El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-09-10
By FREDERICK j. HAsKIN.

boxing. It's object. as set forth by
the secretary Is ITO place boxing
upon plane that viii make Il free
from criticism. also 70 protect man
avers and boxers alike from the many
evils that have beset them n the
mast. This will be done By following
stricflv the regulations and rules as
prescribed by the government during
tie war.
At the same time state legislatures
which have opposed boxing from time
immemorial are passing laws mas-lhs
Il legal TO conduct amateur po1ln5
bouts. The lawmakers, however
favor the boxing game as carried, on
in the army. They oppose plotes-
sionaI pugilism. and prize fights tnal
are put on merely for the sake o.
making money
bin TO allow boxing was re
Gently killed by Governor frank o.
Iowden. Of Illinois In vetoing the
Il favor boxing; ! had hoped
that a bill would be presented that
would authorize boxing a. We
have learned TO know Il AZ the
military environments durinr the
I1sf two years. The mere ] study
the hsH. the more ] confess my
ACKNOWLEDGMENT In IL. so far as
can zee. II provides all the Access
sorIea for n prize fight, except the
Visits Canada.
Mr.. Joseph Z. Raycroft, head OF
iathletfcs at Princeton university, anu
I :. member Of the commission on tram
4 ing camp activities. is the man WAC
j introduced boxing into the Snileo
states army. shortly after accep ne
+ a place on the commission. ne VISITED
the Canadian military headquarters
lat Toronto. There he became a thor
iouzh convert to the idea that boxing
should have q place IN our InllllAl9
! training. He presented TINS oeile- g
1.-THE so men first called INTO th ,ee
camps as physical directors, az tnelI
initial meeting at Princeton Most Of
tnsse men were college coaches ana
heads OF college athletic departments
land they were slow TO be conNlncesi
that boxing was what men needed
I But they were willing TO give It
trial, and the results obtained nave
completely vindicated Dr.. Raycroft S
Questionable Methods.
] Boxing cid not take mold 50 read
Z iiy among the men themselves 9dtly
LOT them were from sections OF the
country where the game had fallen
/ into disrepute. because Of the cues
tionable methods Of both promoters
and boxers. Also they did not see the
advantage OF being pummeled OF get
I ting wallop On the nose 1ney eoula
to meet German bayonets- They
wanted guns.
But slowly the idea that an ef-
fieient soldier must not only be
trained In the technique OF Of
tense ard defense. but also be
scharredr with fighting spirit,
percoIated down through the
ranks. Boxing became popular
because 1t tested and trained
courage.
At about the same time the bayo-
net instructors from overseas real
lied that many OF the moves IN bayo-
net work were the same as those in
boxing. Some OF the best known and
cleverest Of the professional boxers
were commissioned as instructors.
and In very short time school
for boxing instructors was established
at Camp Gordon
Compulsory at Kearney.
In a mum Der Of the camps. boxing
was compulsory. In camp kearney,
California, the camp most distant from
the scene OF battle, every fighting
man was compelled TO box at least
two three-minute rounds every day.
At Camp Sherman there were $50 box
ing Instructors These enlisted in
structors stayed with the divisions
when they we're ordered overseas.
while the head instructor, who was
generally a professional boxer. re-
NAMED in camp TO train fresh batch
Of Instructors for the new division.
Probably the most far reaching ef-
feet OF boxing IN the army was the
PRONUNCIATION Of a new set OF rules.
which. Il is predicted, will be adopted
by the sporting world
For more than 200 years. box
ing in this country and England
was cnrrfed on under QueenEbury
rules These rules were not AK
Eressfve enough to suit the army
Instructors. The army boxing
rules put n premium on nEEres-
siveness. The country wanted an
aggressive army. and boxing was
selected as a means Of developing
that quality.
TIE army rules provide for two