The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-27
By WILLIAM n. CRATFORD.

poTtancc OF athletics in the National
~ Army and the necessity of thorough CO.
operation of all the agencies engaged in
This work in order to the best results said
the Editor.
This was poser for me, as belong to the
constitutionay lazy group who spend most of their
time in libraries rather than on the athletic field
cudgeled my brain that night for the answer when
suddenly | had inspiration. MY old friend
Walter Camp knows more about athletics than any
body else. / know, to my sorrow, that he knows
how to train men for athletic sports for / have
last several hats and other things betting against
Yale; will 60 to him for information" A long
distance call secured me al appointment to see him
at his Office In New Haven. l found him with eyes
- bright, shoulders as erect and body as alert as
ehey have been these past tweny five years. He is
living example OF the advantages to be gained by
NATIONAL exercise, properly directed.
Mr. Camp, began, L have to write story
nPon the Importance of athletics to the soldier boys
and have come to you as fountain head of all
such information"
Y gu don't want me TO ak on the subject any
snore than want to tell the American people about
i, my heart IL 20 full of it. 1t is important and
- few people appreciate its necessity. We need
NE cooperation of all the magazines and news
papers to help us whoop up athletic training
War has changed. It is no longer question
- just being gallant soldier, always marching
With colors flying to the battle front to win gori
ous victory or die for your country Modern warfare
has made 1t one-quarter soldering and three
quarters working. Trenches have to be dug, food
md munitions transported, road beds made; there
are m cndless number Of absolutely cssenta! tasks
lhst require strong physical manhood. War is now
. survival Of the fttest, it il endurance test and
tho efficiency OF any military establishment is in
direct ratio to the physical fitness OF it's individual
units. The army whose men possess the greatest
ebiity to withstand hardships and to endure, will
Be the victorious one. What we need now is men
who able to fight all day Men who can pick
mp their equipment, run forward couple of hun
dred yards and then be ready to fight again.
There are many reasons why athletic train
ing IL important to the National Army:
"xT INCREASES IT'S Resistance.
More men die in the army from diseases than from
memy bullets. The casualty reports of any body
~ troops will show this to be true. The man who
physically tit has greater powers of resistance to
disease The lurking germs thrown off by his
vigorous system as water is from a ducks back,
whereas the man whose resistance is low, whose
vitality is impaired will be attacked by disease and
VIII succumb to it.
~REDUCES HIS DANGER IN COMBAT
u IS safe guard at the supreme moment of impact
with the enemy. There has been much hand to
hand fighting In this and there will be much
more before it is finished At such moments the
properly trained athlete will have the edge The
0oft handed 7shby musced, unframed man who
PAR CONGRESSUS ACHILLE" (unequally
aatched with Achilles) For athletic training not
s0nly strengthens his muscular power increases his
agility but brings about coordination between the
mind and the body, that enables him to determine
quickly his and act upon it instantly The
AxAined man will be more than match fer his uH-
Aained adversary.
ut BUILDS Up HIS COURAGE Cour-
aAGe largely is matter of habit. The boy who has
faced the foe" the football field and in the
basket ball court, where he risked his life and
E1lnbs for glory only, more readily faces the
|nngcrs OF war. 1t has been said that the English
EnSmy is made the cricket fields at Fton This
~ tSuc. Good soldiers strong soldiers. strong
n1diers are brave soldiers. You be sure that
I Ill charges on the battle field, the boy who is
E1ystcally fit, properly trained and accustomed to
mkc part in athletic contests will be in The fore
6ont. He will lead the wav
TT CURES HOMESICKNESS A large
lnabcr of the boys have never before been far
- home They are suddenly transported n
susand miles from all their former friends and
noc1ates. They among a world Of strange
oopJes Their homesickness makes them dssatis-
and disconnected Little as it NAV SEEM this
NJ serious to the discipline and training of
~ army. The remedys Give the boy something
- that he likes. Let him engage in sport,
~ part in some contests, let the training of his
~ be along lines that will interest him Let
BE- made to feel that by proper care he can ex-
ne other fellow, and he will become so much
nsed over his physical prowess and over the
1 itseif, that he will forget TO be honesick He
IS have time.
skyTT ACTS As 4 DETERRENT TO FICE.
9YCungstcr has two NAL instincts, play and
x@N II safe proposition that his mini is al
etthef engaged in one, or the other. Both are
natural, and need to be properly direct