Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-18
Congressional
Calisthenics
BY Frederic ]. iiaskin

perhaps the sudden interest OF the
Congressnlen in their physical eondl-
| tiou Is not hard to explain. They nave
| recently been holding hearings in the
| committee on education on hhl 70
| establish a nationwide system of
physical culture and the figures snow
| ing the need for such a measure nave
been truly alarping. They snow thht
Il large percentage OF American men
are physically unfit and that anions
sedentary workers, lack of exercise ana
Of fresh air are the big causes. We have !
conquered germs, only TO let our hVers
and hearts and other vital organs de-
generate for lack of an occasional
| shaking up.
i The Congressman and Senator are
the sedentary men par excellence.
sitting is their business. \ Congress
mans reputation depends partly on
how mucs time he spends sitting III the
House. and when he leaves there ne
goes to his office and sits down anu
spends four hours debating letters eS-
planning that the garden seeds are an
gone and why he could not recommends
| Is men for one postmastership'
Formerly oratory gave the legislator
All the exercise he needed. Men, Ike
Daniel Webster and Henry Clay used 70
get up good sweat every time they
, | uddressed the House 1hen tltey Would
take a plunge in the Potomac and q rub
down. and SO keep in the best of trin'
But the STYLE in oratory has changed.
, There is not as much swinging and
hnu,mering and waving as there used TO
be. Oratory can nc longer take tho
place OF the setting up exercise. Ana
; members Of the House, especially. DO
; not get the chancs TO talk often enough
70 keep them in really good trim The
Congro ossmaG says few words ana
then extends his remarks in the Record
9 The .nrations that the home folks read
T arc delivered only to stcnographers or
2 even written with lead pencil
Hence the need FOR the Congressional
! gymnasium which has recently been
g opened. on the first floor Of the House
: office building in a space formerly oc-
cupied by the Democratic National
Committee
A Fighting Congressman.
The idea is credited to Representa-
!. lives Britten OF Illinois. and Reed. of
! New Aork. After the remainder Of the
:. l40 Congressional athletes had signi-
1 fed thcir Willingness 20 take part IN
j the plan each was assessed $40. With
This money Representative Britten
r. managed to obtain complete equipment
S for tho gymnasium.
"a For the legislator who seeks diver sior
It or exercise, there is provided a handh1l
4 court, three rowing machines, twt
l. punching bags, wrestling mat. hori
le zontal bars, abdominal massage ma
lie chimes a gymnasium horse, and an,
number of medicine balls. boxing gloves
is chest weight pulieys. Indian clubs
le ,laInb hells.< fencing foils. masks an,
10
se lockers. shower baths. a steam room
= rubbing tables. and an electric cabine
$. bath
The gym" idea was conceived dur
a. ing the last session of Congress, an
~ the money for the equipment collected
sc Every day there is spasmodic use o
n the gymnasium but it is planned no,
g to have regular classes TO whip Con
y gressmen into good trim The tw
- originators OF The plan, with Repre-
=, sentative Newton. Of Minnesota, hav
- been named as a committee 10 get i
e touch with the athletic authorities Z
a the navy. marine corps and George
- town University, with view to se
curing the services of the best athleti
~ coaching available. Ii is planned /
~ hold this class in the morning, due
~, the embarrassment which might r,
afternoon class. dragging nearly make
statesmen from. their violent physici
eXertions, forcing them to dress hui
AR riedly. dash over to the Capitol. an
answer tc their names.
% It IS not expected that the f1lll I.
a subscribers to the fund for the eoui,
ses ment of the gymnasium will tai
81 advantage of the opportunity
ar. coached class in physical Gu
IDS ture viii offer them. Some of the old
ate members will not attend and many
,oa the House leaders contributed viii, ,
s,t idea of being able to devote a defini
,n- traction Of their time to being put in
-. good bodily trim.
We Captain John Craige of the Mari,
- Corps will have general s,lpervision
- the physical work of the statesn,
when the class is formed. He is ,
StSe overseas veteran, and now. in adeI,.i,
to being one of the aides 70 Mai
'l,e General Lejeune. Cornnandant of Il
80 Marine CoTns. is athletic officer of 1
nc Corps. He intends 20 detail proper
seu qualfed enlisted men of the organic
10 ton If they are found to be availab
- A Famous Coach.
nit Captain Craige entered the Mari
Corps during the late war His prove
- as an amateur boxer is well known
- addition to attaining laurels in II
- field, he assisted in training of thr
- Tniddleweight champions of the wor
Boxing bids fair TO take a promine
=. part in the activities Of the Hou
gymnasium devotees. One of /
anu originators OF the gymnasium Die
ales Representative Britten, has an {
onio viable record as an amateur box
var broad jumper and sprinter He s
keeps himself in first class shape
'ged the time, doing a considerable arnot
the Of handban playing and boxing.
ent; Mr.. Britten and Colonel Theod,
ally Roosevelt new Assistant Secretary
ces- the Navy. have agreed to a frien
rail bout with the gloves at the House e.
d in Colonel Roosevelt by the way, is
ain only man outside the membership
wing the House who has been admitted
de- membership in the gymnasium o
the fixing of a time convenient to S
the retary Roosevelt remains in the way
ons', these men coming together
aoes Secretary Roosevelt has led
.,,5a strenuous life" advocated by his
tinguished father, and has engaged
,,,.as a great many glove encounters v
s,s the late ex-President. However,
- tackIing Representative Britten, he
1 As -