Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1917-07-20

| be military departure in prophylaxs
against vice and intemperance. The wastage Of
the Spansh-American from bad beef in
stead Of bullets from mosquitoes in place of mis-
siles, from flies and disease rather than from the
destructive force of the Spaniards
| Science and sanitation triumphed over the
mosquito. Now it remains for American army
moral sanitation to triumph the ruthless enc
miles, booze and disease.
One read in the draft law in the regula-
tons and in the express actions of Secretary of
War Baker that he this army of 100000
clean young Americans to be the first army that
ever took the field and stayed in the field and re-
turned from the field untainted by the dual war
vices. Secretary Baker is determined that the
wounds inflicted upon our army of liberation shall
be those inflicted by the central powers and not
those habitually inflicted by the army upon
ITSELF
Recreation is to take the place of idleness
| and indulgence. Adjoining miasmatic swamps Of
booze and vice to be drained Resort will be
had in garrison to healthful exercise, to whole
some amusement, to off-hour activities to ath-
letcs to play and to the devices that healthy men
indulge in at home.
Says Surgeon Major D. G. Howard in a recent
war department bulletin:
Recreation will be of great value. Idleness
is said to be the mother of lechery. Wholesome
amusements and athletics will make the garrison
so attractive that the soldier will be inclined to
spend his spare time in garrison. No present-day
problem in military preventive medicine is of
greater Importance in relation to the physical
efficiency of the army than that of effectual con-
troll of venereal disease"
Thus boldly is the issue stated because thus
boldly does the secretary of war propose to meet
mans worst enemy, which Surgeon Major Maus
describes as "The Great Red Plague"
Here is the common foe of embattled mankind.
Aid and comfort have been given this enemy by
the ill-advised and prudish censorship of social
science
1--WE want no damaged goods in the American
army of democracy" Capt. e. B. Vedder of the
United States Medical corps declares. And to
show how strictly does General Gorgas propose to
make the American expedition clean he
made Havana and Panama, the Wassermann test
and not mere height and eyesght, is the supreme
standard of fitness for this war
This 100000 army of select men, possessing
youth, physique and health the department
proposes to return to their homes If they survive
mere shot and shell, ft fathers of future
The distressful (many returned men and officers
say the disgraceful) social conditions that OBJ
tanned on the Mexican border will not be repeated
at Plattsburg at Niagara, at Fort Sheridan or in
Europe. The Ell Paso vice barracks, the hideous
dives-this nightmare will not be lived through
again. It belongs to the typhoid-malaria age.
The great American game of baseball will form
vital part in the training of the soldiers of the
army of democracy. When young America in
at the motion picture show at play in some
form. The American expeditionary soldier will
play as fast as he will train for service
This is the dictum Of a recreation expert who
knows the value OF recreation, moral and educa-
tional, and who also knows the philosophy Of
Messrs. Baker and Gorgas. My authoritative in
formant continues with enthusiasm that is in
fictitious:
"Good athletes take such pride in their physical
fitness (and good soldiers are necessarily good
athletes) that they will not abuse their health by
ndulgences. But, aside from personal pride in
fitness, play is, in itself the great prophylaxls
against immoral abuses.
"Work is prophyactic agent against disease,
but play is it's counterpart, If not It's peer. Play
means health The play spirit alone is strictly
normal. Play is the preventive against physical
and mental and moral breakdown"
The rediscovery of play as social agent is one
Of the most vital discoveries of modern times.
Recreation is it's organized application. 1t has
been applied educationally. 1t has been delib-
erately applied to redeem the city youth from
crime and degeneracy. But it lent itself natural
ly, unconscousy, to the adults, needs in the
marvellous development of recreatfons other than
booze and vice.
Secretary Of War Baker is sensitive to modern
sociological Developments It went without saying
that, whatever might be his merits or dement's In
practical military organization, he OF all men
woulC bring to the American army of democracy
an appreciation of the sociological factors. A
system of recreation for the enlisted man that
will supplant booze and vice will undoubtedly take
shape from the earliest mobilization, and will con-
tinue to be a safety device for this uniquely pro-
tected army on the battle front.
One observes with keen interest that the war
department has engaged number Of recreation
experts for the supervision Of recreation at the
large training camps There is here no mere
theoretc attention to play, no paper application
Of recreation philosophy no mere philanthrOplc
interest in the soldiers idle hour similar to the
interest which charitable gentleman would take
In supplying tracts to hospital, or books to an
old ladies' home, a bat and ball to nephew.
The problem before us is scarcely of part with
sewing society work. However. to avoid any
gesture of sensatonalism, it is we'll to follow the
plain serious words of the department bulle-
tins to illustrate the vice side of the problem.
Capt E. B. Vedder Of the United States Medical
CORPS in War Department Bulletin No. 8, writes
substantially follows:
"Our sick report has been reprcach in that we