The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-03-12
BRIT0NS GOING BACK
NATIONAL PHYSIQUE SHOWN TO
BE DETERIoRATlNe.
Results of Physical Examinations Of
School Children Have Stirred the
Phlegmatic islanders From
Natural CompIacency.

The recent statement Of Sir James
Crichton-Browne, that In many public
elementary schools today 1t is impos.
sible to find ten children absolutely
sound in mind. body, wind and limb:
that almost every child shows q blem-
ish of some kind that interferes either
with it's education or mars more or
less its prospects in life, has attracted
enormous interest in England, though
it has long been recognized that the
national physique has heen steadily
deteriorating.
It is a far cry from the days Of the
ancient Briton to 1913, but the long
space Of time has certainly done moth,
ing to improve the stamina of the
population; in fact, quite to the CON
trary
The National League for Physical
Education and Improvement. which
has been amalgamated with the Man
sion House committee on health and
housing, is now devoting itself to the
physical care of children in schools
in the hope that in due course of time
the improvement Of bodily health will
be as large a part OF the curriculum
as anything else.
The board of education has recently
established medical department
which has introduced a system of
Swedish physical drills in elementary
schools, and also in about 1000 sec
ondary schools. Prospective teachers
are now going through a course of
instruction in the training colleges.
It was at one of the recent meet.
ings of the National league that Sir
James Crichton-BroWne made the
speech which has been so much com
mented on recently
st is always abnormalities, definite
defects, individual calamities, that
chiefly move sympathy he said.
ANY great and sudden catastrophe Is
Immediately met by a copious out
pouring Of such relief as is possible
and rejoice at this.
.sBut it is our desire that catastro.
Plies, not sudden, but which are long
drawn out, shall not be overlooked
and in these class the possible catas.
trophies of the decadence and de-
terioration of the British race, prob,
lem which this league is now engaged
in graphing with.
II am not a pessimist," he con-
tinued. 'Nbut it is impossible to read
the reports coming in daily from medi
cal officers throughout the country
without feeling the greatest appre-
hension for the future of our race I'm.
less stringent methods are adopted.
ION a memorable occasion it was
demonstrated that ten righteous men
could not be found in a certain city
In some public elementary schools to-
day am sure In many of them--it
would be impossible to find ten chill
dren absolutely sound in mind, body
wind and limb.
Almost every child shows blenn
ish of some kind that either inter
feres with education or that must
mar, more or less, its prospects in
life. We may not be able to make
them all Venuses de Medici or Apollos
Belyedere, but the first step must be
taken by bringing all the flaws to
light, for many of them are capable OF
correction or cure il taken in time =
The Bombadier Wells fiasco has &C.
casioned further comment on the ma.
tional stamina. Admiral Montague, a
hale old Victorian figure, who invaria-
bly, occupies a seat at every fight at
the National Sporting club, writes as
follows:
Il have not followed the new craze
for international Olympic games, Sc
can offer no opinion as to how we
stand, but I do think this-maybe be.
cause as citizen of seventy-two
years, well passed in age, one is in.
clined to be biased-that the youths
of England have not nearly so much
grit in them as in former days. There
are plenty of reasons why this Is so;
it is not so much their fault as their
misfortune