Evening star., 1942-02-25

1t will send its neophyte pilots for
an indoctrination course. These
universities will be known as recep-
ton centers, and the University of
Georgia here and the University
of Iowa have already been chosen.
To these universities will go young
men, hand picked physical speci-
mems, to the number of 625 month.
And what they will get there is the
story.
At these schools. which will turn
over many of the buildings and in
structors, the fiedgling aviation pilots
will get the customary courses in
mathematics, navigation, radio and
all the others necessary to taking
a fighting ship out to sea and bring
ing it home again.
But the part of the program that
appeals to me was pointed out by
1t. Ted Mann, the former publicist
for Duke University's football en-
deavors and now public relations
officer at the Atlanta naval air base.
The young eagles are going to
get a course in physical training
that will make them the toughest
gents ever to sit at the controls Of
a ship. Not only the physical edu-
cation stuff that calls for wand
drills, swinging here and there on
horizontal bars, breathing deep, and
standing up and squatting down
after the manner Of children playing
squat tag. The young pilots will be
put to such tasks as marching 40
miles day, digging bitches, telling
trees and clearing away forests.
And that's not all, either. Under
the so-called "toughening process"
will come other training such as
instruction in jujitsu (spelling not
guaranteed, wrestling, boxing and
plain, old-fashioned pier /, barroom.
street corner rough-and- tumble
fighting.
1t Is this course in rough-and-
tumble, every man for himself
fighting that does my heart good.
have maintained for a good while
now that the day of chivalry and
the Alphonse and CASTOR stiff was
gone from war. And that to meet
the Axis brigands on an equal foot
ing our soldiers must be taught to
get in there and swing from the
floor. And may the toughest
gent win.
One of the parts of the new naval
training will be the art of
"liquidating" an opponent by physi-
cal means. Just what the Navy
means by that word, Hquidate,
wouldn't know, but do know that
liquidate is a powerful word.
The statement by 1t. Tom Ham
ilton. who will head the physical
training side of the new program,
is very enlightening. 1t. Hamilton,
a two-f1sted fellow who used to
coach the Army football team, said,
in effect:
1--WE know the Axis powers train
their men to fight by any method,
fair or foul, particularly the latter.
While the Navy would much prefer
to follow the principles Of sports
manship in warfare, we are going
to train our pilots to fight by any
means, whatever they may be. 1t
would be unfair to our men not
to have them ready, able and will
ing to fight back in exactly the way
the fight is carried to them"
AS we got it, the youngsters for
this new program, all of whom will
be especially selected for the job,
will start moving to the four uni
versities within the next few weeks.
Prominent figures in the sports
world already have been called to
handle the training of them
Following their indoctrination,
these physically perfect and tough
ened" youngsters will be moved to
flight elimination bases, one Of
which is in inland Atlanta, to start
their actual flying. And then, If
successful at these, will move on to
advanced bases to get the final
training preparatory to moving
against the Japs, the Germans and
the italians, if there are any Of
Musso's boys still fighting.
The civilian population OF this
country could well take a tip from
the Navy's new hardening proc
ess." 1t is high time all of us
started conditioning ourselves for
the tough and mean days that are
ahead.