Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-04-06
SPORTS WILL MAKE
AMERICANS GIANTS
lrish-American President Declares
Our Men Will Take Place of
big" Men of Emerald Isle

In an interview with Henry King in
the New York World, P. ]. Conway
president Of the Irish American Ath-
letlc club, declares that sports are
making giants of the American people
and that the activity of the country's
young men will cause Americans TO
take the place of Ireland's sons as the
big men in track and field events
Mr.. King says:
Before the next generation Ameri-
ca Will have displaced Ireland as the
home of athletic giants The men from
the Emerald Isle will continue to grow
to a gigantic size, but our men will
surpass them physically.
Athletics will accomplish this;
sports made the Celts the most power
full race physically in the world. and
they will do the same for us; they will
make our men bigger and stronger.
healthier and heavier, and before an
other decade the Irish giant and
whale will be heard of only in his
own land. 1t will be the American
VINO VIII attract the attention of the
This is how Patrick J. Conway. tbe
veteran president of the Irish-Ameri-
can Athletic club, began an interview
IN which he was asked to tell his inn
pressions of the sport.
Mr.. Conway is Sc year old. When a
youth In Ireland he was a great ath-
iete; While he participated in all
kinds of sport, he made a speciality of
throwing the heavy weights. To-day
his physician says he is physically per
feet.
Like the late James z. Sullivan. Mr..
Conway is a student of athletics. He
mas made study of the game and
knows all the intricate points of all
track and field sports. He has been
president of the Irish-American Ath-
letic club for twenty years. and has
directed the development of many of
the worlds greatest athletes.
What the Irish lad did centuries
ago, our boys are doing now" con-
tinued Mr.. Conway. I'm all parts of
| Ireland athletic sports were consid-
cred part of the boys duties. Their
parents were athletes and they were
compelled to take them up too. No
poor boy was too poor to be an ath-
lete. It he lacked sufficient money
to belong to an athletic club where
he could be taught all kinds of sport
he formed a little club of his own; IL
iilpleiheIlS OF track logs were not
within his reach he hurled heavy
stones as weights and ran races in
homemade" togs. He was seeking
strength and health, and he got 1t.
Now that is exactly what Ameri-
can lads are doing to-day. Their par
ents and teachers realize the good
athletics will do for the youngsters
and they compel the children to take
up some kind of sport. They send
the huskler ones to run across coun-
try. others TO take short runs, still
others are sent to the ball field, the
gridiron. the gymnasium, the basket
ball court and even to the boxing and
wrestling rings.
ANY of these are good for boys.
While I personally believe track and
field sports are best to develop our
young men. know too that baseball
and boxing and all other kinds of
sport will work wonders for a boy, If
the parents and teachers will keep
the boys from overriding 1t. ! repeal
that many youngsters of to-day will
develop into men as big and strong as
our McGraths, Ryans, McDonalds and
Flanagans who were imported from
the Emerald Isle"