Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1918-08-31
A UNIVERSAL NECESSITY
BY Edward L. Washington

vealed many things to us that might
otherwise have gone unrealized.
Among these is the urgent demand for
trained soldiers-men who can en-
dure the hardships of the army life
which we all have read something
about, and the training does not mean
merely the expert handling of guns and
the general service of military tactics,
but the very fundamental necessity,
that is required of our soldiers is ply
steal fitness. TO be soldier he must
be physically ft,-his vital organs, the
heart, lungs, liver, stomach and kid
neys must be in good condition to give
him the stamina necessary for the
hardships of soldiers life.
The question naturally arises
What shall we dO?" There must be
a universal awakening and there is
we note the wonderful improvement in
the physique of the school children and
even in some adults because of the
patriotic spirit of preparedness is daily
becoming contagious, because of our
country's call for patriotic men to de-
fend it. Teachers of physical educa-
ton realize that man is handicap
to the army if he is physically unable
to stand the new life and they are
planning daily for universal propa-
ganda of physical preparedness, not
only for military duty but for the pub
lie generally.
Modern living and working condit-
ions are partly responsible for most
physical unfitness.
The congested city life has con-
taminated the air with dust and
smoke which is bad for our lungs, hOus-
ing conditions have shut out the SUM-
light and healthful walk of mile
or so is almost an impossibility over
the concrete walks. The inability to
eat wholesome food at all times is also
a big problem of city life, but among
all of these problems the sedentary
life,-the inactive life should be given
a large consideration. Machinery is
fast taking the place of muscular or
man power which was used years ago
by our forefathers, who developed for
us strong, sturdy race which it is
our patriotic duty to maintain as far
as possible.
Fortunately the average city and
totwn with it's great health problem is
striving to meet the conditions of this
drain on our system by providing
recreation and amusement parks, free
public baths and bathing beaches for
the public, with trained directors in
charge and such places should be
crowded daily.
Mankind is social being and since
activity is the law of life, it is i'm
perative that he should enjoy whole
some games of various kinds, with his
friends in the parks for the sake of
health and amusement.
We often hear of persons who would
like to take some kind of physical
training but they think that they are
too weak to do SOTO those I say if
you are so constitutionally weak as
that your family physician should be
consulted at once and if one tells him
of his interest in physical development,
in all probability the doctor will ad-
wise and direct him as to the best
method of procedure.
Physical Directors of Y. M. G. AS,
parks and Fairgrounds have proven
themselves to be very competent in
teaching mass play and athletics as
we'll as giving individual instruction in
body building and corrective exercise
according to the direction of a physi-
clan.
Many business houses have en-
plOyed a physical instructor to give a
few minutes calisthenics drill to their
employees daily and also to organize
ath1otio toorOc for in do rtpo op1