Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1918-10-05
BASEBALL IS QUITE
POPULAR IN FRANCE
Soldiers Turn to Game lust as
Soon as There Is a Lull.
Play is Started While Enemy Shells
Are Shrieking overhead--War 10
Entirely Forgotten Among
American Boys.
fBy r. A. BATCHELoR.)

fBy n. A. BATCHELOR.)
Saturday morning the Germans had
held the position. Sunday afternoon
American artillerymen were playing
ball there. Thus the Yankee national
game follows the flag.
1t might seem strange that soldiers
after days and nights Of battle, hours
Of fatigue and danger, should turn to
baseball the very first moment there
came lull, but this has been the rule
rather than the exception all summer
In France.
Sometimes the play starts while an
occasional enemy shell is still shrek
ing overhead. though the officers do
not encourage that sort Of reckless ex-
posure to danger.
The explanation for the soldiers love
Of play ut the extreme front Is that his
nervous system has been so upset that
he needs action. He cannot 90 from the
excitement Of battle to the calm Of
complete repose all at once. He must
let himself down gradually, Just as
men who have been working in COM
pressed air must go through the air
lock before IL Is safe for them to
breathe the atmosphere at It's nor
NAL pressure.
Baseball serves the purpose admir-
ably. 1t gives them something to do
with their bodies while nature Is ad-
Justing itself and something to think
about that will enable them to forget
the horrors they have Just passed
through. It is both a physical and
mental tonic.
In the particular case mentioned
above a group Of artillerymen were
firing two big "165" rifles placed beside
n road. The two pieces, served with
the regularity Of clockwork by a part
OF the battery, were harassing the re-
| treating Huns. The men not actually
engaged in shooting sat and lay around
with nothing TO do but think. They
We're too tired and excited after the
advance to sleep.
A. Y. NJ. 9. A. van came along the
road and one Of the men In II called
out to ask whether an indoor baseball
could be used there.
With one voice the artillerymen an.
swerd "yes." The "Y" man threw out
a new ball and one Of the soldiers
| caught Il.
"Flrst hitter" he yelled.
"Second hitter" yelled another.
"Pitcher." shrleked a third. And so
on until all the desirable places were
claimed.
A pick-handle answered for a bat.
In minute the game was In progress.
The batter stood between two guns
and the fielders were spread out In
front. so that they got the full force Of
the terrible blast when the pieces were
| fired.
They paid no more attention to the
ear-splitting crack Of the guns than to
the buzzing Of the flies around the
mess tent. War was forgotten and
they were just American boys at play,
Instead OF men engaged In the bust.
ness Of Staying.
An officer saw the game and smiled.
He knew that the morale Of that bat
terry would go far over par as result
of the play. 1t was just the thing that
they needed, but he feared that some
of the men In the field might suffer
harm from having the guns fired right
over their heads, and ordered the
scene Of action shifted across the road
where everyone would be behind the
long rifles.
| This incident is typical of what
sport Is doing to keep up the morale Of
the American army In the combat zone.
The Y. M. G. A. has wisely concluded
that here the work OF the physical de-
partment Is more important than In
the more remote areas, and is putting
forth every effort to supply the ina
terial."
Physical directors are not being
sent into actual fighting because they
would be In the way there. While en-
gagged In graphing with the Boche
even the most enthusiastic sportsman
hasn't any time for games.
But the minute the men are able to
think Of playing, the Red Triangle Is
there to look after them. As soon as
a unit is brought back TO rest after a
few days of hard fighting, the "Y" be-
gins to put on an athletic program.
Officers heartily lndorse the work
and several unit commanders have
made formal requests for physical dl.
rectors In the rest blllets.
The results have been most crafty.
Ing. Units that have come out Of the
lines badly used up have been able
to get on their feet In few days and
the men have gone back to the busl-
ness of killing the Boche with re-
newed "pep."