The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1918-10-28
WILL YOU
HELP PAY 5.
FOR It?
Nov War Drive To Be USei
Partly for Purpose to Keep
Health and Moral 0 K
By E. a BACHELOR.

PAEIS Oct 1S-(BE Ma4I)-Half p
dollar vail keep an American soldier in
France supplied with all the athletic
material which he viii need IN 1919
This doesn't seem possible when you
realize that a single baseball costs $l25
ana a fair glove, So TO So. Yet this is
rse estimate made by the physical
teaH.ing department OF the American Y.
RI. G. A. and the figures are based on
experience.
of course this does not mean that
every soldier i'm the American Expedi-
ttonary Force can be supplied with a.
~c,oalete individual outtt for every
sport that he may fancy. III would take
a billion dollars TO make thIs possible.
It does mean. however. that the Red
Triangle Viii be prepared to furnished
the paraphernalia TO any group of men
wanting to play any athletic game.
The Overseas department of the y. NJ.
e A. expects to spend close 70 a million
and a half dollars for athletic equip
ment to be used between January I and
December 81. 1919. This is a stagger-
ing sum. but it doesn't seem nearly SO
big when you consider that the military
authorities estimate that the United
States will have upward Of three million
rem in France before the end of next
year. In fact, it is little to cover as
much ground as must be covered
Present stimat arc based on the
belief that II viii take just about twice
as much money to buy athletic supplies
for the a.. i. f. in 1919 as If took in
1918. Ii is impossible at his time TO
etva an exact statemnt Of the expendi-
43rea for the present year but they
probably win exceed S70O.o GEO. The fig
u-es that the Red Triangle has prepared
call for an expenditure Of s1.419.6oo for
sporting goods in 1919. and the actual
outlay viii be more ather than less
than this sum.
Baseball naturally will receive most
attention. l. couldn't be otherwise
where American soldiers are gathered
together. There are plenty Of other
good games in the world but there is
nothing exactly like baseball The
yanks are playing it on every level
piece Of ground in France. It will cost
me Y. NJ. c. A. more than 100000 to
slpp1v baseball goods alone next year,
or practically as much as It spent for
nil kinds of athletic supplies in 1915
Estimates call for 369- GEO balls, which
win cost ST each. This eats Up more
than half of the budget allotted to tine
national pastime. Then there must he
1000 dozen bats. 5000 masks. S.4oo
catcher. mitts and the same number Of
protectors. Shin guards. now regarded
a. a desirable part Of the sartoriaI
equtanent Of every backstop. are not
10 be furnished. Soldiers shins are
tough.
Fer the drst-baseman. there viii be
$500 mttts. and for the helders. $4,000
finger gloves. This may seem like a lot
Of gloves hut when you consider the
SIZE of the army that viii be supplied
81 doesn't loom up so f~ormidabIy. The
little item Of canvas bases Is an inter
esting one. There Will be $40 sets Of
these. or $500 sacks. including the
home plates. It would a "Ty" Cobb
at his best more than 80 years to steal
them all. ever If they let him piifer first
base. which IS not nov considered good
form.
There is going to be q lot Of rotten"
umpfrinE in France in 1919 evidently,
aan -.n,rt~asr 4rIs~a+0~s 9ra 4rc1rd-