The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-09-05
The INFLAMMATION
Of Sports
BY JAY ANYON

THROUGHOUT the world, there has been an
1 intensification of the class line in sports
In Italy, Jugoslayia, Poland, Hungary, a sys-
tenn has been established in sports, known as
pre-military training of young workers. Ito pro-
pagate the ideas of the State and defense
amongst the broadcast strata of the nation, to
combat anti-state elements and to educate proud
and devoted citizens into good soldiers" This
system is adopted by the school sport organi-
cations and those that are under bosses and
fascist leadership. Officers in the army are used
as instructors for these sport organizations The
Sokols, German Gymnast League and other Sec
tons of the Lucerne (Socialist) Sport Interna-
tional are part Of this system.
The Greek Parliament passed a bill whereby
soldier gets a 3-month reduction in military
service if he attains certain degree of skill
in certain field of sports. 1t is reported that
Dr. Kilinger, Deputy Gymnastic superintendent
of the Sokols, was appointed as head OF the
Physical Culture in the 5th department of the
Czechoslovakian General Army staff, thereby
closely interlocking sports with the bourgeois
army.
An English commander of an infantry dis
covered that soldiers dislike drilling with gas
masks, so football game (rugby) was arranged
between two teams with gas masks on. Tbs
military periodical states that this had favor
able effect on the men. In Germany bourge-
ois sport event in Berlin an obstacle race was
run with heavy machine guns, gas masks and
smoke bombs This sport event resembled more
of battlefront. This is the methods that are
being used in order to involve to workers and
the youth on the sport field into the military
maneuvers of the bosses.
In the United States the watchword of the
bosses sport organizations is sport for sport
oil
ments. We find outstanding ones being the YIN
CA, AAU, American Legion, and many indus
trial and company sport organizations for both
boys and girls. The Amateur Athletic Union
reigns supreme on the sport field and is power
full organzational force for the bosses. Its lead
ership is composed of some of the biggest eX-
ploiters as for instance, Avery Brundage, big
contractor in Chicago Major General Douglas
Arthur, Col. j. O'Neil, Major julius Peyser and
Col. Thee. Roosevelt. These army men closely
connected with financial interests guide the
destiny of sport activities in the United States.
Here is a quotation from the Athletic Hand
book of 1880: 1.-THE governments of the largest
countries realize the Importance of this work
and are waking up to the realization that the
physical uplft of their citizens is a safer pro-
lection for the nations than the large armies
The World War proved it and even the Central
cations" What does the American Legion
handbook say about junior sports, 1.-THE obj2ct
of these tournaments is to teach the boys CT the
country to be better Americans thu lessons
which the great playing of the game affords"
Over quarter million boys are under their
leadership yearly.
In the Boy Scouts, the National Guards and
CMTC, the sport issue is played up to attract
the young workers and to camouflage its war
character. The YMCA has demonstrated its ac-
tons of approving war expenditures in its recent
World Congress, at the same time using hypo-
critical phrases about peace and mobilizing the
youth against the Soviet Union. Recently the
mask of pacifism was blasted in the Y, when
Mr.. A. D. Rugh wrote an article condemning
the CMTC.y The "Ys held special conference
and decided on special issue of the "Y," or
gan to print an apology to the army forces Of
the U. S. government
The 1882 bourgeois Olympics are being feat
ured now with a lot of publicity to stars and
individuals in the Sport realm. The outStand-
ing thing is that every country was invited to
send athletes except the Soviet Union. The bos-
ses would hate to see athletes from the workers
fatherland come here and represent real work.
ers sports that are being widely developed IN
the Soviet Union This is another step in pre-
pairing war against the Soviet Union, by FOSTER
ing prejudice against the Soviet sportsmen.
This whole machine of the bosses right FROM
the school, the press and radio right up to BRINE
stone and fire is being used very clevsrlX at tho
present time. Its object is first to keep tho
workers and especially young workers from the
struggle, make them forget about unemploy-
ment, their lowering standard Of living and to
make them real loyal to the boss class.
On international Youth Day we must answer the
war mongers and expose the use Of sports a.
preparation for another slaughter, an attack
on Soviet Russia.
The Labor Sports Union calls on all workers
sportsmen whether they be in any sport Or
ganization, to come out on International Youth
Day, Tuesday, Sept. 8, to demonstrate
against war and militarism and for unemployed
relief, The leadership of these sport organiza-
lions work hand in glove with the boss. The
conscious workers sportsmen must answer on
this glorious day of struggle against war, b.
coming out on this day. Tuesday. sentenabsr q