The Washington times., 1919-03-09

There is no "must" about the Persh-
ing program; II Is strictly q may,
proposition. But so comprehensive
are its features that it is expected
that more than ], 200, 600 officers and
men will avail themselves, Of the rec
reatiVe and competitive opportunities
offered. Roughly speaking, there are
about 100 athletic officers In the
army, men whose responsibility in
their department is as great as was
that of those officers who led their
companies over the top before the ar
mistice was signed Naturally, the
Y. NJ. c. A. cannot hope to match this
total, but 800 skilled sports directors
have been placed at the disposal OF
Col. Waite c. johnson, of General
Pershing's staff.
Colonel JOhnsOh LeadI.
Colonel johnson is the chief athletic
officer of the A. E. F.. and is an en-
thusiast on sports with an enviable
record at West Point in baseball and
football. Cooperating with him on
behalf Of the Y. N. c. A. is EllwOod
S. Brown, chief Of the "Y" staff Of
physical directors.
The basis of the program which
Colonel Johnson will supervise Is the
recreative sport Of the platoon. A
regular schedule Of Interpolation
games has been approved for each Of
these groups OF sixty men. There are
approximately thirty-five events on
the schedule, which presents such
novelties Of mass athletics as broai
lump, pig-a-back, hop-step- jump, roll
over and shot-put relays, and such ia
miliar gymnasium games as basket
ball, volley ball, cage ball ana INDOOR
baseball
with the approach of the spring
rainy season (the doughboy believes
that all seasons are rainy in France)
the army has devised a plan which in
vclyes the use Of $50 airplane hangers,
each 400 feet by $50. These will be
set ND in the sections OF greatest need
so that the athletic program may be
continued without let or htndrance- II
is possible to play in one OF these ham
yars a football game on a grldiron OF
regulation dimensions. A dozen games
of basketball may be played stimuli
taneously. and twice that number OF
volley ball
Have Company PentAthlOn.
The second feature Of the program,
also recreative, is the company pen
tathIon. The men will compete in the
1OO-yard dash. half-mile run, putting
a 12-pound shell. running broad jump
end pull-ups. The last-named will be
recognized as the "chin-the-bar" Of
youthful memory.
Out OF the platoon and company
competition is expected to emerge
much valuable material for the great
spectacular feature Of the program,
the A z. F. championships and the
inter-allied army championships. Gen
craI Pershing has invited the com
manders Of the various allied armies
to send their best athletes to these
military Olympic games, which will
be held in the Colombes Stadium. in
Paris, late in May. i was in the Co.
lombes Stadium that the Olympic
games of 1000 vert held
The French government has made
possible the use Of the stadium, and
the Y. NJ c. A appropriation Of $780,
600 guarantees the expenses and the
prizes which will be distributed to
the winners of the various events.
The British military authorities have
already indicated their approval OF
the program by requesting the assign
ment of an experienced "Y" athletic
director to set up q system among
their men. George E. Goss, who has
had similar experience in the Philip