New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-09
Y'Appropriates
100000 for
ArmyAthletics
Expected That 100000
Officers and Men Will
Enter the Competitions

of 100000 has just been approved by
the Y. M. C. A. War Work Council to
guarantee the expenses of the army
athletic programme which General
Pershlng has set up for the troops
OF the American expeditionary forces,
programme the scope of which ath-
equalled in the history of sports.
his Is the second important step
taken by the ''Y" since the army asked
the ASSOCIATION to assume the respon-
slbility for the leadership and sue
cess OF the programme. The first step
was the assembling in France of ath-
letlc equipment valued at nearly
S2,00O0O0
There is no must" about the Per-
shing programme; it is strictly
may" proposition But so compre-
hensive are its features that it is
expected that more than 100000 off,
GERS and men will avail themselves
Of the recreative and competitive
opportunities offered
Roughly speaking, there are about
LOO athletic officers in the army, men
whose responsibility in their depart
ment IS as great as was that of those
officers who led their companies over
the top before the armistice was
signed. Naturally, the Y. NJ c. A. can
not nope to match this total, but 300
skilled sports directors have been
placed at the disposal of Colonel Waite
c. johnson of GSheral Pershing's staff.
Colonel Johnson in Charge
Colonel Johnson is the chief ath-
letlc othcer of the A. +. f. and is an
enthusiast or sports, with an enviable
record at West Point in baseball and
football. Cooperating with him on be-
half of the Y. NJ. c.. A. is Ellwood s.
Brown, chief of the "Y" staff of physi-
cal men.
The basis of the programme which
Colonel Johnson will supervise is the
recreative sport of the platoon. A
regular schedule of intra- platoon games
has been approved for each of these
groups of sixty men. There are an
proXimatelyi thirty-five events on the
schedule, which presents such novel;
ties of mass athletics as broad jump.
plg-a- back, hop-step- jump, roll over
and shot-put relays and such familiar
gymnasium games az basketball, vo!lev
ball, cage ball and indoor baseball.
With the approach of the spring
(the doughboys believes that all sea
sons are rainy in Franco the army has
devised plan which involves the use
Of $50 airplane hangers, each 400 bv
$50 feet. These will be set up in the
sections of greatest need, so that the
athletic programme may be continued
without let or hindrance It is DOS
slble to play in one of these hangers
football game on a gridiron of regu-
.atlon dimensions. dozen games Of
basketball may be played simultane-
Dusty, and twice that number of volley
ball.
The second feature Of the pro-
gramme, also recreative. Is the COM
pany pentathlon. The men will COM
pete in the l00-yard dash. half mile
run, putting a 12-pound she'll running
broad jump and pull-ups. The last
named viii be recognized as the chin
the bar" of youthful memory.
Best Athletes Invited
Out of this platoon and company
competition is expected to emerge
much valuable material for the great
spectacular feature of the programme
the A. E. F. championships and the
lnter-Allied army championships. Cen
eral Pershing has invited the COM
manders of the various Allied armies
to send their best athletes to these
military Olympic games, which will be
held in the Colombes Stadium in Paris
late in May. 1t was in the Colonies
Stadium that the Olympic games Of
1900 were held.
The French government has made
possible the use of the stadium and
the 7. NJ. c. A. appropriation of $780,
900 guarantees the expenses and the
prizes which will be distributed to tho
winners Of the various events. The
British military authorities have al
ready Indicated their approval of the
programme by requesting the assign
ment of an experienced "Y" athletic
director to set up a system among
their men. George +. Goss, who has
had similar experience in the Philip
pines and in the A. +. F., has been as
signed to the work
Every company in the American
forces may enter a team in all
branches of sport in which it can mus
ter material. Such teams will compete
with opponents in their own division.
The various divisional champions will
meet IN the finals for the A E. +. cham
plonshlps in the Colombes Stadium in
May. It is expected that these cham
plonshlps will take about a week, ma
Jor emphasis being placed upon foot
ball baseball, basketball, track and
field games, wrestling and boxing. Al
most Immediately afterward, according
to present plans, the inter-Allied
games viii be held
DR.. George J. Fisher, head of the
physical education depar ment of the
Y. NJ. c. A., is here now aiding in the
development of the details for the gil
gantic sports tournament. William II.
Ball, who is directing the recruiting Of
athletic directors for the "Y" War
Work Council, has sent word from the
United States that he has obtained the
services OF some of the foremost
American experts, who will come over
seas as fast as they can be cleared.