The Washington times., 1923-03-10


editorially the. uneasiness of the
French nation at such prospect,
and states that in France women
have been encouraged to enter the
athletic fields for the sole purpose
OF gaining q vigorous womanhOod
to rep1enish q weakened race. That,
so the quoted publication asserts.
IL the only ground on which ath-
letics.
"A notable incident occurred dur
ing the 1,0OO-meter race. one OF
the severest tests Of the meet,
the article says. There were five
contestants. At the conclusion OF s
the race one OF the girls was car
ried off the field In such a condi.
ton of exhaustion that she had to
be submitted to long and patient
treatment at the first-aid station be-
fore she recovered; three collapsed
at the goal. complete wrecks. and
only one, the winner, q French girl,
was able to stand on her feet after
the ordeal.
The Americans ii the audience
apnlauded the winner and looked
a philosophical IS the Amerl-
-, girl athletes worked to re-
store their exhausted colleague.
ssThe English likewise. accepted
the breakdown Of their representa-
tive at the conclusion OF the race
as part OF the game. go
But the French were noETl1isu
and dismayed. Though tneH own
representative proved VICTORIOUS 10
annarred fresh from the test, the
anectaeIe OF four young girls being
nermitted to put such . strain on
their growing bodies as to tall into
s dead sWoOn was so shocking that
criticism was audible and violent.
osVilI that sort OF thing tit These
Girls for motherhood? one indignant
woman asked. TT is q scandal. It
ought not to be permitted.
But how much need America
worry about Women's sports depopu-
lating the nurseries Of the future?
DIR. John Al. Ferguson. one OF the
commissioners Of the New Yorh
city board OF education and chair
man Of the COMMITTEES on physical
training, is very reassuring about
the matter.
He said: 'sNe are going 70 have
q stronger generation due 20 more
| Widespread participation In atn-
letics on the part Of young women.
'.I feel that they can't have too
much Of it!'
So ! few years hence there may
be many more women like Mrs. May
Sutton Bundy, for instance, famous
tennis player, once champion OF the
world before she devoted her atten-
ton to raising a family, than there
will be unmarried champions IKE
Suzanne Lenglen.
"Any sport can be undertaken with
moderation DIR. Ferguson continues.
''unless emergencies call for rapid
movement. So far as athletics sup
plementing public-school training,
thoroughly believe they are benefit
cial to youth, especially to girls.
Compare the athletic girl with
the one who stays at home. Her
physical state is invariably superior
strenuous sports benefit her,
and as far as curtailing mother
hood, can't see why i should
nor do i see that II does.
Healthy parents win produce bet
ter offspring.
"In the case Of the average
woman believe she win be .
better mother for her greater
strength, and steadier nerves. So
far as the exceptional woman ath-
lete is concerned she may not have
children because she doesn't want
to raise q family, yet there should
be no reason why she could not"
As long ago as the days when
Nausica and her maidens danced
on, silvery beaches. the wise ones
were probably predicting the down
fall of the race thereby. Yet the
human family has not died out.
When the Amazons set forth to
battle how the stay-at-homes must
have lamented that IL they had a
few more OF that sort of thing and
there would be no one left on earth.
If the athletic woman of today
Is not the mother Of tomorrow il
may well be because she Is one OF
the selfish ones who do not want
loving cups for teething rings.