New-York tribune., 1919-04-27
One Standard
For Life-Savin,g!,
Now Planned
American Association Is
Formed to Keep Pace
With Growth of Sport


has ever known will be contributed to
the science Of swimming by the United
States II the aims announced by the
newly created American Swimming As
sociation are attained.
Swimmers and swimming pools are
multiplying throughout the country.
Once looked upon chiefly as pastime
for unabashed youngsters and athletic
men. swimming has won the adherence
Of iunumorablo members of the gentler
sex and in recent years has achieved
nation-Wid de vogue. So rapidly has its
following increased that it has reached
the dignity Of Il national pastime.
Three Organizations Unite
To keep pace with the growth Of in
tcrest in swimming, TO guard against
the dangers which beset novices and
TO standardize swimming terms and the
rules for swimming games, three ma
tional organizations have united to
form the American Swimming Associa-
tion.
To the international Young Mems
Christian Association and the National
Colleriate Athletic Association, whose
representatives began two years ago
the movement toward Standardization
in swimming, has been allied the Life
Saving Corps of the American Red
Cross The alliance has created ma
f'ONll ADVISORY swimming VI
for the swimmers of America compare
Bile tc the Royal Life-Saving Corps OF
England.
TIE project to establish a national
standard method of life saving in the
water has received impetus by the en-
trance into the standardization move
ment of the Red Cross life-savlng
corps, and it was to this end that the
corps was invited to ally itself with
the international Y. M. c. A. and the
Collegiate Association.
Thousands of persons lose their
lives every year from drowning. Con-
siderable confusion exists in the minds
of the public as to the most reliable
methods of rescue and of resuscita-
ton Many of the finest swimmers, it
has been found, are speed swimmers,
and these have frequently proved
themselves unable to do els cient res
cue work, since speed strokes and res
cue strokes are radically different and
the various grasps and holds OF rescue
are unknOwn to many.
Confronting these conditions, the
American Swimming Association, i'm
mediately upon its organization, has
taken steps to meet them A commit
tee has been appointed to devise an
efficient rescue systems which may be
established as a standard. This COM
u.
of the Red Cross.
Standard for Resuscitation
A standard method of resuscitation
already has been unanimously ap-
proved by the association. This is the
Shafer method sometimes known as
the prone pressure method. The &C
tion of the association recommends it
in preference to all other methods as
the simplest safest and surest. In
the approval of this method it was
pointed out that many persons rescued
from drowning are permitted to die
through delay in awaiting the arrival
of physician or resuscitory appa-
ratus.
Another radical step in the stand
ardization programme of the Ameri-
can Swimming Association is its vote
that all swimming records be kept on
Il basis of the number of turns made.
William II. Ball. of the Young Mems
Christian Association, was authorized
formerly published by the Joint Swim
ming Committee, which the American
Association supplants, study of the
advantages and disadvantages Of es-
tahlishina records on the turn basis
rather than on the exact length Of the
pool.
By this action the American Associ-
alton sets up standard of swimming
records which will specify whether the
swimmer did 100 yards with no turns,
or with whatever number Of turns re-
quired by the length of the pool. The
length of the pool will be disregarded
as long as it is not less than sixty feet.
The necessity for this reform, it was
pointed out, lies in the fact that the
swimmer gains on turns, and that a
racer who does 100 yards straight
L
ord is compared with one who does
the same distance with one or more
turns.
The two-signal start is another step
in Standardization made by the new
association; that is, Get ready" and
TWO pistol reports. The Sullivan scor-
ing chart for diving also has been
adopted.
Work is already under way upon de-
tails Of the Standardization Of swim
ming and diving terms, of record keep
ing and Of rules. These will be embod-
led In the new edition of the Swimming
Guide which will be issued by the
American Association this year.
Success Seems Assured
The success Of the Standardization
programme Of the association is gen
orally conceded to be assured, and
swimming within Il comparatively short
time = expected 70 be as we' organized
as any other American sport. while the
value OF the standard rdization OF life
saving methods is considered inestim-
able.
The now association has all the nee
eseary influence 10 establish its stand
ards ia the strongholds Of swimming
throughout the country, 1t concen-
tFales the authority Of three OF tho
most important organizations concerned
With swlmmne, Al ita head ia MIR, Rail-.
~ the Y NJ, G, A, which has been a
pioneer in tha development OF swim
ming interest in every ntato through
ihe hundred. Of pools manned by eom-
nsioni aatruetofa that form part Of tho
saaoejatien hulldinga Ia almaat
every elsy and town,
Mr., iongfoliow vleo- president of tho
association, atands for an influence
which viii ho invaluable IN liking
national altar lard method OF lifo.navlng
in fhe country. No lose important in
either eonee Ia tho authority Of tho
National Intercollegiate Athletic Aaeo-
cation, wAoae representative, DIR. u.
y. Reed, Ia tho secretary and treaaurer
oi tho American Swimming Associstion
An"ec three organizations, in addi-
,lon ~ tho men named, have tho fol-
'p"in2 cpresentstivca in the member
sap u tho nssooiation, international
:. n. &. A., Is. b. Brink, Of Mlneola,
H. l.; T. J. Horton, OF Youngs stown o Mo-
and pOkorf 4 UtIf ~ Now, York CI,