The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-15

were assisted by athletic directors sent overseas by welfare organizations.
 Every game and contest known to the world of sports were indulged in by the soldiers. The number of ath- letic events from November to June would run into many thousands, and r the number of contestants and specta- tors would total millions. Fully 80 per cent of the men in the A. E. F. took active part in athletics, according to record.
 The athletic equipment issued to the army by welfare organizations was purchased at a cost of approximately $3,000,000
 Among the officers and men of the A. F. F. were many athletes of world wide renown. These men, and thou sands of others who became crack ath- letes under army coaching furnished much good sport for the army while it awaited embarkation.
 Some of the famous athletes who shone in army athletic contests were: Mike" O'Dodd, champion welterweight boxer of the world; Mike Leonard, one- time contender for the lightweight box ing championship of the world; Eddie Hahan, one of the greatest football players Harvard ever produced; Eddie Hart, Cornell football star; Kerr and
 
 professional bask etball players; Norris Williams, tennis champion, Paddy" Ryan, champion hammer thrower of the world; Harry Worthington, three times inter-colleg champion board jumper of the United States and con- testant in the Olympics in Sweden; Carman B. smith, famous sprinter; Richard Byrd, American champion dis GUS thrower; Baker. the crack Cali far ipJn inn be nnted marathon runner of the Boston Ath- letic association; Garven, star swim mer of Chicago, and Joe. Polk, widely known wrestler.
 Surmounting all difficulties the army made athletic fields tracks, diamonds, gridironE and courts everywhere in France At Le Mans one of the finest athletic fields in France was con- structed for the big S. o. S. track and field meet. Grand stands were erected around the field and so gay were the decorations that contesting athletes could easily imagine themselves on some college field in America.
 Visits to some of the most beautiful resorts in France were made an in- ducement to the men competing in championship events. The swimming championships were held at Nice, the tennis championships were played on the famous courts at Biarritz where for years international championship tournaments have been played; and baseball championships were fought out at Bordeaux.
 While at their daily games and ex- ercises American troops played on ground that is famous, for. many of the most stirring pages of history have been written on the soil of France.
 At Gievres our soldiers staged dia- mond and gridiron battles on fields where Joan of Arcs warriors once fought; our light-footed marathon runners swiftly sped over roads built and trod by Caesars hosts; near Mon shadow of an old feudal castle for the possession of which English and French knights have fought, and it was in a dungeon beneath this castle that Richard the Lion Hearted of England was imprisoned for seven years. And on the old battlefields where the French met the Prussians in 1S70-71 have been heard the cheers of Ameri- can soldier athletes and rooters. The introduction of mass games to the army was very successful feature Mass games gave men of no particu lar athletic ability an opportunity to indulge in sport, and these games so improved the men in strength, endur- ance and mental activity that they were able to develop skill in other forms of sport.
 The great programme of play adopt l ed by the A. k. F. will in all proba- | bility be the precedent for the adoption 1 of sports on large scale by the army l of the future. And many men, who in 1 civilian life were interested in ath- 1 letics only to the extent of reading the sport pages of the newspapers have be- come enthusiastic athletes. With these men actively engaged in athletics after being released from the army, 1 sports in America will probably experi- ! ence a great boom.