Imperial Valley press., 1935-02-05
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By HENRY McLEMORE
United Press Staff Correspondent

United Press Staff Correspondent
MIAMI, Fla, Feb. 5. W.p) - The
smooth, blue-greenish water of the
Roman pool was literally full Of
RawlS girls, padding about like a
school of fish, with that easy rhy-
thin and that easy speed.
In front, setting the pace, was
Katherine, II, who wears an Olym-
pic emblem on her chest and is the
finest woman swimmer in the world
In Katherine's almost imperceptible
wake came her sisters-Eyelyn, Is
Dorothy, IA, and little 7-year-old
Peggy. On the side of the pool, trot-
ting along to keep up, was their
coach, Willis Cooling.
More leg into it, Katherine" he
would call. On Hit it up a bit
Evelyn" and watch those toes
Peggy" Back and forth, they swan
with Cooling running along calling
advice. Finally he called enough.
Cant work 'em too hard, today,
he said. They're having high school
examinations, and they've got to get
home and study. It's shame, too
for they'd like to swim all day"
This remark prompted us to ask
Mr.. Cooling JUST how long the
sisters Rawls could swim without
stopping.
"At that speed?" he asked. "Oh
they could swim forever, I guess
Drop them in in the morning, and
they'd be swimming easily and nice
ly when the sun went down. OF
course, I'm not including Peggy
She's just baby, and might get
tired after 10 or Is miles -.
Did Mr.. Cooling believe that Peg
gy, some day, would be better than
Katherine?
There's no telling. Girls are fun
ny things, you know, even when
they're just 7. But I'd say Peggy has
good chance to outdo her sister
You see, Peggy got head start. She
started swimming when she was 2
while Katherine was bit backward
not getting into the water until she
was or 5.
Katherine walked by. In her snug
bathing suit, with dozens of freck-
les dotting her little turned-up nose
she looked SO small and everything
but like a champion of the world
We asked Cooling if she would still
be better if she were big and strap
ping like Madison.
mo, I don't think so. She's per-
fectly built for a swimmer. Coco
hands, good feet and toes, and a
heart like a heavyweight. Let me
show you what I mean"
Turning to Katherine, Cooling
asked her to swim the length of the
pool, using the breast-stroke, al
which she is the best in the world
"All right, Mr.. Cooling" she said
and slid into the water.
Nov, walk alongside her as she
swims," Cooling said, land watct
her."
We did. And you never saw any.
thing as much like a fish in your
life. No effort, no splash. She seem
ed to roll through the water, anc
following each pull with her hand.
Katherine had run like a racing
shell after eight varsity oarsmer
have completed a full pull. There
was barely a ripple, so easily die
she move.
After the RaWls girls had gone
Cooling fell to talking of swimming
in general. He doesn't think any
nation will give our women much
trouble in the next OlympicS because
in other countries the girl swim
mers haven't had the proper coach.
ing and still depend on strength
alone to move them through the
water. With the men, though, it,:
different. Japan, which cleaned uE
on us in Los Angeles, will be bet.
ter still. ,
"The Japs are painStaking work.
ers. They laid the foundation oi
their success in the water seven OF
eight years ago when Johnny Weis.
polo SOullOlJ d flcit
They were not content just to watch
Johnny. They took hundreds OF
thousands of feet of pictures of his
swimming, and they showed the
films to their swimmers until they
had absorbed every single move.
ment. And when they found some
of Wiessmuller's movements were
unsuited to their small swimmers
they put a committee of experts tc
work out variations to suit the shor
stocky Japanese swimmers"
Cooling laughed at the stories tn,
Japanese used oxygen tanks to pei
up their swimmers.
"They just outswam us, that:
all"
Cooling advised against taking w
diving. It's an art, he said, and un.
less you're born with the grace pro.
per diving requires, no manner o.
teaching will give it to you"