The Washington herald., 1917-04-08
SPORT CANCELLATIONS
NOT TO HELP CAUSE
Country Will Not Derive Benefit by
New Move in Athletics. Saws Expert.

What. advantage will be gained in
the coming war with Germany through
the discontinuance of all sporting ac-
tivity In this country? asks Walter St.
Denis, in the New York Globe.
The big colleges shut on all sports
the minute that Congress declared O
state of war between the United States
and Germany existed. Here, possibly.
there Is some excuse for the action, as
many Of the universities will train
practically all OF their students TO be
officers in Uncle Sans frst army Of
half million, but where intercolle-
giate contests will be almost impossi-
BILE under the new conditions. competi-
ton of some sort will be as imperative
as the contests between the different
colleges will be impractical
In the columns Of the New York
Globe of yesterday was an account Of
military athletic work in England, as
told by the well-known British athletic
writer. e. Dagnall Dixon, who. by the
way. is himself training for a commits
sion in John Bulls great army. Dixon
tells OF playing baseball for q whole
summer to ft himself physically for
the training task, OF seeing $500 SOL
diers start in q single cross-country
run, and Of the tremendous boom in
both amateur and professional sports
in England since the war started.
Neither the New York Athletic Club
nor the Amateur Athletic Union Of the
United States has any intention OF CIV
ing up athletic activities during war
times. Paul Pilgrim. of the New York
A. c.. in an interview with the Globe
last Sunday. stated that the New York
A. c. members believe that they should
foster competitive sports more than
ever now in the hope of bettering the
physical condition OF young America
who may later be called to the defense
of the flag.
Secretary Treasurer Ruben, Of the A
A. u. is another believer in the theory
that the disoontinuance Of athletics dur
ing the war will work no good for the
American cause. He believes that the
Amateur Athletic Union will back him
up In this view. and will start working
on a plan which he hopes will assist the
government somewhat in the work OF
conditioning the American soldiers.
II half a million young men are called
to the colors in the near future It will
mean that less than one person in every
200 in the United States will go into mill
tary training. Granted that all of these
will be out of competitive athletics for
the period OF the war. there will stin be
left thousands Of perfectly good athletes
to carry on the sport Is there any good
reason why these men should give up the
benefits of competition Just because a
small proportion OF their felow-athletes
are doing their bit In the army?
Another thing to be considered Is the
length of time that the hTst half million
must be in training before they will be
fitted to go to the front. The main body
OF this great army must assuredly train
for five or six months before going to
Europe, II such a move becomes neces-
sary. In the meantime the thousands of
young soldiers who are athletically pro-
ticient will be living out OF doors and
getting into the grandest sort Of condI-
ton, Just as England's soldiers, in train
ing. are doing now.
Unless all signs fail, the Amateur Ath-
letic Union, through Its various sectional
associations. will II AXE an effort to pro-
vide athletic competition in all branches
Of sport for these soldiers. and the effort
will probably result, just as a similar
one has in EnGla1 I'd. IN a tremendous
boom in every sport on the amateur List.
n. Bits always darkest before
dawn" the old saving goes. When the
European war harne blaEed up IN the
summer OF 1914 we scribcs were all pre-
dieting the early demise OF all sports. but
in spite OF the war blight, every pastime
on our list has thrived tremendously. It's
not impossible that the present dark
clouds have their silver lining also.