The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-25
GENERAL BOOM IN ALL
FORMS Of ATHLETICS

New York, March 2.-'~var, as a,
general proposition, is all that General
Sherman said it was but. like every
thing elsa In this world. it has q better
side. And the brighter side In the
recent world wide conflict was the
general boom In all forms OF athletics
for which 1t was responsible, and
which, in the years TO come, parti-
cularly in America and the nations
allied with her. will insure a man
hood more fiji physically and mentally
to carry on with the worlds work than
ever before
This statement was made recently
by Lieutenant Colonel Tillinghast
LHonmedieu Huston. better known
to the fans as Cap" half owner
Of the New York American League
Baseball club. who returned not long
ago after seventeen months of active
war service overseas. The Cap" who
was the first man Interested in profess
sional baseball to volunteer after the
United States entered the lists against
the Teutons. went over there at the
head OF Company A. Sixteenth Rail
way Engineers, which ne organized
and trained in Cincinnati and Detroit.
He left these shores on June Is. 1917.
was in continuous active service
abroad from that date until the arnlis-
tice was signed, returned to this coun-
try in December. 1918, and was mus
tered out on February last III May.
1918. while working with the British
back of Arras. he was made major
and in the middle OF the following
September was advanced to n lieuten~
ant cooionei
There Is no question" he con-
tinued, that the physical and mental
condition OF the American troops was
Tx >dafsdipx fx&tor In the war. and
that our boys were able IS throw INTO
the balance the fighting power which
broke the deadlock, sent the Huns
Keeling back and ultimately brought
about their complete defeat. And the
reason that the Americans. many OF
them but hastily trained troops, We're
able to make such a splendid showing
WAS because OF their athletic bring
ing up---their physical fitness, their
ability to think quickly and to act in
dividually In emergencies. And these
qualities they acquired on the ball lots.
the gridiron and other fields upon
which brain, muscle and Drawn were
put to the test.
Tn way, before we went over
there. we realized what American
sports, particularly baseball. had done
for the youth OF the United States.
To-day we appreciate fully that 1t sup
piled most OF our lighters with the
physical asset which enabled them to
do those thinrS which caused the Ger
man military machine to gasp in
amazement from the outset. The,
American army heads and the direc-
tors OF the Y. n. G. A. and other
agencies which operated for the well
fare of the men in the camps here
and abroad thoroughly appreciated
the value Of outdoor games, boxing
and general athletic stunts. and from
the moment the men began their mill
tary training. athletics was made q
part of the regular routine. And this
program was continued on the other
side.
"Our men embraced this innova-
ton because II offered popular enter
tainment; and increased interest was
created by the. .ineYlita BILE contests
which always arc part and parcel OF
physical endeavor among bodies Of
men. Over there baseball. boxing
and other forms OF athletics were life
savers for the soldiers, and thousands
became active participants in all man
ner OF sports who previously had pos
sessed only the interest which is shar-
ed by all Americans who had ceased
to play in the open regularly. After
q time one and all began to appreciate
what athletics had done FOR them as
soldiers and lighters, and now our
boys are coming home determined to
carry on with this physical program
AZ never In the past. In fact, / be-
lieve the war viii have a beneficial
influence on sports OF all kinds and
classes for many years to come
Most OF the time tho engineers,
with whom was associated, were
too far ahead Of the regular troops
to see what actually was being done.
but we heard all about It and witness
ed the results. In two ways. In parti-
cular, the Y. N. c. A. waa OF inest-
mable assistance to our lighting forces.
and those were in supplying athletic
equipment in such abundance that
practically all OF the men in camps,
lea Ve areas and even close to the lines
could indulge In sports and pastimes
and In furnishing movies, vaudeville
and other entertainment all Of which.
7 knoNk vGa tbO<OOghly Appreciated.