New Britain herald., 1918-01-22

part in the sports This w6SF 11d Dos sible with the older sports a.s com paratively few men may play at a time and considerable practice is re- quired to make a good team.
 It will come as a surprise to many to know that the American troops landing in France are now marched directly from the transports to ath- lctic fields where they are put through inter gimental contests. These games iron out the kinks acquired on slrfpboard. Chauncey P Hubert, the writer, who was present when the first games were played, gives a de- tailed account of them as follows:
 The great convoy had come into port. The official inspections and examinations had been made and visits had been paid. The ships were lined up along the docks. Great gangways and smoke-grey ladders were lying ready for use.
 The decks were jammed with American soldiers anxious to land and for the joy of unrestricted free dom of bodily movement. A naval officer accompanied by several sol diers came aboard. There were a
  ously the bands on each ship began to play.
 Down the fore and aft gangplanks marched the men as on parade. Fol- lowing it's own band each company took up it's allotted space in a great level field q short way from the docks. The schedule for the first hour called for LAO men.
 There they stood in columns of files twenty men to a file, eight files to a company Between company files was a lane six feet wide.
 The men looked about curiously and with interest. This certainly started differently from any drill they had had so far experienced. Across the field two hundred yards away stood a line of stakes; each company's flag being attached to the stake directly in front of it.
 The first man in each file was standing behind rope begged down in a small ditch. Six feet beyond and parallel to it stretched another rope. The men became more and more curious as they took in these details. A small group of Y. M. C.. A. men and officers were consulting together in the midst of the field. Suddenly a whistle blew and the little central groups scattered to all cor ners of the field. The commanding officer of each company took his place across the six-foot shallow trench opposite his men.
 An order rang out:
 First man in each file-toe the rope On command do standing broad jump across the trench; ad- vance three steps from where you sr each file do likewise. falling in be- hind the first man. Each man clear ing the ditch counts one point for his company"
 Number One in each file looked nervously doyn the line at the other unfortunate Number Ones. They certainly were the goats this time
 Toe the rope!" rang out the or der, two-three-jump!"
 The line of men sprang upward and outward, landing with anxious care. Everyone had cleared the ditch.
 Number Two" came the order and the second man in each file did likewise. Four men landed in the ditch, much to their em ba rrassm cnt
 The officers were busily keeping score. One thousand eight men out OI JIlS IftU UT Il per CcnI., tltdl'tt the ditch. Another set of orders Was given and the men found themselves formed again in their original posi- tions facing the line of compan! flags.
 short space before the officer stood a long line of men holding rope at arms length over thel heads The men were ordered to star sprinting in the present formation un til another whistle blew thirty second later. All the men who were beyond the rope, which was dropped t' waist height at the whistle, counted one point for their companies, thos behind the rope failed to score. I any man could outsp-fnt the man il file ahead of him, he was to do s' passing on the left. When the rae was finished they were to line up il nies by the company flags.
 Did he say raco?" whispered on man to the file leader. Tho man nod d4d silently. Again the Whiatl sounded and the wAd race began. Pic