El Nuevo mexicano., 1918-01-10
Wen Win Sure if
We Do Not Weaken
Back Of the Lines
thy Grantland Rice,


Every one knows about what the
fighting man has ahead. His business.
IN the main. Is to fight.
But how about I've work Of those
back Of the lines?
have In mind. as a prelude. two
major league ball clubs. The first
team had the leadership and the ma
terial to win with, There was no Dues.
ton Of this. But the ran support al
home was lacking-hoth In the way
OF attendance and direct encourage
ment. The home fans apparently took
1t for granted their club would win
the pennant and for this. or other rea-
SONS, were lukewarm In their support.
and over-critical OF any managerial or
playing mistakes.
The result was a purely human
turn. The club finally became discour.
aged, began to sag in morale, began
to wonder just what the use was in
playing for that type OF support.
Needless to say, it lost the flag. The
second team had good, average ma
terial, but nothing bordering upon the
invipcible. But it carried the fun and
complete support of its home fans,
who paid their money at the box OF.
flee and who stood back of their club
on the field, as loyal in defeat as In
victory. Back in the grandstand and
the bleachers they helped to fight
for their club. This team, with its
morale finely nodded by such sup
port, fought its way to the front, and
held the peak against better looking
clubs. 81
These are not Hypothetical cases.
They are not what might ave hap
pened. They are what actually took
place.
War is only a game upon a mighty
scale. Like any other game, it re-
quires leadership. material. team play,
training, sacrifice-and support back
of the lines.
What are the concrete definite ways
Of giving this support back of the
Ines?
This war" remarked Ian Hay (Maj.
,Beithl recently, twill be won by the
Allies to a certainty. If the nerve and
nerves Of the people back Of the lines
only hold out"
Nerve and the control of nerves Is
needed back Of the lines fully as much
as in the field.
What other Ways are there?
There is an old golf maxim which
advises-"Keep your eye on the ball.n
This maxim is Incorrectly arranged.
Il should read-"Keep your mind on
the ball.,
There are too many who keep their
Eye on certain i~niunctions to Help
Hoover; 'Eut down the meat sup
ply eEconomize"; BUY Liberty
Bonds"; Help the Red Cross" etc.
etc.
Their Eye is focused properly, hut
their Mind is not yet rightly adj
justed.
Those back Of the lines, who are not
in position to serve at the front. can
help UNNECESSARILY to win this war
and end it with greater speed II they
will only keep their Minds upon the
injunctions of the day--if they will
keep their Minds upon economizing,
upon sacrificing. upon swinging into
line with the most effective Team
Play the world has ever known.
The entry who does his bit" on the
ball field wins q pennant. It Is
the one who does his ALL
There isn't al American who doesn't
wish down through the depths Of his
soul for a swift and proper ending OF
this war. This goal can only be
reached by united team play back OF
"
economy, united aid, united loyalty.
united concentration upon the main
object ahead, the winning and the end
ing of the war. The longer citizens put
off their day of complete sacrifice,
Of needed economy, of complete team
play, the longer this war goes on and
the greater the sacrifice that waits
ahead.