Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-06-11
Competitive Sport
Inspires Soldiers
to Deeds in Battle

Correspondence Associated Press.1
Behind British Lines in France, May
20.-Regimental sports are fostered in
the British army in war times to in
troduce competitive spirit into the
military routine and inspire The men
TO do their very best IN times Of sew
ere stress.
1T sustains a soldier to know that
he is serving MS country. but II Is
more Immediately exhilarating TO kno"
that he Is doing as well or better than
his neighbor," says one of the army
manuals, and It is still more lnspirit-
| ing for him to know that MS company
can equal or perhaps beat some rlVai
company in the various vital enter
| prises OF the training camp.
The more man feels that he is
working. not for himself, but for his
side, the better soldier he viii be- SAID
an officer in command Of regimental
training camp. He may forget about
mis- company when he gets into the
firing line, but he will remember, per-
haps at the critical moment. that he
belongs to the best regiment, or the
best division in the army, the regiment
WnicD never TeITtdts-
AS the correspondent came out on the
parade ground ne found numoer o.
soldiers in a corner Of the square en-
gagged in fitting the bucket" This Is
merely the light relief Of the afternoon
The mounted man tries to aim the pole
/ which he Carries SO that II goes thru
a certain hole in a certain piece OF
wood; the hope of the spectators is
that he will miss it and receive the
contents of a bucket Of water on his
head.
! In another section Of the square there
was omb-throWing competition,
with the chief bombing officer as judge.
The men were throwing clay bonn DIS
which explode most realistically when
they fall. They have TO throw the
| bombs over a canvas parricade and
| land them in particular square mark
cd out on the ground.
Another pastime in the alarm race.
| Four men are lying on the ground
when a whistle blows They jump up
hastily, get on boots, puttees, pack and
| fun equipment and then fall in at
certain mark. The first man on the
mark, if properly dressed, wins the
| prize.
Other events are rapid loading and
| hayonet charging. The men so in for
these by companies, four men 10 a
company with the best collective time
| wins. The bayonet race takes place
| over the bayonet fighting course, in fun
pack and equipment. There are Ger
mans to be run thru at ever obstacle.
The entrenching race is Interesting.
Each squad of four men has it's little
allotment OF earth. armed only with
an entrenching tool, the. are allowed
fifteen minutes to dig themselves in,
| Events Of this sort introduce holiday
atmosphere into the ordinary wOrkaday
| life OF the soldier in training. Interest
| is just as keen, in the singing COM
| petision, when a nervous squad OF
! ten men marches into the ring and
gives, after one or two false starts, the
results Of a weeks lobored practice.
! The first squad, representing Company
A is content with Loves Old
| Sweet Song Company r. comes in
with linked arms, and break into the
latest vaudeville tune. Company e
| has heen practieing the same song as
a. and is not well received Then
comes Company ID. with a regular
cantata. The judge award the prize
! arid cheers from the assembled SOL
| diers