East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-01-06
YANKS TEACHING OUR
SPORTS TO FRENCH

PARIS. Dec. 16.--(By mail. AM
erican sports are taking the place OF
the fighting qualities of American
soldiers. now that the war is ended,
In inspiring n warm regard among
the French people for America ana
her ideals. At baseball the Frencn
are still backward, but in other pop
ular Yankee games they are showins
no little adeptness.
All this has been accomplished by
the development of "A simple system
Initiated by the Y. NJ. &. A. Under
direction az Percy r. Carpenter. chiet
of the department OF athletics I'm the
French army DR.. s. A. McComber.
professor of physical education al
Union College. Frank L. Quinby, for
merly baseball coach at Yale and
Andover, and other leaders in Ameri-
can physical education. a comprehen-
sive but easy running program has
been evolved. Experts assigned to
eight centers come In contact with
French soldiers. who return to THEN
organizations as "moniteurs" to
spread the knowledge which they have
acquired. A certain percentage of
them go to schoolswhere boys undel
military age are trained.
Thus the diffusion of knowledge OF
American games is very rapid. An
average of goo men pass through
each of the eight centers of physical
education each month. But by far
the greatest direct contact is yet to Us
obtained. and obtained with the gen
Grafton which is just reaching man
hood, Approximately 100000 boys o.
tho 1920 class have been modified
"a Ia nj 10.
gether unlikely that they viii ever SET
active fighting service. they will have
six months training, no small part OF
which viii bo along American lines.
The list OF games selected as adapt
able to the inclinations Of the FrencS
Includes baseball basketball, volley
ball tax and relay games and simple
mess sports. In teaching baseball the
American instructors start with the
indoor bat aud bah so that the pre-
limlnary work may be done without
tho danger of injury to the students.
Very few FTenehmen have any ability
at throwing a ball because their mus
cles have not been developed alohs
such lines And. as might be expect
ed from inexperienced players. their
efforts to catch the ball are ridiculous
in the extreme. Exceptions to what
an American sporting writer would
call an inglorious muff are so infre-
quent at first as to cause comment.
But the French are entering into the
new activities with great spirit. At a
recent demonstration at Joinville-le'
Pont. near Paris even the command
ant, a man of about so years. became
victim of the contagion of the novel
sports and entered into them with
much loss OF dignity and strain to his
muscles.
This demonstration or conference.
was the beginning Of a definite at
tempt tn coordinate the dissemination
OF American games and sporting
ideals among the French. In addition
to Mr.. Carpenter. Prof. McComhei
and Mr.. Quinby, the following weli
known American specialists in physl-
cal education took an active part,
Charles Jones' coach at Worcester
aca.demy for basketball soccer and
tennis: c. c. Bittner physical direc-
tor In the public schools at East A,r
rora. y. Y. Wallace Peekham and }.
d. Brock. graduates OF Y. NJ. G. A,
college. Springfield Mass. and Alex
ander and A. q. Washawslty, former
~ gymnasium assistants at Colum-
bia. t