Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-23

a I
wv visitors from European shores who
have compiled Impressions of their
sojourns in the United States from time to
time have emphasized, among other things,
the typical Americans evident capacity for
making a game of everything, from the most
frivolous and least important of his pleas
ures to his most serious business and domes-
tic problems 1t is in the spirit of game
that physical education authorities are try
ing to wipe out the high percentage of NAL
nutrition and general physical unfitness
among school children. Charts, recording
the gain in weight of members of the class
are compared each month. The development
Of good habits IS likewise noted. The result
OF such comparison spreads from classroom
to schoolhouse, from building to county rec
ords, and then to the notice of state authori-
ties, until it is finally triumphantly summed
in the public eye via educational and other
periodicals.
Our schools have failed in physical educa-
ton more than in mental education. DR.. J.
Mace Address, an authority on child hygiene
says that probably from 20 to 80 per cent of
the children in the United States are under
nourished.
But" he adds, cit is possible to do away
with ma4lutrition. One school in the middle
west had 70 per cent of it's children under
weight, but by hard work, at the end of the
year only per cent were underweight."
In states where children required to be
in a good condition of health before they are
noticeable fact that both children and par
ents become interested in the practice of hy-
giene to meet the requirements of the law.
Although the movement for physical edu-
cation legislation has been most active dur
ing the past two years, the first state law
requiring it in the schools was passed in
June 26, 1915, by Illinois. Seven other
states passed similar measures before April,
1918. They were New Yor-, New Jersey,
Nevada, Rhode Island, California, Maryland
and Delaware. At the present time more
than half of the states have laws requiring
that some phase of physical education be
taught in the SCHOOLS. The far and middle
western states ave been most active in this
work, and the southern states are accepting
the idea with increasing enthusiasm The
four latest states to join the ranks are Mis-
souri,, West Virginia, North Carolina and
Massachusetts.
'"The states are all interested in physical
education" says Dr.. E. Dana Caulkins, OF
the National Physical Education Service, "but
we need the federal stimulus. Our greatest
help lies in the passage of the bill be-
fore congress which, among other things,
provides for\a $3.50 financial basis. That is,
the federal government will give one dollar
for physical education for each dollar which
the states will provide.
TwofoId Purpose
The purpose of physical education is two
fold, involving instruction in the care of the
body and training in the development of the
niably when one considers, for instance the
case of John Virgins Johns father had
raised a perfect mountain of blue ribbon
pig for a county fair. John himself, how
ever, was seven pounds underweight. When
it was suggested that he drink some of the
qualities of milk which was produced on the
farm, he said scornfully
milk! Why, we give milk to the pigs.
drink coffee" John also thought it was too
cold to battle in the morning; liked to stay
up late at night; thought he had plenty of
air in the daytime without having his WIN
dows open at night. Nevertheless, the def
cient seven pounds ranked in Johns mind
and he gave the rules of the game" trial
John was thirteen years old.
The health cond tons of country children
average worse than those of city children.
This may seem odd to one accustomed to
hearing the bromide about going to the coun-
try for ones health, but it is true. Statis-
tics Jointly compiled by the American Med
ical association and the National Educational
association have proved it. In the cities in
teresting summer classes and playground ia
clities are planned to keep the children off
the streets yet in the fresh air far as
possible. In the country home conditions are
too frequently insanitary and in many cases
the children do not have the proper lind or
amount of recreation
In the days when father and mother went
to school and even in the early part of the
generation succeeding them, the maternal
parent usually kept a watchful eye on the