Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-10-23

recently in Hyde Park, London, to see
100 American soldiers, including 20
negro Sammies, cut loose with games.
Baseball is almost an old story over
there now, but, as one London paper
comments, it was a mere nothing,
compared with the sight of big
Americans (some of them very big
indeed) behaving more like school
boys than schoolboys themselves.
Most human boys assume with long
trousers an air of dignity and de-
corum for which they keep some re-
gard even in their play; whereas the
! United States soldier possesses
beautiful faculty for letting his fun
defy his years. The negroes, too.
with their wide grins. delighted
chucllles, and gurgling incantations,
helped manfully to make the whole
assembly, performers and spectators
alike. realize that, after all, folks are
only as old as they feel.
The negroes passed from boxing
blindfolded to chasing toy balloons;
and it would be hard to say which
was the more diverting to look On.
Perhaps the boxing, since that had a
comical climax. After the boxers had
been thinned out and the ring was
/ held by one huge fellow alone, his
white comrades baited him as bull
! fighters the bull. They tapped him
on the shoulder. trailed their great
coats against his knees and elbows:
anything to make him suppose his
! rivals were still before or behind his
blinded eyes. Finally one ingenious
tormentor placed a boXingglove on
! the end of a long stick and gently
| tapped the pugilist in the face with
! it. But the glove must have felt
| empty, for the black man at last
realized that, like Don Quixote, he
was sparring at fictitious foes. But
he may not have read Don Quixote."
The white Americans played a
larger variety of games than can be
easily remembered. They ran races
entwined with one another much less
comfortably than the Siamese twins.
They gave capital limitations of the
classic military tortoise, only, in
stead of bearing shields on their
shoulders, they pushed a football
down the long line of their extended
legs. They reminded one of the fate
of the two blackguards in "Huckle-
berry Finn by riding on n rail. They
ran relay races with mutually clasp
ed hands. They played a composite
lleapfrog by piling more on the frogs
|
with delight as both came to the
ground together. And they did other
Intricate feats, rollicking and un-
Parklike.
fhe sole trouble. of the spectators
was to persuade men inside the
| square to sit or crouch down, in order
that the view might not be obstructed
This led to another demonstration
of the American way with such peo-
Iple. 1t was an American officer, or
a seat, who appealed to an English
officer, standing up. to have heart
for those behind him. and who, when
his cry was unheeded or unheard
shouted, "Eh, King George. sit down!
which, of course, there was no re-
sisting.
The games over, the game began
Two games met in an exhibition
match at baseball; and, to everybody
surprise, these teams were not Amer
lean, but English; soldiers from
Knightsbridge Barracks, who haG
been instructed in the art and science
of baseball by a member of the Amer
lean Y. NJ. c. A. In blue and red, they
looked the parts they were playing
and they played admirably, consid-
ering that they never even saw base
ball before last July. Their batting
seemed especially good; the fielding
not so good; and the pitching, though
adequate. as critics say, was possibly
undeserving of more than 10000 dol
lars a year. No man on the ground
was better pleased than the Ameri.
can instructor, who considers that
his pupils have made wonderful pro-
gress in a short time An American
sailor umpired; and another Ameri'
can sailor with two wounded Can
adian soldiers in the highest spirits
did all that was necessary in the way
of advice and roofing" for both side:
impartially,
Such has been the popularity fol
sports introduced by Yankeeland thai
the Y. NJ. c. A. has now taken up tn,
proposition of holding vast Olypmit
contest for the Allied nations at the
period of rehabilitation of the war
These contests, which may eventually
be part of the peace celebration a
the close of the world war will bI
held in Paris. according to a cable
gram received at the headquarters o.
the United War Work campaign here
o-day.
Work on the plan already has beer
started by the athletic department OF
the Y. NJ. G. A. abroad and the pro.
gram will be submitted to Genera
Pershing for his sanction, as well al
the commanders of the other armies
land navies forming the Allied forces
1t is realized that the field of wei
fare work will be greatly widenet
during the mobilization period anC
special efforts will be made to pro
vide entertainment and instruction
for the soldiers and sailors after the
close of hostilities.
With this in mind those in charge
of the work have outlined an exten
sive campaign, a prominent part o.
which includes a series of .competi'
tions in various branches of sport
AS tentatively grouped at. present the
series will be composed in part o.
maximum mass games to reach ever,
man; championship contests for th'
members of the American Expedition
Forces to be conducted in various
war regions with the finals to b'
held in Paris, physical pageants anC
demonstrations illustrating the bes
in American sports for the French
in Allied championships in the form
of military Olypmic.