The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-05-17

By WILLIAM II. CRAWFORD.
kkORAwFoRD, write story about the i'm
portance of athletics in the National
! ~ Army and the necessity of thorough CO.
operation of all the agencies engaged in
this work in order to the best results, said
the Editor.
This was poser for me, as belong to the
constitutonally lazy group who spend most of their
time in Libraries rather than the athletic field.
cudgeled my brain that night for the answer when
suddenly l had an inspiration MY old friend
Walter Camp knows more about athletics than any
body else. / know, to m: sorrow, that he knows
how to train men for athletic sports for have
lost several hats and other things betting against
Yale; will go to him for information" long
distance call secured me appointment to see him
at his Office in New Haven. l found him with eyes
as bright, shoulders erect and body as alert as
they have been these past twenty-five years. He is
living example of the advantages to be gained by
rational exercise, properly directed.
Mr.. Camp, began, Il have to write story
upon the Importance of athletics to the soldier boys
and have come to you a fountain head of all
such information
you don't want me to talk on the subject any
more than want to tell the American people about
it, my heart is full of it. 1t is important and
few people appreciate it's necessity. We need
the cooperation of all the magazines and news
papers to help us whoop up athletic training.
War has changed. 1t is no longer question
of just being a gallant soldier, always marching
with colors flying to the battle front to win glori-
victory die for your country. Modern warfare
has made it quarter soldering and three
quarters working. Trenches have to be dug, food
and munitions transported, road beds made; there
endless number of absolutely essential tasks
that require strong physical manhood. War is now
survival of the fttest, it is endurance test, and
the efficiency of any military establishment is in
direct ratio to the physical fitness of its individual
nnitS he uh0cey fho tacf
ability to withstand hardships and to endure, will
be the victorious one. What we need now is men
who able to fight all day. Men who can pick
up their equipment, run forward couple of hun
dred yards and then be ready to fight again.
There many why athletic train
ing is important to the National Army:
at INCREASES ITS Resistance.
More men die in the army from diseases than from
enemy bullets. The casualty reports of any body
of troops will show this to be true. The who
is physically fit has greater powers of resistance
disease. The lurking germs thrown off by his
vigorous system, water is from ducks back,
whereas the man whose resistance is low whose
vitality is impaired will be attacked by disease and
will succumb to it.
"REDUCES HIS DANGER IN COMBAT
1t is safe guard at the supreme moment of impact
with the enemy. There has been much hand to
hand fighting in this and there will be much
more before it is finished At such moments the
properly trained athlete will have the edge. The
soft handed, fabby musced, unframed man who
formerly Stunned athletics will find himself I'M
PAR CONGRESSUS ACHILLE" (unequally
matched with Achilles) For athletic training not
only strengthens his muscular power, increases his
agility but brings about ordination between the
mind and the body, that enables him to determine
quickly his course and act upon it instantly. The
trained will be than a match for his I'M
trained adversary.
at BUILDS UP HIS COURAGE. Cour-
low &c Nf hohi hoxv loo
faced "the foe the football field and in the
basket ball court, where he risked his life and
limbs for glory only, more readily faces the
dangers of war. 1t has been said that the English
army is made the cricket fields at Eton. This
IS true. Good soldiers are strong soldiers, strong
oldicrs brave soldiers. You may be sure that
in all charges the battle field, the boy who is
physically fit, properly trained and accustomed to
take part in athletic contests will be in the fore
front. He will lead the way.
at CURES HOMESICKNESS. A large
number of the boys have never before been far
from home. They suddenly transported
thousand miles from all their former friends and
associates. They are among a world of strange
peoples. Their inconsistencies makes them dissatis-
fed and disconnected. Little as it may seem, this
Is a serious to the discipline and training of
the army. The remedy? Give the boy something
20 do that he likes. Let him engage in some sport,
take part in some contests, let the training of his
body be along lines that will interest him. Let
him be made to feel that by proper care he can ex-
cell the other fellow, and he will become so much
cnthused over his physical prowess and over the
game ITSELF that he will forget to be homesick. He
wont have time.
at ACTS As Il DETERRENT 70 VIcE.
The youngster has two normal instincts, play and
SEX 1t is safe proposition that his mind is al
ways either engaged in one or the other. Both
perfectly natural, and need to be properly direct