New-York tribune., 1918-07-07
100 Leaders in
Sport Sought BY
Y.M.C.A. Hem
Brink" Thorne and P|,,,
Adams Campaigning 70,
Overseas Workers

Z
who ended his football career w;.,
spectacular forty-yard fight thru.
the Princeton team at Manhattan F;,,.
New York, on Thanksgiving Day, Isss
believes that one Of the surest ms..,
of quickly putting the Germans on =
run is to stimulate clean, hea,,.'
sports in the forces of the Amer..'
fighting men IN Europe.
In the current issue of "Ths srn.,
he quotes eminent authorities to ras nyos.
his theory. The fact that the ~ y
G. A. of America has been asked u :.
introduce American outdoor osr..
into the French and Italian arr;.' ST,S.'
adds further weight to the argumss.
Of General Pershing and other eays,.
ment authorities for the developr.s.
Of great play system as a part :.
the military programme.
For several months Thorne ha. i.
voted much of his time to service " =
the college committee on recruit.
athletic directors of the National 'I1,s Wsss
Work Council of the Y. II. c.
the military forces of tie In,,sa..
States IN Europe pass the total !.
ll,O00, 900 men and mount steaai,
higher, the task of this committee =
comes increasingly difficult. n.
climax of the campaign comes ~;
week, when this committee win =.
operate with the Y II. c. A. in dr;@,
which has for its goal the recruit;,'
of 1000 workers in the United 81, Az.
1000 Of them from this city. At ss,
100 of those sought here are needed :.
the western front as sport Leaders
Need Sport Relaxation
"This war has proved the need =.
athletics and physical recreation d.
the soldier" says Thorne. "Gepa..i
Pershing and the commanders Of Il.
Allied forces recognize it. Cover.
ments recognize it. The men ttss.
selves recognize it. The soldiers. y;,s
muscles and bodies weary as the n.
suit of days of digging trenches, chan.
ing across No Mans Land. throwis,
hand grenades or marching msss
miles, all need physical relaxatiop-
the right kind.
We want no battles, campaigns a,
minor engagements lost because Of d.
imperfect physical condition of Amer.
can lighters, particularly conditio,,
resulting from careless living. Or,
soldiers must not break training eve,
though it lasts for years.
The physical training which il gyr
lhe solder, the setting up exercise
the rife drills, the handling of anti.
iery, the long, trying marches all COZ.
tribute t. make a man hard, muse..
lar, fit: Bat physical training or maj.
ual labor is not physical recreatio,
Wen who have returned from the fros,
tell US that when the men come on,
OF the trenches after the terrific strsn
II being under fire they are half crsU
They want to seize a stuffed club sri
pound some one, to shout, laugh an.
play in order to work off steam, !,
ease their nerves.
Many Of such men in civil lfe after
q like nerve-racking, probably wuvH
hasten to take a drink several dirk
seeking to obtain the reaction VIII;
would ease the tension.
Prevents Excesses
"The soldier feels the same ura
he requires reaction. and unless n
right means to this end is proyids
he Will ind the wrong one.
Here is where physical recreats
is destined to play d great mart
keeping up the morale Of our tighten
A great movement 20 enable the frh,
ing men to avoid excesses or depre;
sion into which they might slip i
the letdcwn after a battles fury O
IN the long waits between engage
ments, is now under full headwsy
Hundreds of men who have had ati
letic experience but who, because d
age or other reasons are not ftsei
for military service are giving then
selves to this gigantic task.
This necessary work of keeping til
soldiers in good physical trim and il
good spirits has been taken up bv til
war work council of the Young Mem
Christian Association. Several hun
dred sport leaders have been sent Il
France already. and Or George
FISHER director of physical education
Of the Y. NJ. C. A.. homes to have 81
least 500 in the field by October l.
Many varieties of physical reerss
tion are necessary for an army. The;'
leglons of young soldiers going over
seas must have haelthv games to pre-
serve to thcm healthy bodies srt
healthy. cheerful minds for their gres
task Of m0king the world dece1i
place in VIII ch to live. They mus
have baseball and both tvnes of foc
ball in season, TERMS. hockey, boxing
wrestlinr, handhall, volley ball and
golf. All foht and no play would tsk,
off their edge and make them dull
soldiers.
Big Task Inspiring Men
Napoleon said, An army travels 0.
its belly, but it might be added i
rests on its funny bone Men who csf
laugh in the war zone do not fesl
battle. It is a task for full-siEsE
man, one with ability to inspire th'
soldiers to get the best results. Sud-
directors must have originality, adaps
bility, resourcefulnes and tact =,
Directors who have been successta
in inducing the greatest number o.
men to play and enjoy themselves havI
given examples Of the games wh'e'
furnished the most amusement -.
Lest there be a feeling that the y
dlscrimInates in favor Of college men
1t was announced Yesterday that Plap
Adams, Olympic champion jumper, nss
been assigned TO SET up a campais'
to obtain sport leaders among leader
IN athletics who would not come VIE
in the province of the college con-
mlttee on recruiting.
Adams has been ready for some tihi
to go to France for the duration =
the war, but the Y N c. A. DECIDE,
that because Of his wide KNOWLEDGE .. o
athletics and acouaintance amons, "
prominent men in sport he could " "
of more value as a recruiting once.
for the present. He will sail for Franz
soon.