The Cordova daily times., 1918-02-21
OF THE LINES
(By Grantland Rieel

DuC NJ" dpout the work of those
back of the lines?
/ have in mind, as a prelude two
major league ball clubs. The first
team had the leadership and the ma
terial to win with. There was no
question of this. But the fan sunport
at home was lacking-both in the way
of attendance and direct encourage
ment. The home fans apparently took
it for granted their club would win
the pennant, and for this or other rea-
sons were lukewarm in their snpport.
and oyercritical of any managerial or
playing mistakes.
The result was a purely human
turn. The club finally became dis.
couraged, began to sag in morale. be-
gan to wonder just what the use was
in playing for that type of SUPPORT.
Needless to say it lost the flag The
second team had good, average ma.
terial, but nothing bordering upon the
= invincible. But it carried the full a1d
! complete support of its home fans,
who paid their money at the box Of
/ fee and stood back of their cIub on
the field. as loyal in defeat as in vic.
tory. Back in the grandstand and the
bleachers they helped to fight for their
club. This team, with it's morale
finely nodded by such support. fought
its way to the front, and held the peak
against better-looking clubs.
These are not hypothetical cases.
They are not what might have hap
pened. They are what actually took
place.
War is only a game upon a mighty
scale. Like any other game, it re-
quires leadership, material, team play,
training, sacrifice-and support back
of the lines.
What are the concrete, definite ways
of giving this support back of the
! lines"
This war" remarked Ian Hay
major BeithD recently, will be won
by the allies to certainty if the
nerves of the people back of the lines
only holds out"
Nerve and the control of nerves is
needed back of the lines fully as much
as in the field.
What other ways are there?
There is an old golf maxim which ad-
vises, Keep your eye on the ball 4"
This maxim is incorrectly arranged
It should read, Keep your mind on
the ball"
There are too many who keep their
eye on certain injunctions to Help
Hoover" "Cut down the meat sup
ply" Economic" BUY Liberty
bonds, Help the Red Cross" etc.
Their eye is focused properly, but
their mind is not yet rightly adjusted
Those back of the lines, who are not
in position to serve at the front can
help UNNECESSARILY to win this war and
end it with greater speed if they will
only keep their minds upon the in
functions of the day-if they will keep
their minds upon ecOnomizing, upon
sacrificing, upon swinging into line
with the most effective team play the
world has ever known.
The entry who does his bit" on the
ball field never wins pennant 1t is
the one who docs his all"
There isn't an American who doesn't
wish down through the depths of his
soul for swift and proper ending of
this war. This goal can only be
reached by united team play back of
the lines, by united sacrifice, united
| economy, united aid, united loyalty,
united concentration upon the main
object ahead, the winning and the end
ing of the war. The longer citizens
put off their day of complete sacrifice,
of needed economy, of complete team
play, the longer this war goes on and
the greater the sacrifice that waits
ahead.
Many a pennant has been lost, many
a football game has gone wrong, be-
cause each man thought the other fell
low would make the play or do the
work. Team play is built of no such
thought. 1t is made up of opposite
ingredients-it is made up of each man
taking upon himself the job of doing
his full and complete share, leaving
nothing to fate, luck or destiny, TAX
ing nothing for granted but the ac-
complishment of the job at hand
United for team play back of the
lines, as it will be at the front the
United States will have the impetus
to carry it to the greatest goal the
world has ever dreamed ola swift
and proper peace.