The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-21
country Took Sixth Place In oIymplan
Games and That Was Too
Far Down the
List.
AMERICAN ALARM CLOCK
First Of All an American Trainer VIII
be Imported to Organize Things
For tho Next
olympiad.

Thy william Philip Simms, Paris cor
respondent of the United Press
PARIS, Aug. 81. When American
Olympic athletes enter the stadium Or
the Olympic games in Berlin. 1916,
they will have to look to their lau-
rels. France, stung by her poor show
ing at Stockholm she wound up
very poor sixth. the next highest, Ger
many, more than doubling her score
intends to get even.
The first move to this end has just
been made. M Henry Pate, member
Of the Chamber OF Deputies from
Paris, is father Of the scheme. AL
ways q warm defender OF athletics
from having practiced them himself,
he has formed parliamentary group
which will be known as the Group
For the Advancement Of Sports and
Physical Education. This group will
get into action Immediately upon the
chamber converting after the summer
vacation.
Officially or unofficially it is al
ready a certainty that the French
government will lend its aid to the
encouragement of all forms Of ath-
Ietics Andre Joubert, writing Of a
talk he had with Deputy Pate de-
plares:
physical culture Is the necessary
complement to intellectual culture:
1t is the maker of men. France, at
last, has finished by recognizing this
fact, a fact long acted upon by the
Anglo-Saxons of England and Amer
lea After making pleasantries on
this kind Of education In America,
England and Germany, we have been
brought to a realization OF It's bene-
fits
In danger of becoming effemin-
Ates, Of narrowing into purely intel
lectuals, the race totters. 1t Is not
decadence. but we are headed that
way. The French people, once the
most valiant of races. has singularly
lost prestige. The Stockholm games
proved that abundantiy"
These sentiments, which might al
most be termed governmental ideas,
expressed by a lay writer though they
we're, have found quick re-
sponse all over France. The victcri-
Dus Americans have fired the imagina-
ton Of all Europe and no country
more than France. This republic is
stage struck to do four years from
now, in Berlin, as America did at
Stockholm Gymnastic societies are
forming everywhere: military prep
aration' associations are springing up
like mushrooms; athletic clubs are in
process Of formation; schools and col.
leges are organizing track teams and
The like.
The athletic awakening, due to the
american alarm clock. means much
more than the average person might
think. More Is the reason why, to
quote Pierre Faillot, the official hold
or of the title of champion all-around
hhlete' In France:
In Franc our young men are
either in schools or in offices. When
they are turned loose at night, they
haven't the time to go to far-off ath-
letic fields. They go home where they
usually find friends who mock at ath-
letes. Later on. they are called upon
Tor two years Of military service. In
The army they find serious training
impossible, with the result--in case
they We're ever any good at athletics
that they get out of form and sell
aonl, II ever, get back In again"
Failliot points CIT that in America
athletes form d good part Of school
and college duties" he also dwells
on the fact that every school and col
lege has an athletic field on, or near,
The campus; likewise that a student
who shows superiority in any phase OF
athletics Is granted time mornings
and afternoons to perfect himself I'M
aer the guidance of professional or
volunteer trainers.
frances plan OF action, therefore,
IS plain. Athletics are. to be encour-
aged in schools and colleges by the
establishment Of gyms and fields;
me parliamentary group will see to it
mat training may be continued be-
tween the ages of 90 and % while the
young men are serving their time in
me army; athletic clubs will be form
g TO encourage athletics among or
ulnary citizens. and at last, some
months prior to the next Olympiad,
.uhos Will be available, possibly by a
national public subscription, for the
proper training OF the best OF the
'ahd's athletes.
ana first of all, so 1t is said, first
LASS american trainer will be import
% 70 organize things.