Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-04-14
IN TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL y. COLLINS

IL the makers OF automobiles were
! turning out IS per cent OF their ma
/ chimes on a par with Richard III
/ (scArce half made up, and that SO
F, lamely and unfashionably that dogs
bark at them" as they honk by them
I on the road. there would be indigna-
ton meetings and violent resolutions
! unanimously adopted
American automobiles are better
constructed than those who ride in
, them. The physical wrecks who go
through life half invaiids or half de-
formed. struggling always against
handicaps and costing American in
dastry more than $4,000 100000 q year
because of preventabie incapacity, are
far short OF the efficiency Of the veri-
est fiivver. They count in the census
of Americans. yet the public never
realized the enormous weakness of
American defense until the war draft
tests sifted out the sound Americans
from the weak ones.
This sitting applied only TO those of
draft age. 1t did not even include the
cancer zone. much less old men" of
! ffty years. Forty Eight per cent or our
young men in their prime are more or
less ineapacitated when they have no
right to be unable 10 run, jump and
climb mountains.
Some OF us have been incredulous
when told that one out of every four
Americans Of draft age was not
raised to be soldier" because he can
not read enough to know what is
meant by the simplest printed military
orier-cannot7 read even newspaper
and could not write a letter to his
home folks.
Then, too, there are boys with
bright minds. quick and alert, with
good schooling, but whose horizons
have been bounded by the end Of Main
street, where the sun rises, and the
other end, where it sets. They dream
Of some day taking a journey to the
big world about which they read
They wonder what sort OF people in
habit the great cities OF even the 9TH
er towns in the next state to their
cannot get at home. How such chaps
do expand when they take distance"
and Keep step with q thousand like
them, only differing by reason of diff
fering environments. watch their
chests when they learn that '.atten-
ton" is good English for standing ON
both feet, with the heels together,
chin up, shoulders down, eyes straight
ahead and the hands where they ought
to be according to what is In them!
They have always known that they
were 'just as good as anybody, and
to prove it they had slouched and
stood first on one foot and then on the
other, and leaned against a. DORIAN
with a pipe in their mouths, no matter
who came along. In training camp
thew discover that they prove n lot
better than anybody they knew at
home when they learn to salute an
officer or salute Old Glory, for 1t is an
spect to superior, without an uncon-
scious thrill of added self-respect ~.
= r X
How often the lout has been laugh
ed to scorn because when asked in a
gay company. IL he could play the
piano. he answered meekly: "Dunno.
never tried!" That is exactly where
most Of the boys are today In knowl-
edge Of themselves and their untried
capabilities.
Can George stand up and face the
big fellow who threatens to knock
him cold? Can he defend himself?
can he learn skill in boxing. develop
self confidence, Alertness, quick OBJ
servation,l instant decision of charac-
ter? "Dunno!" Unless ne gets train
ing at military training camp he
may never know what 1t means to
be a mans man" That does not
mean to be a bruiser, nor a pugilist
nor a tough. It means to develop his
manifest abilities to defend himself
and those who are under his respon-
sibility. 1t means to know that he Is
not at the mercy Of the brute or, Of
country or his home. It makes for
mental agility in place OF the slug
siSh brain. It means truAs manhood