The Washington times., 1921-07-03

points come strong advocates for
athletics for girls.
Miss Elizabeth Richards. associate
professor of hygiene and physical
education at Smith College. gives
her views of sports for girls as
follows:
'I have read with interest and, I
confess. some amazement. the opin-
ion of the headmistresses OF the
English schools concerning sports
for girls. have. of course, had al
most no experience with English
girls, but certainly our American
girls who participate in the more
strenuous sports do not show stiff.
slow-working brainsr Many of our
best team members are also very
high In their academic work, often
ranking as high as the Phi Beta
Kappa rank. i cannot go so far as
to say that athletics and physical
education Improve ones mental abil-
ity, except in SO far as good physical
health will affect all parts of the
body, but / am sure Il does not
hinder ones mental development.
TT seems to me that girls who
had 'stiff. slow-workinE brains
would be exceedingly poor material
for basketball, hockey and the like.
These games certainly call for a
very active and alert mental ca
pacity.
The statement that the 'so-called
Swedish drill was insidious German
propaganda to lessen the vitality of
young women Is a rather broad
statement. The writer should define
Swedish drilr and German propa-
ganda.' AS 1 understand the Swsd-
ish drill, It is very Wealthy pastime
for young women. Properly taught,
1t makes our young women stronger,
straishter and healthier.
'I do not feel that young women
should feel qualified to do anything
that boys could do in sports' The
girl Is physically and temperamentslly
unsuited to many of the boys ac-
tivities
II think athletics and physical edu-
cation for young women should be
properly supervised by a competent
person and that medical examinations
should be given fairly frequently.
viii help the whole development of
the girl"
From vasssr College comes a
wealth of data dealing with the
growth of girls sports. the marked
increase noted in recent years in the
stature of girl students and amazing
records made by feminine athletes,
including the comparative standing
of some OF the leading educational
institutions for girls and comparisons
with mems records in q recent Har-
ward meet.
I'VE are healthier now than we
used to be- Is the opinion Of Miss
Harriet Bsllantine, director Of phys
ical education at Vassar.
Statistics compiled by q class of
students in the economics department
under the direction of Miss Mabel
Newcomer prove her point. Records
have been taken at the college since
1884 of the various physical measure
ments of the entering Vassar fresh
men. making a total of over 1000
cases. The earlier records are, Of
course, based on fewer cases than
those of recent years.
The waist measure shows the most
interesting results. 1t is now only
slightly larger than when the sta
tistics were first taken in the fivs-
year period, ,1sS4-1S90-twenty-s six and
one-eighth inches, against twenty-five
and one-quarter inches. The middle
period. however, 1s01-1so5, shows a
marked decrease, the average then
being twenty-three and seven-eighths
inches. This is due, Miss Ballantine
thinks, TO the tight lacing of the pc
riod.