Evening star., 1941-11-17

Mr.. McLemors. believe the
world owes them living for the
graceful manner in which they can
put away q lob on the court ana
a lobster newburg in the country
club dining room. Most sports
writer's would tell you, I am sure,
that. taking the sport As a Whole,
tennis cultivates more aimless'
what-can-you-d do for-me characters
than any other game.
So it is a pleasure to write ABOUT a
tennis player who, despite the 1act
that she is the most petted and
pampered Of them all. never let the
atmosphere destroy her sense OF
values and who today is rendering
her country the most Valuable
service of all the athletic champions
I know.
Alice Marble, mean.
Yes. that good looking Allce.
whose mop of blond curls, sculptors
nr,re and charm have made them
"oooh" and "aaah" on all the center
courts Of the world.
There was q tremendous russ
when Hank Greenberg had TO leave
first base and, fat feet and all, go
into the Army. You would have
thought Hank. and Hank alone
stood between the United States and
chaos.
Joe Louis is getting the same sort
of publicity now. Joe is about 10
enter the armed forces and fellow
is safe in betting 8 to l that every
day his daily newspaper will have
picture Of Joe peering down gun
barrel. doubling his fist alongside a
machine gun. or trying on new
type steel helmet.
The same goes for nearly all OF
the other champions whose draft
numbers came up and sent them
into the Army. Navy or Marine
Corps.
There was no fuss and practically
no feathers when Alice Marble oe-
cided she wanted to serve her
country.
And she was a champion, brother.
Much more than Greenberg ever
was. and just as much as Louis ever
will be. She dominated her field
from ocean TO ocean, but she
chucked it all to get in there and
serve in civilian defense. Today she
is United States assistant director OF
civilian defense, sports department,
and her task is 10 improve the
physical fitness of American women.
To take the job she Cancelled a
tennis tour that would have netted
her between s25, 900 and $4,000. She
gave up a radio program that prom
ised another $500 a week. And she
sidetracked her career as a designer
of sports fashions. Oh, but she
doesn't need the money, you may
say. She's independently wealthy.
No, she isn't. She's paying her own
way through life. and all she gets
from the new job is travelling ex-
penses.
She is moving all over the coun-
try, preaching the gospel of health
to women. All sorts of women. Girls
In factories, housewives, socialites.
I ran across her here, where she had
come to attend a weekly conference
with Mrs. Roosevelt and Mayor La
Guardia and her other co-workers
in civilian defense. We talked for
two hours and there never WAS
mention of forehands. cross-court
volleys or service aces. Her room
was piled with books on subjects
ranging from insomnia to the can
ming of garden vegetables.
'Lordy, there is lot to learn
game. But now I must know them
all. They ask me about everything,
and being aced at match point isn't
any more embarrassing than not
knowing an answer that's put to
you"
Alice thinks American women can
stand a lot of improving in so far as
health is concerned. Says they sit
too much.
The working girls sit all morning,
grab a sandwich and a chocolate
milk for lunch, sit all afternoon.
sit on the subway going home, sit
down to dinner and then sit down
in a movie with q boy friend. II
they only knew what an hour of
exercise q day would do for them
even an exercise as simple as walk
Ing.
Housewives, thanks to modern
appliances, don't have the work
they once did. Machines do it for
them. If you only would realize
how much better they would feel
and be if they would give their
muscles a chance"
Alice knows what exercise will do
for a girl. She wasn't always the
physical specimen she is today.
There was a day in France in 1884
when she collapsed during q match
and the doctors told her she would
never be able to play again. For
eight months she was q hospital
case, but she cured herself with
exercises-and went on to win all
the championships. and I mean all.
Girls, don't be dumbbells
Swing one when Alice asks YOU TO,
distributed by McNaueht Syndicate, IneJ
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