The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-01-12
TEAM WORK AT
HOME ASSURES
VICTORY IN War
Grantland Rice Gives Pub
lie a Few Hints on How
to Triumph.
(By GrantIand Rice)

Every one knows about what the
fighting man has ahead. His business,
IT. the main, is to fight.
Butt how about the work Of those
back of the lines?
I have in mind, as a prelude, two
ma jor-league ball clubs. The first
team had the leadership and the ma
terial to win with. There was no
question of this. But the fan support
az home was lacking-both in the way
of attendance and direct encourage
ment The home fans apparently took
it for granted their club would win
the pennant and for this, or other
reasons, were lukewarm in their sup
port, and over-critical of any mana
gerial or playing mistakes.
The result was a purely personal
human turn. The club finally became
discouraged, began to sag in morale,
began to wonder just what the use
was in playing for that type of sup
port. Needless to say it lost the flag.
The second team had good, average
material, but nothing bordering upon
the invincible. But it carried the full
and complete support of it's home fans
who paid their money at the box Of
flee and who stood back of their club
on the field, as loyal in defeat as in
victory. Back in the grand stand and
the bleachers they helped to fight for
their club. This team, with its morale
finely nodded by such support, fought
its way to the frant, and held the peak
against better looking clubs.
These are no- hypothetical cases.
They are not what might have hap
pened. They are what actually took
place.
War is only a game upon a mighty
scale. Like any other game it requires
leadership, material, team play, tram
ing, sacrifice-and support back of
the lines.
What are the concrete, definite ways
of giving this support back of the
lines? ''
This war; remarked Ian Hay
CMaj. Beith) recently, will be won
nerve and nerves of the people back
of the lines only hold OUT
Nerve and the control of nerves is
needed back of the lines fully as much
as in the field.
| What other ways are tnere!
There is an old golf maxim which
advises-"Keep your eye on the BALI
This maxim is incorrectly arranged
IT. should read-"Keep your mind on
the ball.
There are too many who keep their
eye on certain injunctions to Help
Hoover" "Cut down the meat sup
ply" Economics" Buy Liberty
Bonds;" Help the Red Cross" etc,
etc.
Their eye is focused properly, but
| their mind is not yet rightly adjust
ed.
Those back of the lines who are
rot in position to serve at the front,
can help UNNECESSARILY to win this
war and end it with greater speed if
| they will only keep their minds upon
the injunctions of the day-if they
| will keep their minds upon economic
ing, upon sacrificing, upon swinging
into line with the most effective team
play the world has ever known.
The entry who "does his Bit on the
ball field never wins a pennant. It is
the one who docs his all"
There isn't an American who does
not wish down through the depth of
his soul for a swift and proper ending
| of this war. This goal can only be
reached by united team play back of
the lines, by united sacrifice. united
economy, united aid, united loyalty,
united concentration upon the main
object ahead. the winning and the
ending of the war. The longer citi-
zens put off their day of complete
So crifice, of needed economy, of COM
plete team play, the longer this war
goes on and the greater the sacrifice
that waits ahead.
Many a pennant has been lost
many a football game has gone wrong
because each man thought the 9TH
err fellow would make the play or do
the work. Team play is built of no
such thought. It is made up of OPP
posite ingredients-it is made up of
each man taking upon himself tthe
job of doing his full and complete
share. leaving nothingj to fate, luck.
or destiny, taking nothing for granted
but the accomplishment of the job
at hand,
United for team play back of the
lines, as it will be at the front, the
United States will have the impetus
to carry it to the greatest goal the
world has ever dreamed ola swift
and proper peace,