Cleveland County herald., 1921-05-12
Efforts Are to Be Made to Cor rect Low Physical Standards
 Revealed by War.
EXPERTS CONSIDER QUESTION
Work of Draft Boards Showed That Nation of 1oo,ooo,ooo People Could Put Forward 5,oo0,0oo Men
 Fit to Carry a Gun.

suggested the other day by General Pershing in an address to high school cadets here.
 General Pershing was thinking of his experience in the war. He remind ed his hearers that 50 per cent of the men called for service were physically unfit, and he pointed out the pressing need for something to remedy this sit uation.
 The state of the national health, as revealed by the draft, seems to have been really the most sensational fact of the war, says Frederic J. Haskin in the Chicago News. It has spurred congress to project and hold hearings upon comprehensive Reasures for physical education. Ii seems to have made a deep impression upon every thoughtful person in the country. If about half of the young men which the United States produces are weak, sick undersized, crippled or other wise inefficient, what is going to be- come of us as a nation?
 These seem to be the questions that thoughtful Americans are asking themselves. They stand out all over the voluminous hearings upon the Tess bill for physical education.
 Bill Provides Fund.
 This measure provides for a large appropriation to be divided among the states for use in promoting physical education, on the condition that each state must itself appropriate as much as it receives from the federal gov ernment.
 Many of the leading educators and physicians of the country appeared before the committee on education in connection with the bill. They agreed unanimously that the draft had re- vealed an alarming condition of the public health and that nothing could be more important than to do what ever can be done to remedy this con- dition.
 Tt does not make any difference how much water power we have, or how many great projects there may be at any time," says Dr. Joseph B. Raycroft of Princeton university. ''The real wealth of the nation is the health and efficiency of its people. Nothing else matters to the same ex- tent"
 Doctor Raycroft reminded the com mittee that not only did the draft boards find it necessary to reject about 35 per cent of the men as phy- sically unfit, but that from 40 to 80 per cent of those accepted in the vari- ous drafts were found unfit after they were in the army and had to be sent to hospitals or to developmental bat talions. He points out that the phy- sical standard was lowered five diff ferent times in the effort to get enough men. In this way 100000 men were raised Shortly before the armistice, when it looked as though a fifth million would be needed, he said 1t was a serious question whether an- other million men fit to fight could be found in America. In other words, a nation of more than 100,000.000 people could not put forward 5,OO0,0OO men fit to carry a gun.
 Reasons Are interesting
 Most interesting are the reasons which various experts assigned for the low physical standard of manhood prevailing in this country.
 Doctor Raycroft assigns two princi- pal ones. He calls them urbanization and industry. By urbanization he means the crowding of people into cities. He declares that, in spite of allegations to the contrary, the re- cruits from rural districts showed higher physical average than those from the cities Undoubtedly the great army of poorly paid office work CTS, who lead sedentary lives and get almost no adequate recreation, is one big factor in the low average of health. Doctor Raycroft also seems our great industries are doomed by their occupations to ill health. He further believes that we are admitting great numbers of weak immigrants who are lowering the national aver age of physical fitness.
 The fact is only hinted at in the hearings. but it is well to know that malnutrition was a great factor in the low average of health among the drafted men. Many recruits gained greatly in weight and strength as soon as Uncle Sam began to feed them This is what gives its great value, to the movement for feeding schoolchildren. If the child gets plen- ty to eat in his growing years. he stands a better chance to make a good living when he has grown up. Starye him as a child, and you have little chance of producing a useful man.
 Epidemic diseases, such as malaria, hookworm and trachoma, which can be eliminated or greatly reduced. are another great factor, as was brought out by Doctor Clark of the public health service.