South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-04-17
Great Improvement Shown in Physical
And Mental Power of the Filipino

are introduced IN the schools are
making a difference already in the
average height.
After examining and keeping a
record Of more than 1000 enlisted
men. / frmly believe that the Fill
pino is a much larger man physi-
cally than ne was eight or nine
years ago. due no doubt 20 the ath-
letic training the younger genera
ticn has been and is receiving in the
primary. intermediate and high
schools OF the islands" Mt. Russell
quotes the Superintendent Of the
Medical Division Of the Philippine
Constabulary. And he dwells on
"the phenomenal development Of
physical training in the Philippine
schools in which. I think. he says,
they excel all the other schools ex-
cept those Of Switzerland; while in
the beauty. variety and unison Of
their caIisthenic drills they have
been said 10 stand alone
This whole chapter" he confess
IS. sounds like a pean OF Praise,
but II is simply a recital Of facts. 3"
Indeed. the chapter. The Filipino
at Play IL delightful and inspiring
reading
But the most astonishing athletic
development of all is the universal
enthusiasm for baseball "Ba seball."
says Mr. Russell. lis the national
game OF the Philippine Islands.
played by boys and girls After but
90 years-for IL is 10 be believed
that the first baseball ever seen on
/ Philippine soil was brought ashore
I in his pocket by one OF Commodore
/ Dewey's men. Yet a few years pass
/ ed. and IgOrote boys were playing
/ the game in the mountains and
/ Nisayan boys on the waterfront. To-
! day IL is in every part of the island
/ where the school has gone. How il
| may be possible 10 reconcile this
/ fact with the formulas about Orien-
! tai conservatism and the gulf be-
| tween East and West. history does
not tell US. but fact it is for atten-
tive needing Compared With the in
/ toxicating delights Of baseball. the
/ Filipino youth can see nothing in
| cock-fghtlng To him the practical
wisdom Of baseball appeals; to have
! pleasurable excitement and tests OF
/ skill az the same time that he IS
/ fostering health and developing
every muscle in his body strikes him
as sound procedure. What preach
ments. tracts and arguments against
cock fighting might not have effect
ed in centuries baseball has achieved
in 90 years
He Is For Baseball.
He is for baseball. Young Philip
pines. and for all else that is clean
and Of good repute in athletics" In
almost every government building in
Manila. placed conspicuously near
the entrance or a main corridor. OBJ
serve the great glass case filled
with silver cups, goblets, trays
trophies. emblems. each inscribed
with some athletic event OF famous
date and each representing a VIC
tory won on the field by the athletes
Of that department"
Further on, Mr.. Russell remarks:
There are no professional Players;
think professionalism would
strike away with the Filipino con-
( ception of the game. which is clean.
/ American official rules are the stand
ard everywhere and the course OF
/ the American season is watched with
absorbed attention. Every famous
American player has his admiring
/ followers IN the Islands and a home
run on the Polo Grounds in New
/ York City may echo around the
world TO far-away uoilo or Batan-
gas
When I was in Manila the base
/ ball season there was a. it's height.
January, February. March; and a