The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-12-29

The highly important mission of sport in the work of making the American college student and school i boy national asset both in military and civil hfe-the problem of raising physical efficiency to the highest point with view to winning this war as soon as possible and making this nation safe from similar menaces in the future-these were the salient topics discussed at the twelfth annual convention of the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Hotel As tor yesterday
 It was decided unanimously that the nation best could, be served if all sports and athletic competitions were continued, but 1t waa added that sport and the development of the military unit must doYetaiL It further was concluded and brought out rather strongly tn the speeches that if our college men were to get the most out of their Participation in sport the old system Hould have to undergo a thorough ovsrhauling
 Col Palmer E. Pierce of the War College president of the association; Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War; Joseph1s Dsniels, Secretary of the Navy President w. H P. Faunce of BroEn University. Walter Camp of XaIe and other authorities pointed eut that the present method of de- Felopink the few stars for the pLr- pose of getting sout 8 strong team would have fo Bive way to the 10e per cent efficient propaganda development of every college student phyzicaIly capable of taking part in any branch Zak spdrtJ
 Inxeaas tn Sport Interest.
 Secretax4es Baker and Daniels, both acting tn addition as mouthpieces for President Wilson. reiterated their un- uaHhed support. of athletics in let ters to the association MT. Baker in particulax rsfeEtedt that the press of duties prevented his coming to the mAeting,f aE he had done at the Ma tlonzl Collegiate A A congress last August in Y Waahington. Repeated Reference was made to the Harvard fale- Princeton attitude toward sport, but no direct cfiticigm thereof was made, though practically every re- port from tht nine. districts of the association showed that the per- suance of q policy directly opposed to that of the Bzg Three had worked great benefits
 It was proved that the war had brought out a Hve1ier interest 1T sport among college students, that the need for athletic exercises was great CT than ever and that public exhibi. lions were essential stimuli to the general participation. The colleges reported that most of them had cut down schedules and expenses, had eliminated training tables and aasis- tant coaches and had done away with trainers, ruboers and tho like.
 Col Pierce in his opening addres. said that when the association me for the first time twelve years ago h. had pointed out the need for a spor revision which the war now has madt mandatory. The colonel said il part:
 Too Many Are Unfit.
 Today we are in war and tht number of defecttves among those o1 military age is of most serious i'm, portance. For instance, seven loca examining boards in Detroit, Brook lyna nd New York city reported 7,e11 men examined for service. O. these z,25z Were discharged for phy Eicai reaeo1a- In other words, abou 90 per cent were unit for militar, service It cis also necessary to talk, from the total number reported b. the boards sHgy At Fabout 5f(per cent more who were rejected on subse Quenf examination at the variou camps to which they were sent Thi is altogether too large a percentage and indicates the necessity of imme diate corrective steps
 College athletes must not be con sidered as merely a means of diver sion and recreation They. play al Important part in developing tn youth of the day, and their benehcia results snnay- bes seen from our ex perfence with the training camps. o the 70, fe0T m4n now undergoing in structioA most are college men Fe1 had prseidhs niilita1y experience, ye on visiting one of these camps thre days after At was organized, wa AAA1Du dl Ine ease WlIn WHICH Lue5 young men tadaPted themselves t military life. After a few days ir struction they acted in many way like seasoned soldiers. as fs
 "Aln1pgt instantly they adapte themselves to discipline and the spir and accuracy with which they car ried out orders illustrated very clearl the reGultsrvofytheS team play whic they had learned in college athletic It was remarked byssone of the Brit ish and French officers who visfte ehs camps that nowhere in ehe vr-49i world had there ever been found sue a groubcd of nenIwho adapted them selves so quickly to the spirit of mil farv Iifa kIsi 2 fN,lsIiSF7d 4,ss-34I
 a1Eslse .CotHfnue Sports.
 TO attract young men to the co Ieges nothing is more important tha the conttnnafion=of athletic sports an I trust there will be nc, suggestion { the abandonihept of college athletic because of ths fear of lack of ds corum-