Evening star., 1942-03-11
Byrd Terms Fitness
Programs All Right,
But Not in 0..C D.
Londis and Bowling
Officer Defend Physical
Activities Setup

Chairman Byrd Of the Congress
sional Joint Economy Committee
considers dancing, bowling, track
running and other physical activities
"an right in their place." but denies
that that place should be in the Of
flee Of Civilian Defense. He made
that clear yesterday in letter an
swering a letter from o. C. D. Di-
rector James M. Lands, who wrote
in answer to a letter from Senator
Byrd charging 'bocndoggling'' among
other things.
This exchange of correspondence
was augmented yesterday by a state
ment from Jack M Willem of Chi
cago, whose position as bowling CO.
ordinator aroused the Senator's ire.
VI should say it certainly is going
to be continued" Mr.. Willem an
swered, according to the Associated
Press. from the midwest. Il am not
On the payroll. Neither are the 5000
others who are carrying out the
bowling program Not one cent of
has DCCll SpCIlL
on this bowling program"
Lands Statement Similar.
Dean Lands made a similar state
ment in his letter to Senator Byrd
and went on to explain that Mr.
Willem had made it possible for in
dustrial workers in Chicago to bowl
in their of time by keeping bowling
alleys open on 24,hour basis.
Surely" said Dean Lands.
neither you nor your committee can
have any objection to activities of
that kind which cost the United
States Government nothing and
which give the men in the produc-
ton line the kind of relaxation that
they need"
But Senator Byrd, indicating that
he did not think Dean Lands reply
entirely satisfactory. responded:
Il think that you entirely miss
the point which l endeavored TO
make in my former letter, and that
is that dancing, bowling, track run
ming and other physical activities
while all right in their place. should
not be the functions of the Once
of Civilian Defense
Sees Discredit With Public.
From the time Mrs. Roosevelt
defended the employment of dancers
TO teach the art of dancing as a
part of national defense. the whole
movement Of national defense
vitally important as it is. has been
much discredited in the public
mind"
Senator Byrd said he felt Mr.
Willem's appointment made 1t
possible for bowling alley operators
and equipment manufacturers ITO
exploit the enormous advertising
value incident to recognizing such
an activity as a part of the defense
program
He said that he had seen posters
entitled. Keep Them Rolling, Hit
the Head Pin With Uncle Sam
which had been printed by the Gov
errment Printing Office and added
The real function of the Office
of Civilian Defense. namely, the
protective defense of America, is
so vital and important for our Sc
curity and welfare that, again. I
express The earnest hope that you
will Immediately strip your agency
of these non-essentials, and there
by obtain to a greater degree than
at present the cooperation of the
American people in the real work
that you have to do"
Transfer Statement Ignored.
He ignored Dean Lands state
ment that bowling was one of the
activities of the physical fitness di-
vision which is on the point OF
transfer to another agency-the Of
flee of Defense Health and Welfare
Services, Dean Lands, however
had defended bowling as an activ-
ity that I personally believe is
distinctly worth while
Meanwhile. John Kelly. head of
the physical fitness section. jumped
into the fray from Philadelphia
headquarters of the section, to call
Senator Byrds assertions 'unwar-
ranted" and to add that the Sem
ator should be focusing his at
tention on what is happening in the
Southwest Pacific and in Europe