Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-06-09
Soldiers ant Sports While Pre-
pairing for Fight With
>'-( the Hun.
CIVILIANS MUST GIVE AID
Equipment Is Big Problem
Inter -Cantonment Con-
tests Big Help.
lRy SOL METzGER.l

When mig" Berry received let
ter from Ted Meredith, written some
where in France, In which Mere
dlth told Berry to be sure TO bring
his track suit and spiked shoes to
France, the one former Pen ennsylvania
star athlete told tho other former
Pennsylvania star athlete the whole
story about athletics with our forces
overseas. This story. boiled down, Is
nothing more than that athletics are
flourishing with the boys "over
there" and the surest way TO get
into the game right off the trans
port is TO take along your own togs.
This letter tells a lot about army
athletics In this country as we'll. In
nutshell our sport in this country.
in so far as the army is concerned,
Is to have all the fun out Of 1t in
camp that is possible. but when
team goes forth from camp to play
with other teams,N unless they bo
met on service fields, the object Is
to gather In coin for the purpose
OF buying needed athletic supplies.
or course, army teams are ready and
willing to venture forth at any time
to do battle with the best or worst
Of them fora any other patriotic
funds, but as far travelling around
for pure glory, there is nothing do
ing. Time is too precious for that,
Their Last Chance.
Now this may all be selfish. but
Ii isn't The boys in our camps are
preparing TO go over to lick the Hun,
There is no limit to the number Of
rounds they may have to 60 At
the same time they want to have
little fun in their spare moments so
they are gathering whatever money
together they can get through athlc-
tic contests with which 10 buy ath-
letic supplies It's their last chance
before going over and they know II.
The stuff they take, combined with
the material the "Y" sends over, has
to see them through. SO getting
coin from the rest OF us through
gate money at various contests. Is
their game. II has to be, and We
had better grin and bear It for moth
ing else is going TO help them more
In the end to keep fit and smiling
That IL the reason everyone In
army athletics Is working to equip
the boys before thoy 20 across. It's
fine big Job and II keeps a lot OF
people busy attending to IL. one
fellow told me he had worked all
OF three months raising funds to buy
boxing gloves and In the end had
tho pleasure of giving each company
that left his camp, one set OF gloves,
All this stuff helps the cause and
by giving 1t directly to the men who
are to go over, II insurcs imme-
date delivery when they arrive
THAT sent by boat Independent Of
he men. gets into tle-ups now and
then, which put tho last winters
freight blockade to shame
BoyS Give Moneys Worth
So help the bows out when they
come along In their uniforms TO
stage something for their own bene-
IT. You'll get you moneys worth
Mt that for about every soldier tcam m
that comes forth in the open these
DAYS, Is made up Of stars who win
show you how the game, no matter
what It is, Is played. And remember,
ladies and gentlemen, when you bug
ticRcts 10 games Of this kind. that
none Of yOur money goes toward
paying salaries Year soldier athlete
is tho purest uf amateurs, whatever
his former habits
I had a talk with pr George L.
Meylan OF Columbia university. the
other day. lie Just came back from
France whore he had charge OF
athletic and recrcattve work In the
French army Doctor Meylan tells /
mo that &c Is best to get the men
equipped as thorourhly as possible T.
before they sail While the "Y" IL !
doing a hig Rprk and other civilian
are also on the Job In
a big way sometimes their equip |
mcn' takes a lons time in arriving