The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-01-21
LIVELY BUNCH OF
YANKEE ATHLETES

Jan. zV.-Ine lIVGneSL
bunch of American athletes ever con-
gregated in a foreign country n
collection of stars in every branch of
athletic activity which the Yankee
knows. and all engaged in a con-
Xxx r., tS~z>x.s---.. -, f7-7 s.-1-Ssy ri
is the spectacle that may s,e any tirse
nowadays at the great service of sup
plies headquarters at Tours
Devotees of one or another partic-
ular branch OF sport have given ex-
hibttions in distant lands from time
to time. but never was there a set of
Olympic games which saw anything
like the variety of talent that has
been in action here since early last
spring. What would Ban johnson
and John Heydler, OF the American
National leagues. think about an eight
hour day IL they had to run more
than twenety teams? There were
exactly twenty-one clubs in the army
baseball league Of the 8. O. s. here,
and all in operation up to autumn.
With the opening Of the football
season nine teams competed for post
honors, following regular schedule
Now IT is basketball which occupies
the center of the sporting stage set
by the Y. M. c. A., with fifteen clubs
struggling for supremacy. Tours be-
lieveS, moreover, that its champ ion
aggregation in each OF these branches
Of sport would whip any team in any
army in the world. AS for that. when
ever opportunity has been given to
make the test the boasts have been
justified. In football, notably. Tours
paralyzed opposition, and its ordnance
team laid low the representatives of
every other post with whom they came
in contact.
Mention Of just a few stars in the
lineup will reveal the principal reason
for the ordnance teams clean string
of victories. There were Jack Ma
loney, famous Georgetown quater-
back Connie Murphy and Harry
Worthington, names high in Dart
Gorgas, of the Midway Plaisance
school in Chicago: John Barrett who
helped keep Washington and Lee on
the football map AS long as he played
there: Gillespie, of Yale: Percy Will
son, of Detroit, who starred at half
back. and Jack Kelly. United States
sculiing champion. Wilson incl
dentally. shines also on the track
notably as a sprinter, and was one OF
the mainstays of the baseball team.
The boxing season, under the
auspices of the Y. NJ. c. A.. is in full
career. and in, the squared circle, as
on the diamond. the gridiron and
other fields. S, o. S. has it's full share
of .luminaries Bouts are held every
Friday night. Soccer. too, is achiev
ing greater popularity than ever. now
that the cold months have set in.
The formal opening of the post
gymnasium was an event OF import
ance. for gymnasiums are rarely
found in France and 1t in not often
that fighting force, in whatever
10 -+Ay ~ {rYt Ar.x,
rarily. has the advantage of full
equipment for indoor exercise. This
place is splendidly fitted out. The
main room. which is forty by lot
feet contains a baskethali. court an
two handhall courts. while In an ante
room, thirty ~ forty feet, is boxing
ring. in addition 10 punching bags,
weight machines and other customary
gym nasium parapheDalta.
Hut even with the large number
of star athletes stationed at Tours.
the same degree OF sporting promi-
hence could never have been attained
but for the enthusiasm and interest OF
the army officers who have joined
forces with the Y. NJ. c. A. in pro-
noting athletic games. Athletics al
so is fortunate in having as it's prtn-
cipai patron there Colonel George Van
Orden, of the Eleventh regiment.
United States marine corps. sport
fan himself and man who fully ap-
nrecia&es TIE value of the kind OF
.nhysical exercises in which. there Is
much raai' sssqr% and issto >Hjg3sta &Ifass
com petitivc spirit enters.
Another enthusiast who contributes
much TO $. o. SIS success is Captain
J. H Craig, the athletic director OF
the post. Years ago he was city editor
of the philadelphia Press Phil
adeiphia contributes still another
helper in j. W. Zahn. the Y. NJ. c.
A. physfral director in that region
The soldiers give the 'Y'' man praise
for big share of the posts athletic
achievements. though Zahn declares
that the army itself is responsible.
The interest on the part of the officers
at Tours is SO genuine that a perma-
nent athletic board. which has general
supervision OF all sporting activities, is
maintained.