The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-21
IFF WASTE IN PEACE,
GREATER THAN IN WAR
CDR. Elmer +. Rittenhouse. In
- Times

discussed from many angles a..
recent months. There is howe,
one important factor which an,.
TO have been overlooked. That /, IS,
physical fitness of the men Nh.
to defend the nation OF wh3t.
is a high efficiency war macbl..
the hands of low efficiency men
Our most sacred obligation a., ,,
terlty IS not merely 10 preserve ~.
Republic, but to conserve the nN.
VlgOr and Vlrility of our race qa
battles Of peace call for h..,..
strength, and endurance as we'll !, th.
battles of war
The first essential in both nat,,o,l
and race defense is men: not rr4r..l,.
brave, intelligent. patriotic ra-n l,,,
men who can stand the ex.a>,,,..
physical stress and strain of m,t.,r
war; men who cannot only .ba,t
straight. but men who have th4 ,lt..i.
ity and the nerve force to eniur. ~.
we're shocks and wounds ami m3ta
quick reCOVerieS
Could America provide such an
army, and. if 50. how long wound =
| take to do it?
Vital statistics indicate that a /.
BODY Americans are physically i-tt--
| riOrating. If the present intIratt
|
of the American people 10 resist ia.
wear and tear OF modern life con-
| tlnueS, the time will come when wa
| Will have to depend upon w-th
| SOft-muScled, f1imSy- fbred people III.
the defense of the Republic And thA
perpetuity of the race
There are plenty of people Wh,
| will say that they have noted 40
such tendency but We cannot drpaqi
,1,S
| ment for such information Nor mast
we attempt to judge the trend ia th,.
nation by our observations in any .t,.
class Of people. We must take th.
| American people as a body AMI
when we do this We find the resisting
power Of the heart, arteries ana Lil-
neys, which work incesSantly Fl I'll
birth TO the grave, has steadily 1.-
clined.
These organs are breakiu4 i,Wn
and giving way too soon Th4 M
crease in mortality in three decade,
from these causes has been about
100 per cent, and it is confined to no
particular class or element If tn
population. 1t is increasing every
where.
Therefore, while we are teaching
our men the manual of arms ana now
to drill, is it not important that they
|
gienic life and to avoid the deferthIa
and preventable diseases which ara
, now weakening and Destroying -
many precious lives?
The American people are especially
J in need Of being taught how - eat
correctly and to get the habit If tak
ing natural exercise.
: Athletics are popular The people.
, and especially the young, love to ar
J,n1I u. fi,i SO
, sports. But the number OF school
5 children and of adults in sedentary
2 occupations who actully take natural
exercise or who practice setting ~ or
| physiQue- building exercises IA Nsiy
2 | small in our vast population.
: In a sense We are a strenuous people
: and yet the most of us are conSfAnhy
e in search of physical ease We have
t | almost forgotten how to walk Iht
t extraordinary Increase III labor saE
0 ing and time-saving devices ana th-
: increase in wealth has placed an -n"1
nous number of American people II
e the physically inactive or Sedehtaf
|, class. This number is constants ni
e creasing not only among WeIl-'o-i,
u but in our factories and induair.1
|, | plants, where muscular effort iS t.
!, and less required.
t We must adjust our habits of llt,
Q the new conditions. In time "" "
n doubtless awaken to this national f.~-
u and take steps to check these deG"h"
S rative tendencies, but just At pres.
r the habit is TO ignore them rms
: an excellent time to wake UP.
s If the American people are t. IT I
erly prepare for national defenSe it'
must give consideration to the II'i
national problem Of individual h5
giene. which means the rational 1i
Of the body and its organs
Our people should know ha"
= guard and protect their yltaltl
= we'll as their liberty
: The march Of progress has h~.''
= a stampede A physically weak II
o uon has a good chance to be tramp"
" under foot. The fact that the pro-
), tive working period of life IS app
emily shortening is really The h
important phase Of the decline ir
defensive power of the nation.
ait fo CT