New-York tribune., 1918-06-09
Athletics Big
Factor In War
Work Abroad
Great Need of Physical
Directors Overseas With
Soldiers and Sailors

The winning OF this war Is as much
n the hands of athletic and physical
directors as it is in any other single
croup Of men, according to Dr. Luther
r Gulick, head of the recruiting
committee of the National War Work
Council of the Y. M. c. A. Several
weeks ago the Y NJ. C. A. announced,
with considerable pride that men like
Dave Fultz, Frank Qunby, Jack
Magee of Bowdoin, Sparrow Robert
son and others had volunteered for
service overseas as athletic directors.
More than hundred others have been
sent to France, but the need is con-
slant, and Or. Gulick issued an ap-
peal to the country last week to get
behind a great recruiting campaign
to obtain the required quota
It is understood that the Y NJ
c. AS department of physical direc-
tors. the men who have supervised and
directed the associations physical
education programme throughout the
United States. will be detached for
recruiting duty, the most important
service they can render at the present
time.
Introduce American System
In addition to men for the Ameri-
can Expedltionary Forces DIR. Gulick
announces fact which few in this
country have known-thst the Amer
lean system Of athletics is being in
troduced into the French armies at
the request of the President and
Premier Of the French Republic and
the commanding generals of her
armies Thirty men are needed for
this work alone, and they are needed
right away.
aReasons why physical directors
are extraordinarily important over
there DR.. Gulick added. "will be
evident to US when our boys are do
ing their share Of the fighting Con-
tinued tragedy wears down personal
ity. A great many men are perma
nentlv injured in ways which we do
not understand but which prevent
their ever getting back into any
large activity. Shell shock is gen
eral term descriptive OF many differ
ent kinds Of mental and pathological
states.
"Whon man has been fighting for
days almost without Interruption; has
had practically no sleep and none too
running, carrying weight. helping to
drag guns and the hle-he has been
doing work which makes football seem
Ike child's play. Men alongside OF
him have been left out in the field
dead or seriously wounded. He has
seen some of MS own comrades blown
TO pieces.
Change for Complete Rest
tions has opportunity for complete
rest, for good food and sleep, his body
can recover quickly; but often the
tragedy Of the situation goes round
and round in his mind and it is ut
terly beyond his viii 70 control him
self. If this lasts long the man is
ruined, and temptations for excite
ment are practically irresistible.
These are the conditions under which
humans have always dissipated, and
these are the conditions which bring
to the physical and athletic director
his greatest opportunity for service.
It takes trained men of big personal
ity to give service Of this kind"
Because of the lack Of volunteers
for this work q conference last week
decided 70 set recruiting machinery
going Ia every city, county and state
from all over the United States at
tended this conference and carried
back to their homes knowledge of the
great need
IF we had all the trained men who
are above draft age" Dr.. Gulick told
the conference, eve still would be
short. We must take some men Of
very little training and experience
because there are not enough of the
others
Boxing blessing
Boxing is blessing in military
camp. Or. Gulick states, and the mass
athletics in which entire companies
may take part are also demanded by
the men The monotonv of tho life
on the Western front except when
drive is on is more wearing upon the
men than anything else. This is espe-
cially true of the American fighting
men because they are so far from
home. Baseball and the other games
that they play at home help greatly
to relieve this monotony. With the
French If is highly necessary in this
fourth year of the war, says DR.. GU
HEX, that their morale be restored.
That is why the official and military
authorities have urged the Y. NJ.
c. A. TO extend the association sys-
tenn into the French armies.
About three-ouarters of the work
done by American secretaries in the
Foyers du Soldat-French for y. M.
Q. A. hut--is in the organization of
recreation. The reason for this is
that all the quiet work is in charge
OF French secretary. There is no
religious work for the American sec
fetary to do Men who have been
Athleticallr incl I'd durincr vnnuN