Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-03
RUBBER HEELS
A Socratic Dialogue

| Club. We were delighted to find a game
| of cricket in progress, the first we had
seen for some years. and, laying aside our
private affairs, we dallied in the shade Of
a tree watching the white figures upon
the green turf. and the coming and going
of the little red BALL While we were
| smoking our pipe in great satisfaction we
fell into converse with two other specta-
| tors who. apparently, were watching the
| game with dsfavor Their names, we
| learned, were Miles and Leander, and the
| following talk ensued:
LEANDER-I have been watching this
| game for some time, and I can make no
| sense out Of It,
| SOCRATES-And yet Leander, there
| must be sense in it, or those men would
| not be playing in the hot sun with such
| zest.
MILES-Even granting that II is a good
| game (Which do not grant. is there any
| excuse for playing it in war time? Why
| are those men not in munitions factories
| or toting a rifle?
sOCRATES-On at time. my friends!
| Can I resolve two problems simultaneously?
First, let us consider the military prob
above the draft age, for you will recall
that the registration for the new draft Is
not until September 12. And some Of them
are obviously over forty.five-that one
yonder. for instance whose bald head
shines so brightly in the sun while he
runs to catch the ball-dear me, he has
missed it! These men are all busily occu-
pied with many affairs; they are all con-
tributing their share to war effort,
and it is only right that on Saturday aft
ernoons they should get out in the open
air and keep themselves ft
LEANDER-My objection. Socrates, Is
not to their playing a game, but to their
playing such a stupid game.
SOCRATES-what makes you think
that they find It stupid?
LEANDER-The players may enjoy it.
but surely it is very dull for the specta-
tors? 1t is quite evident how dull it is,
for where are the grandstands and the
bleachers? If the game were an exciting
one the playing field would be surrounded
with great tiers full Of spectators, and
there would be vendors of hot dogs and
peanuts. and reporters telephoning each
play into the afternoon newspapers.
| SOCRATES-But has the thought struck
| you, excellent Leander that this is a game
| that has not been commercialized and
| brutalized; that 1t Is played by gentlemen
| for their own delight and amusement, re-
| gardless of whether any one cares to watch
| it?
| LEANDER-I should call it, then, a self
ish and aristocratic game, unworthy of a
| democratic community.
| SOCRATES-And yet do you see any
| high board fence, plastered with advertise
ments, to prevent the public from enjoy.
ing the game II it wants to? Did you not
walk in through the gate, unchallenged,
even as | did?
| LEANDER-There is something in
what you say, Socrates; and yet contend
that it is selfshness to play a game which
affords SO little exhilaration to the COM
munity. If these men must disport why
not do so in some mode that will afford
public glee and enthusiasm?
| SOCRATES-Tha leads us to another
| point. Do you notice that tall thin man
who is playing at what is, l believe, called
cover point?
| LEANDER-Yes, I see him.
| SOCRATES-You will have observed
that his hair is grizzled, not to say gray:
and that his bearing is by no means that
| of a youngster?
| LEANDER-I agree.
| SOCRATES-And that several Of the
| other players are men of evidently ma
ture years. not at all what are commonly
called fiappers?
| LEANDER--Quite so.
| SOCRATES-Then, Leander, YOU are
| prepared to accompany me in a further
stage Of the argument, to wit: that this
game is one which is .comely and agree
| able for men who have passed their first
frenzy of youth. 1t is not game soil
tary and encouraging to falsehood. as is
| golf; it is game social and necessarily
honest, for it is played under the eyes
! Of two umpires, who are wearing long
white coats to distinguish themselves from
the players
| MILES, restrain myself with diff
Guilty from interrupting you, Socrates. for
your arguments are so trivial. At a time
when this nation and all other free ma
tions are fighting for honor, it seems to
me disgraceful that these elderly men
should spend the afternoon in so unpro
| ductive amusement.
| SOCRATES-You talk like a Prussian,
my dear fellow. Because we are at war,
is that any reason for shutting down all
innocent amusements? England has been
at war far longer than we, and yet on
| this sunny afternoon English fields are
probably white with cricketers. This ex.
| cellent game is kind of symbol of what
| we fight to maintain-the love of mankind
for clean sport and mems right to divert
themselves in their own way, doing harm
| to no one.
| MILES-But surely
SOCRATES - One moment, please
| Cricket is a game very dear to Phila-
| delnhianS. IL has been nlavad hara Cor