society suffered
somewhat from prosecutions and misun-
derstandfngs. Many of it's members par
ticipated in the German revolution of
1S4S, and were forced TO fee TO this
country. Later the organization came
into its own again. and it is primarily
responsible for the magnificent physique
Of the millions of loyal Germans who
are ready to follow the Kalser's eagles
to battle, and who in this country in
time Of need rushed regiments of trained
soldiers TO the defense of the stars and
stripes.
There are 100000 active male members
of turner societies in the German en-
pire. besides many thousands Of female
turner's, and the gospel of turner is be-
ing preached and practiced, too, in one
form or another. all over the world. The
Importance of physical training and eul-
ture was urged by Jefferson. Franklin,
DR.. Benjamin Rush. and other early pa
triots. In those days the education OF
the body was generally along the line of
military drilling.
The first educational institution TO in
troduce gymnastics as part of the reSn-
lar instruction was Round Hill School,
Northampton, Mass. New York
High School followed IN 1875. Har-
vard, Yale, Brown, and Williams
were among the pioneers in the move
ment, and any college or university
without a gymnasium to-day is an i'm
possibility in this country. At first the
exercises were too violent. This led TO
a reaction in which manual training was
substituted. but proved unsatisfactory.
Since then various systems, including
many worthless and some harmful fads,
have had their vogue.
The main purpose of gymnastics or
turner is not to make gymnasts prodi-
gies of strength and agility, but simply
70 give power = and suppleness TO the