The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-04-08


legess, athle ic grounds and gymnasiums.
thoroughly than Germany. The training
of her youth in gymnastics and athletics
was as notable as that in military drill.
Their showing in East Prussia during
this war proved the value of this train.
ing, and there and sewhere proved that
too much military training, in the strict.
est sense, can do as much harm as good.
They have done more effective war
work when they have marched 30 or &C
miles day, day after day, capturing
thousands of prisoners thereby. thar
they have done when they have gone
with machinelike precision in battle.
GERMANY SET A FINE EXAMPLE.
cit is perfectly clear to me that the
best of the German soldiers war abilities,
his strength and endurance, were de.
veloped outside of st,ictly military ser
vice.
"But while l, personally, do not SYM
pathize with the German procedur, dur.
ing this war, while | especially deplore
the German invasion of Belgium, can.
not fail to appreciate the fact that
through this war Germany has set the
world fine example in its exhibition of
the possible development of the individ
ual.
''This fact has been manifest from the
beginning of the campaign. All-around
physical efficiency, far more than mill
tary training, has been responsible for
the spectacular achievements of the
German troops. Yet, without burden.
ing our people, we might do far more
than Germany even has done along this
line, though she has taxed her people
until they groaned. The tax was not TO,
al.around physical efficiency, but fol-
military tralning-very partial training.
''This same fact has been illustrated
previously, many times, in the course oil
the worlds military history. During
our own Civil War it was not necessarily
the best drilled man that did the best
fighting, but it was invariably the regi-
ments containing in their ranks the high
est average of Individual physical de-
velopment.
81 have said that am not at all in favor
of the arguments which urge the intro
ductlon of military training into all our
schools and colleges, but am immensely
in favor of any movement which viii
tend to bring about the introduction into
all our schools, kindergartens, primary
and elementary schools, High schools
colleges, and even universities, of the
best and most efficient system of physic
al training which can be devised
let me emphasize again that, while
such course would prove of immense
value if, later, the nation unhappily
should be involved in war, it would be O.
an even greater value if, more fortunate
ly, we should be suffered to pursue the
paths of peace without interruption.
1.-The plea of some that athletic exer
else of certain character cannot be intro
duced into our schools without fostering
the combatant spirit seems to be far
fetched. For example, the Cambridg,
girls pass through the streets carrying
the folls with which they fence and the
Indian clubs with which they train
without suggesting the battle spirit t.
themselves or to bystanders. In thei
hands these implements lose all war lik
significance, although they once were
weapons of combat, for war developed
both the club and the sword.
SHOULD BE PHYSICALLY EXAMINED.
"A great deal of the physical worl
done at present in our schools and col
leges outside the gymn asium is very use
tul. For years have maintained tina
every student should pass physical a
we'll as mental examination before ad
mission to par valuation in our schools
The perfect man must be both ply sicall
and mentally admirable.
cit has been proved by exhaustive in
vestigations in certain public school sys
TENS that the most precocious student
are fit in both body and mind. In st
Louis DR.. Porter examined 10000 chill
dren and found that those who averages
higher in scholastic rank also average
heaviest and tallest. There were excep
tons, but this proved to be the genera
rule.
''And it must be remembered that witt
thousands student days offer the onl
opportunities for physical training. Ii
later life many take up work which
makes systematic physical development
impossible, and this is more often tn
case than it used to be. Industry, an,
even the professions, have been so sys
tematized that men now can make thei
llvings by repeating over and over
single act. Such men will go backward
instead of forward if their development
is merely that which is occasioned b.
( their work.
| Il am convinced That In his S1tuatlO
lies something worthy of the most seri
GUS consideration. If we should devot
to the physical training of the children
in our schools that portion of our pro
posed increased military expenditur
which is not needed for sthe establish
ment and up-keep of adequate coast de
fence and the maintenance of adequat
nuclei of an army and navy, am sur
that thereby we would accomplish won
ders in general national betterment.
This plan is worthy of considerable
from every point of view. What W
need is men of physical vigor, rathe
than trained soldiers. The minute 70
find man of good physical vigor, tina
moment you find one who, with yer
little drilling, will become good fgh,
ing man in case of need"
I For crov,v, ooro fhrnat mao n.