The New York herald., 1921-05-15

Special Gable TO THE NEW YORK HERALD.
Copyright. 1871, by THE New YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
London, May II.
The English girl athlete has been
forced to do some high and quick
face of the widespread criticism here
that strenuous sports have lamen-
table result" on women. The doctrine
of less muscle and more sense" has
stirred the women of England more
than any international hockey match
ever did, and the proponents of healthy
games are hitting out with both fist
cites for a decision.
A group of prominent woman edu-
Gators met this week and declared
that In view of race preservation girls
must stop playing boys games. They
said emphatically that If girls win too
much for their teams the loser will be
the next generation; that their games
do not square with humanity.
.-@ Or. keneaIy's Views.
DIR. Arabella Keaealy. a noted medical
writer, said:
Women who, owing to faulty hered-
ity or abnormal training. develop mas.
culine instead of feminine. attributes,
do this at the cost of the masculine
potential. which is transmitted by father
to daughter. in trust as 1t were, from the
masculine line The result Is that ath-
Ietic women, or women otherwise
masculine in type. produce feminine off
spring mainly and seldom sons. When
sons are born to them they are liable TO
be puny and delicate, and generally are
of an inferior type. Since 1t Is chiefly
girls Of the upper middle classes who
are affected by athletic training, these
being the ones who mainly supply
brains, enterprise and talent, they are
rapidly failing to provide their numeri-
cal complement of males to pioneer
progress. to say nothing of their failure
to provide sons and daughter who are of
true physique and possess the manly
talents and initiative, that have set the
Anglo Saxon race in the van of evolu-
ton.
Besides, our young girls who arc too
sportive and boylike are almost always
bad tempered and unsound."
Sir J. Crichton Brown said: "Physi-
cal exercise for girls is as necessary
as 1t is for boys. but In both cases there
must be regard for anatomical and phys
iological considerations. To ignore sex
ual differences In this matter Will be
courting disaster"
Muscular development in girls does
not make for elasticity. and woman can
rot carry out her proper functions Il
she is mass of muscle" said Miss
Annie Radman. director of the Michain
School Of Physical Development.
Says Muscle Destroys Pofse.
Mrs. Roger Watts. an expert on poisc.
said that feminine muscle destroys
rather than makes poise.
The educators then named commit
tee to draw TIP a constructive pro-
gramme for the girls physical education
along such lines as dancing. swimming.
fencing and-no wonder the blow struck
The London School of Medicine for
Women refused to take any such count
I'VE 70 In for sports every time as
strenuously as possible" said the secre-
tary, land all our woman doctors are
Indorsed. We are champions in the
net ball contests. and have good hockey
and lacrosse teams. During training
chocolates. cake and smoking are for
hidden and girl athletes must go to bed
early"
Girls are much healthier and filter as
a result of vigorous exercise" said Dr.
Alice Benham. II have found that In
maternity cases the worst have been
among women OF the blue stocking femi-
nine type. who spent most Of their lives
at study and knitting"
Other prominent women doctors take
the same stand and call the reasoning
OF the educators bosh and nonsense.
This is just part Of the scheme to
get women back into the old fashioned
atmosphere" said DR.. Jane Walker
1tnn
girls and think there Is no finer game
for little boys and girls together than
football Az a matter OF fact. an invi-
tation at Oxford and Cambridge few
years ago proved that athletic women
had beautiful children and plenty OF
them
Victorian Girls Passcc.
1T Is another of those silly mid-vic-
torian fetishes which still linEer In
certain type OF academic mind" said Or.
Sloan G. lesser. mo reasonable person
wants Victorian girl around any
more"
She added. however, that there was
general tendency 70 overestlmate and
overemphasize the value Of athletics to
both sexes.
English girls are certainly the greatest
feminine athletes in the world. They
but they are good football players row.
ers. and they hold great track meets,
where hurdlers, high jumpers, weight
throwers and sprinters make good
marks. The girl hockey leagues here
draw big crowds. and their recent easy
handling OF the Americans showed they
had an astonishing superiority In every
match Girls Of restaurant firm like
that of the large chain restaurants have
n London football league with eight
teams represented In Il and regular
week end games, and there Is as much
interest In their games az there is In any
intercity baseball league In AmericS
But as the league president said.
answering the educators.
our girls are too busy training and
keeping ft 10 answer these hothouse
charges. II Is funny we didn't hear
them when girls drove motor lorries
over shell torn French roads. Tho war
opened the eyes OF the girls TO dawn on
a bigger, broader life, and In our strug-
gle to make ourselves equal with the
other sex we think we have right to
get the benefit Of glorious outdoor sports
as the men understand them"