Evening star., 1924-04-06


waist line-the "adios'' of sur
plus avoirdupois-is now the
most popular springtime mel
ody in Washington Navy and Army
circles, for Uncle Sam has ordered
that our land and sea leaders keep
physically fit to fight
Springtime is training time in base
ball, track athletics, fox hunting, row.
ing, swimming, and all other branches
of warm weather sport. Smiling
SOL high-seated in azure skyland,
is the ardent foeman of fat in all
forms. Vigorously he stokes his fur
naces during the spring and summer
months. Daily, under the warmth of
the ardent sun, lieutenants, captains,
colonels and even generals are seen
out exercising on horseback, afoot. on
tennis courts, golf links. boating, gun
ming and fishing.
Perchance you may have commented
1atterly on the physical fitness of the
hundreds of Army and Navy officers
that you meet on the streets of the
National Capital. They walk with the
sprightly step of the recent alumnus
from West Point or Annapolis. Their
compilations are clear and ruddy, eyes
are bright, their conversation is ener-
getic and animated-all evidences of
tiptop bodily condition. You can
IDENTIFY these men by their erect car
rage, whether they wear uniform or
not. Most of them are free of indi-
cations of extreme portliness.
During the world war Uncle Sam
learned one grand and glorious les
son-that an ounce of preparation is
worth more than a drug store full of
cure-alls. The fighting forces of
America learned that physical STAN
ina, fitness and muscular activity are
Just as essential as military strategy
and naval acumen. Our national. COM
batants have tested out the efficiency
of schoolboy jingle. EARLY to bed
and early to rise, eat simple food,
and exercise" and have found that
the results make the efforts worth
while.
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WASHINGTON now looks like the
W mammoth campus of dozen
great universities combined, if you
will but take the trouble to measure
our local military and naval athletics
on the basis of intercollegiate sta
tistics
Service men stage many polo
matches, riding exhibitions, golf and
tennis tournaments, fencing conests,
rowing and canoe races. track sports
and base ball games. Physical supe-
considered as important as outstand-
ing mental attainments.
4 federal fighter is as strong as his
weakest part Uncle Sam is trying
to bolster up the strength of all the
weak links. Surplus weight, short
wind lack of endurance, physical
shortcomings and other handicaps are
no longer tolerated. The aim of every
officer. soldier or sailor is to keep
himself in the pink of shape, so that
he will be ready at moments notice
TO endure the hardships and suffer the
privations of another war.
Uncle Sam has inaugurated Il new
system at his national headquarters
in Washington. which also applies to
every military and naval establish
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regulations require that every officer
must spend at least one tWo-hour pc
riod d week in conservative exercise.
Each officer may make his personal
selection as to which branch of sport
or physical diversion he will engage
in. He may change from one form of
exercise to another at any time. All
that Uncle Sam demands is that he
keep in good physical condition.
Once year he is required to under
20 q complete physical examination.
This scrutiny of science is efficacious
in telling whether or not the federal
lighters have obeyed the exercise
orders.
Generally there are from LOO to
1000 Army and Navy officers in Wash
ington. There is also a large tran
sient movement of personnel to and
from the Capital city. Even these
transients keep up their exercise
while in the city.
The great majority Of both the
transient and permanent fighting
forces do not confine their physical
pastiming to two hours of work a
week. Many of them exercise regu-
larly every day. while the majority
work out al least two to three times
a. week. All of them arc enthusiastic
over the moderate training systems
they have adopted.