South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-07-03

Suppose you had a son-a boy
between p and 81 years old. Per
haps you have.
And suppose a trustworthy doc
tor told you the boy was not in
good health-that he was below par
that he was irrevocably handi-
capped in his fight with life.
And suppose the doctor told YOU
the illness might have been pre-
vented If you had taken the right
steps and that he added: ut is
probably too late to cure this boy,
but I can tell you how to prevent
these younger sons OF yours from
following in his footsteps You
have it in your power 10 see that
your other boys have a far better
chance for health, and the recipe
is one that will not only give them
this chance but they will enjoy the
treatment. which will seem to them
like a boyish game
What would you say-and do?
Would you give those younger
sons their fair chance, or would
you be optimistic and go on in the
same old way, trusting 70 Provi-
dence or luck?
Well all this has happened, not
to your son, perhaps, but 10 our
sons.
We have just been startled by
the discovery that one-quarter of
our young men between the ages of
q and 81 cannot pass the not too
strict tests Of the national army.
One-qGarter Of the boys drafted
suffer from physical disability
One-quarter OF the young men
called by lot from all the young
men of those ages (Which means a
fair average Of the youth Of the
country. Of all classes) physically
unsound 10 an extent that means
not only incapacity to be a soldier
but incapacity to be a healthy cit
izen.
One-quarter of all our youth
handicapped for the task Of living
a useful and successful life.
Al the same moment that We
learn this disturbing fact we also
receive an object lesson as to its
remedy
Immediately if we are The shrewd,
hard headed clear thinking peo-
pie that we like 10 think we are,
we grasp the remedy. Immediately
we unite TO do the obvious thing
that shall make our younger boys
stronger than these older ones.
Do We
We do not. Al least not all of
US do. Some of Us even oppose the
use Of the remedy. Just as ignor-
ant people. i'm time of plague. tight
the saving ministrations Of the
sanitary squads.
sat opposite a youth of %
from a New England town "A few
evenings ago, and listened while ne
talked about his work and play in
the biz army camp that IS located
on The border OF the city where 7
live. He touched upon the matter
OF health incidentally. hardly aware
that he was doing so
At home he had always consid-
cred himself i'm fairly good condi-
ton. he said. True. he caught cold
pretty easily. and was subject. i'm
the winter. 20 sore throat And
quite a few things 20 eat didn't
agree with him-imagine BOY Of
% with even incipient dyspepsia.
And he had always been rather
thin. his mother hated 10 see him
drafted. because she feared he was
not robust enough 10 stand the
strain.
He mentioned these things as
4 passing comment i'm connection with
the information that he had out
grown his uniform having gained
IS pounds during the five months
he had been i'm the army Also he
said he could eat anything row. and
he hadn't had a cough. or sore
throat. Or even slight cold this
past winter.
This youths military service has
already given him perfect health
/ in addition 70 training and discip-
line that will ne invaluable 10 him
/ in the coming years Also he has
! Travelled quite widely. and is 2
broader minded citizen al - than
/ he would have been at 30 il ne
had never left home
Where il our boosted American
/ common sense that some Of US do
not want TO take the step that will
give this boon OF better health. bet
/ ter discipline 70 NJ them for the
problems OF life. and greater
/ breadth OF view. TO ali our young
men?
Universal training would do it
/ physical and mental development
through the school years and MILL
''ary training for a year or so az