Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-22
nm a QUARTER of q million
% M dollars. please said secrs-
~ tary Daniels of the Navy


- q to Congress a short while
ago ct need It in my business" he
added. or words to that effect.
After which announcement a person
with a thirst for general information
went straight to the secretary's office
to inquire what he would do with the
money. The brief paragraph in local
paper had said that he wanted 1t for
FUN" but when Mr.. Daniels had talked
about the matter n little and had desig-
mated two or three officers to go into
details with which they were most IA
miliar the word FUN" vanished from
the horizon and a phrase something
like psychological reasons for genu-
Inc recreation" appeared to remain
through the course of several enlight-
ening conversations.
The Navy Department realizes tho
necessity OF providing healthful amuse-
ment for the crowds of recruits at the
training stations" one of the officers
stated This recreation Is really as
necessary as the drills and training
which they receive. The men must be
made content while they are being
converted into efficient members OF the
navy. The s250,ooO asked for an ap-
preparation for this purpose is a small
sum compared to the great good just
that much more money may effect
From strictly business standpoint,
it was pointed out, the duty of the navy
Is to have and to hold efficiency as a
military requirement. War" second
naval officer declared. earnestly, 'fs a
business in these highly scientific days;
the organization of any company de-
ponds upon the fitness OF It's units so
does the nations success in conflict rest
not little upon whether the individual
fighters are mentally. N orally and phys
ically fit.
our men are more useful when
cheerful and healthy continued the
captain, who was talking in the office
of the navigation bureau. land. of
course. they are not so liable to have
their energies perverted by a thousand
and one outside temptations II every
recruit coming into the training sta
tons can be provided with systematic,
healthful diversion
To that end, then. is the additional
appropriation sought. THE govern
ment allowance for entertainment of
quate. now that we are at war" was
the consensus of opinion among the
naval officers who discussed the matter.
THE personnel is SO greatly enlarged
stretch sufficiently to cover both old
and new members In the proper
manner.
Base ball, the national game, will act
as big factor at both army and navy
camps. The head of the new commits
sion being appointed by the Secretary
Of the Navy for the management of
navy recreation in this emergency.
Raymond B. Fosdick. is great believer
in base ball. Mr.. Fosdick has been for
some time the chairman OF a commits
sion on training camp activities for
the War Department, and he is thor
ough1y familiar with emergency plans
concerned with training camps. He
says that work Is a prophylactic agent
against disease. but that play Is its
counterpart. IL not its peer: that play
means health and is the preventive of
physical, mental and moral breakdown.
With the beginning Of the war the
Atlantic fleet was relieved of the money
usually counted on from the Guam
tanamo canteen. and through the gen.
crosby of private citizens, subscribing
sums to ilf this gap, the Navy League
procured more than a hundred acres
somewhere along the Atlantic" for an
athletic field for the fleet. There base