The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1918-01-31

PARIS. Jan. 2-(By mail to TIMES
Baseball. football and the usual field
and track events are being pushed into
the background among the American
! troops III France. They are still played
and as popular as ever. but there Is not
room enough for all OF the men who
want to play.
TO meet this need. mass athletics has
been invented by group of Y. NJ. g. y.
/ workers including Or. James IL Nc
/ Curdy. OF Springfield, Massachusetts,
director Of Y. NJ. <. \. athletics in
France; Professor James Naismith pro-
lessor of physical education and hy-
( giene at the University OF Kansas. Law
( renee Kansas. and inventor of basket
! ball; Dr. George L. NIeylen. professor
/ physical education at Columbia Unit
versity, and Dr. T. Y Pest. director Of
/ physical education of the y. NJ c. A. Of
I Newark. New Jersey Not only whole
I companies but entire regiments take
part and enter into competition with
1 other companies and regiments.
! The Army heads demand that every
man shall be given a chance to take
| part in the sports. This was impossi-
BILE with the older sports as compare
lively few men play at a time and con-
siderable practice is required 10 make a
good team.
I 1t will come as a surprise to many to
/ know that the American troops ianding
in France are now marched directly
from the transports TO athletic fields
where they are put through inter-rcsi-
mental contests. These games iron out
the kinks acquired on shipboard. Chasn-
cev p. Hubert the writer who was
present when the first games were play
ed. gives n detailed account of them as
follows:
The great convoy had come into port.
The official inspections and examina-
lions had been made and visits had
been paid The ships were lined IN
along the docks. Great Eangways and
smoke-erew ladders were lying ready
for use.
The docks we're damned with Arneri-
can soldiers anxious 10 land and for
the lob of unrestricted freedom of bodi-
ly movement. 4 naval officer accom-
panied bv several soldiers came aboard.
There were 4 few minutes of parley and
simultaneously the bands on each ship
began to play.
Down the fore and aft gangpianks
marched the men as on parade Fol
lowing its own band each company took
up its allotted space IN a great level field
. short wa from the docks. The sched
ule for the first hour called for 144O
as,
There they stood in columns Of files.
won't, men n ale. eight etes to a
company. Between company files was
lane six feet wide.
The men looked about curiously and
with interest. This certainly started
differently from any drill they had had
so far experienced. Across the field
two hundred yards away stood a line
OF stakes: each conpany's flag being
attached TO the stake directly in front
Of il.
The first man in each file was stand
inc behind rome pegged down in a
small ditch Six feet beyond and par
arlel to II stretched another rope. The
men became more and more curious as
tbe,, took in these details A small
sro,D of Y n G A men and officers
we're consulting together in the midst
of the field. Suddenly a whistle blew
and the little central groups scattered
to all corners of the field. The COM
handing officer Of each company took
his place across the six-foot shallow
trench onposite his men.
An order rang out:
FIRST man in each fle-to the rope
on command do standing broad jump
across the trench: advance three steps
from where YOU land and about-face
Next man in each file do likewise. fall
ing in behind the FIRST man. Each man
clearing tho ditch count one point for
bie con,nanv"
D-,,r,ber one i, each file looked ner-
,,o,,slv down the line at the other I'M
fortunate Number Ones. They certain
" were the goats this time.
zoe tho ropa," rang ont the order.
One tyo-three-funpp'
THO Iina NJ men sprana inward and
o,,t,rard landing with anxious care.
E,,.ar.-or,. had cleared the ditch.
..A-,,r,ber Two, came the order. and
the second man in each nile did likewise.
Four men landed in the ditch. much to
their embarrassment.
The officers we're husilv keeping
score one thousand eight men out Of
tho 144o or Il per cent cleared the
aga again T in taeir original positions facing