Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-25
OFFICIAL REGULATIONS
MEAN LITTLE IN BELGIUM
Foreign Idea of Playing Great Amer.
lean Game Widely Differs
From Ours.
MORE LIKE RIOT THAN GAME
y. NJ. c. A. Secretaries Enjoy View
OF Football Baseball" = Each
Player Has Individual Ump-Dis-
tanccs Are Measured.
BY e. A. nATCIIELoR.

HI IL. n. BATCitELOR.
SOMEWHERE IN BELGIUM. August
5.-Speaking of Belgian outrages. did
you ever see the national game OF that
unfortunate country? No? Well. it's
great little game when you get to
know 1t we'll. though rather difficult
for the stranger to comprehend the
first time he collides with it. A num-
Der of Red Triangle physical directors
who recently landed in are still
suffering from an overdose of this
pastime. Although they appeared only
in the capacity of spectators, the men
tai strain of watching the contest
proved too much for them, and some
will never be the same again.
1t was this way: On a bright July
afternoon these men. fresh from the
United States were sitting around TAX
ing the air when report reached them
that big riot was in progress on the
public square. AS the secretaries had
come over to do war work. they
thought 1t would be good idea to
warm up on riot, so they FASTENED
report that there was rioting proved
TO be unfounded to the extent that
everybody was amiable. and there was
no destruction of life or property.
Otherwise. it was true. The Beigians
We're indulging in their favoritc sport.
The Americans were told the name
OF the game, but there are no letters
In our alphabet that would spell it,
90 the information cannot be passed on
la print. Painstaking and polite Bel
gians, speaking perfect French spent
finer points clear to Y. NJ. G. a. men,
who understand every word Of Eng
lish they hear.
GUIDE FOR GREAT GAME
FILLS TWENTY-FIVE BOOKS
sketchy description of the rules of
ms fascinating recreation might pos
sibly be packed into 10000 words. The
games annual publication. correspond
baseball Guides, is printed in twenty
two volumes, Smo, pearl type. An
appendix of thirty four volumes notes
the exceptions TO these rules In this
respect the sport is like the French ir-
regular verbs. which start out bravely
IN one conJuGation, wander around
through all the others and finally get
back home with no single letter of
their original form remaining
This particularly Sunday afternoon a
game was played by Belgian soldiers,
err had his own umpire, who sat on the
side lines with judicial air and called
EN- wrong. just. as the umpires do at
home. The official costume consists OF
khaki yachting cap, white shirt,
| white canvas trousers and white shoes
one OF the rules is that the contestants
must wear BGlluSeS In plain view
The .3oS hitters wear both a belt and
suspanderS and, so it is rumored Bos-
ton garters as we'll.
The action takes part upon n court
OF funnel shape marked out on the
concrete pavement of the public square
This court is perhaps l25 feet long and
ABOUT 90 feet wide at the big end OF
is a white, soft ball about the size of
| Il handball. One OF the players sta
TONED in the large part of the funnel
serves this ball with an underhand wal
Top that drives II To the other end OF
| the court The players. grouped to-
Eether IN the small end or spout, en-
deavor 10 return it. Endeavor is the
| word, FOR they seldom succeed
iNTERMISSIONS FREQUENT
| FOR LA YIN ORDINARIE
| AS soon as the ball hits the ground
every player rushes TO tho point where
thiS happens and by wild gesticulations
anu loud cries claims the point. The
man VINO, In the opinion Of the ma
1orlty OF the umpires. has made the
mrSt claim in a firm, clear voice gets IT,
Then all the others kick and demand
that 1t be measured. just rs is done
| In football when there is some doubt
about first down. An expert survey
or is summoned and proves the m.
The point is played over. and so the
! game continues until dark. with pauses
only occasionally to indulge in a lit
Tie vim ordinarie or maybe n few
The home club was badly beaten in
the game the merican secretaries saw
a Belgian who spoke English explain
ed this by the statement that the UNI
piroing had been awful. and that the
| hest player on the team wasn't in
shape. II seems that this star. who is
me Iy Cobb OF Belgium. had contract
ed Il sore throat and couldn't get any
curves in his vocabulary.
IT was very easy to see from the ac-
tons and facial expression of the play
4 L II Nlrn IL :
bad day. The "" men couldn't under.
stand belgian even when spoken bv n
man in his right mind, and certainly
had no chance of comprehcnding the
words OF IL lot of excited athletes Yet
those among them that had been base
BAH fans back home knew what was
being said Just as well as II they had
been parley-vousing from birth
YANIiS HAVE GOOD TIME
ROASTING BELGIAN UMPIRE
Mon dieu, sole" CFrench for Silky
the home boys would say whenever the
head umpire would give particularly
ting ccarser touts les jours You
haven't donnez us close one this sea
SON SOM What What. is the matter with your
.Sacre. Sole would reply with dig
nity; Far bleu, I'll make you ailez
10 the clubhouse. One more not from
vous and you'll be on your route to
the shower balm. IL you want to jouer
any longer. fermez your trap and keen
1t termed. Jouex ball"
ITS great game because so MANY
can play at one time and so little para
phernalia is required. 1t keeps one out
in the air and gives plenty of exer-
else. especially to the larynx It's oniy
effect as a national institution is thai
| no man that stammers has chance
TO make even a mediocre player. With
a respect and admiration for our Bel
gian allies, most Americans would pre-
fer baseball after seeing Belgian
series.