Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-02
u. S. TO TEACH YOUTH
OF NATIONS TO PLAY
Children Weakened by Undernourishment,
Due to War, to Be Won Back
to Health.

directors among the soldiers Oh tne
| Polish army had an effect no less re-
| markable. Fred b. Messing. in charge
! of Red Triangle athletics in Poland,
| tells the same story of indifference,
then derision, and finally a great wave
| of enthusiasm for American sports.
In Warsaw thousands of men are
daily participants in sports programs
| arranged by Y. NJ. c. A. athletic di-
rectors. The Polish military authori-
/ ties themselves have requested that
secretaries familiar with American
games. particularly base ball. volley
permanent work with the Polish
, troops. and in order that the work
may be further extended have de-
tailed certain officers to a training
school where they can learn to be-
come athletic directors and act as
leaders of sports in their commands.
Y. NJ. c. A. secretaries are now acting
an instructors in this school, and re-
port that the men grasp the rudi-
mentS of base ball very quickly, but
that there is one difficulty-tho, can
not keep the batters on their feet:
they insist on lying down between
turns.
In Egypt and Mesopotamia.
ton comes from workers and mill
tary authorities in Egype and Meso-
potamia. where Y athletic directors
have been working with British
troops. Members of the Egyptian
cabinet have asked the Y. M. c. A. to
undertake the organization of play
and recreation for the civilian popu-
lation of that country
It's far cry from the precision and
formality. the turbaned heads and
flowing draperies of the oriental. to
the rough-and-tumble of American
ho1 P,yf b.
Bishr, town near Alexandria, comes
the story that when British soldiers
first lined up to go through with their
calisthenics the natives congregated
on nearby hilltop and. forgetting for
the moment the oriental ideal of pla-
jeers. The next day all eyes were
strained with attention, and now,
whenever the soldiers drill, crowd
of natives lines up and conscientiously
mimics each separate movement.
In Jerusalem the grand multi, the
nifty and the mayor of the city. have
sent a joint request to the Red Tri-
angle representative in the district,
asking the Y to do for the civilian
population of Palestine, young and
old. what it did for the troops during
the war Organized athletic clubs.
springing up in Egypt. Palestine and
Syria, have called on the secretaries
for help, and regular sports programs
have been arranged for Beirut and
Damascus.
DIR. G. Beaver of Baltimore. a gradu-
ate of the medical school of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania; j. Jessop OF
New York and A. Jefferson of SPRING
field. Mass, have been in charge of
the work in Egypt.
Other Countries.
In Rumania Joseph ]. Pipal of Los
Angeles is in charge of the athletic
organization. With headquarters at
Bucharest, he is starting his work
with the children in the schools, open
ing the improvised gymnasiums on
certain days in the week to adults.
Irving D. Kimball is in charge of
the work in Czechoslovakia and H. H:
Wikel of Yonkers, N. Y. and Samuel
Ybargoyen of Springfield. Mass. are
in charge of physical training and
sports in Italy.
alone has not been sufficient to bring
about this revolution in the attitude
Of the Europeans. During the war
military authorities were compelled
to recognize that the American troops
with their base ball games and their
swimming meets were more contented
and better satisfied under adverse
conditions Again they marveled that
a "pacifst nation" could, in SO short
time, turn out four million men
with their fighting traditions appa-
rently ready-made. In answer to this
American officers suggested that the
American doughboy had learned to
do his scrapping on the foot ball field.
and in the athletic contests that be-
gan in his earliest boyhood, and the
French military authorities said moth
ing, but thought long.
Finally. the invaded countries OF
, Europe, France. Belgium, Poland. Ru-
mania, Italy. counted their under
nourished children, their young men
and women weakened and with nerves
shattered by the four years of war,
and Europe is adopting American
sports.