The Detroit times., 1915-01-14
Training For Competitive Sport
Likely To BE Taken Up by
Governments
MILITARISTS RAPIDLY
LOSING OLD PREJUDICE
French Officer Indicates His
Conversion in Letter To
This Country
RY BAROID \. WILCOI

There is no reason TO DOUBT lhal
l5 OF the q countries that sent teams
To the Olympic games of 1872 Viii play
little part in international athletics
for several Years TO come. These 10
Countries are involved in the Euro
pean war. and the conflict is taxing
heavy toll OF the strong men or the
belligerent nations. Not until new
generation of athletes is developed
viii these warning nations again be
come factors in the sport world
But when they do. they Will be fac,
tors 10 be reckoned with. for unless
3 the signs OF the times are wrongly
interpreted and the newly formed
opinions of military men falsely re-
ported, the European armies oil ihe
fatnre will be armies Of athletes
skilled in every sort or competitive
sport European Officers are reported
as being astounded at the efficiency
as soldiers OF the recruits who We're
formerly prominent in the athletic
Z world.
So strongly are they becoming con
yinced that In athletics there is m
! valuable training that develops the
4 endurance and daring needed for war,
that il is now confidently expected
that the governments of Europe viii
make it their business 10 lend every
aid possible to competitive sports as
soon as the conflict Is over and the
time for reconstruction arrives,
Germany and France we're partially
convinced two years ago, and what
government support has been lent to
athletics in those countries since then
4 has been more than justified, on mill
4 tary grounds, at least. The increas-
ing favor with which athletes are be-
ing regarded in army circles abroad
is indicated by the letter below,
which was sent 10 a prominent Ameri-
can sportsman by French officer.
now at the front. incidentally, the
letter includes some gossip that will
interest American boxing fans. II
reads in part as follows;
"You were right when you told me
that what we needed was athletics.
and especially boxing. would not
have believed 1t we're II not for the
fact that the demonstration has been
brought home to us. Formerly ] was
opposed to boxing. but now II will be
my endeayor, providing | live through
this war, to encourage II in all coun-
tries. You will probably be surprised
to know that Eugene Solderville, who
at one time did a lot OF boxing in
Paris and also in England and Austria
has been proving himself quite hero.
He was in one of the hardest charges
along the Aisne river IL is surpris.
ing to know the number OF boxers
who have enlisted i'm the army over
here There are hundreds of them
and every one has been in the thick
eest of the fights.
Il went out to see Georges Carpen-
tier, the middleweight champion, who
was supposed to have been injured
quite badly. found him to be feel
ing quite well. indeed, and content
with his lot. When | left he was pre-
pairing TO go on mission with one OF
the aviators, so the stories about him
not being at the front are untrue.
There have been different reports
about Charles Ledoux being killed,
and tried to investigate. From what
] could learn he is at Alencon. and
Is well. Whether he has met with
an accident since then ] cannot say.
Stuber, Clement and Brochet, all we'll
known boxers, were with Ledoux. and
every one OF them has been injured
severely.
1T may surprise you also TO hear
that Tom Linton. at one time a fam.
Gus bicycle rider. who raced in New
York several times. was killed in one
OF the battles. / hope this war will
soon be ended, and that we will be
able TO get back TO our regular lives.
II we do. rest assured that athletics
n
spot in the hearts OF all army officers
In