Evening star., 1942-05-10
Ruh|and Emphasizes
Future Necessity
For Physical Fitness
Health Officer
Addresses Institute
In Southwest Area

Terming public health a personal
commodity within certain limita-
tions, DR.. George c. Rutland, Dis
trict health officer, yesterday urged
the Southwest Health Council to
emphasize physical fitness as a
means of coping with future prob
lens.
"If the world after the war is to
be more difficult world" DR.. Ruh-
land said then many problems will
resolve themselves into the individ-
uals physical ability to take it,"
The District health chief added
that the eyes of the Nation and
world are focused on Washington in
wartime, and that Washington
overcrowded condition makes it i'm
perative to safeguard public health.
Addressing several hundred COL
ored men and women in the An
thony Bowen School at Second and
M streets S.W., at the first health
institute conducted there, DR.. Ruh-
land pointed out that Southwest
washington received the first health
or medical center established here,
and that the extent to which COM
munity residents avail themselves of
the center's facilities would play a
part in extending this health serv-
ice to other sections of the District.
Matter of Private Health.
He said he could not place too
much emphasis on individual neces-
sity of safeguarding health, adding
that public health finally becomes
q matter of private health
TOO little and too late" is a criti-
cism which can be applied to public
health programs, asserted DR.. Joseph
A. Murphy, director of the school
inspection service.
Commenting on the large percent
age of selective service reflections,
DR.. Murphy expressed the opinion
that many defects of registrants
were carried over from childhood.
with responsibility for this condi-
ton resting primarily on the parents
OF those rejected for military duty.
Public schools, he added, have
better facilities for the diagnosis
and treatment of the children than
ever before. if parents will Coop
crate by checking the health habits
Of their boys and girls.
Preceding the two principal
speakers, DR.. Garnett c. Wilkinson.
first assistant superintendent of
schools of divisions 1913, predicted
future school emphasis on physical
training that would call for five
hours training per pupil each week.
The so per cent selective service
reflections, he said, shows I'VE have
not made much health progress
among our youth
1t was DR.. Wilkinson's view that
health programs in public schools
can be a major activity without
detracting from teaching the funda-
mentals. He said that more impor-
tant til the health Institutes
formal sessions would be it's follow
up work, "integrating its findings
into community life over the months
and years
A. K. Savoy, second assistant SUI
perintendent of schools of Divis-
ions 1913. presided. Invocation
was said by the Rev. 3. H. Whiting.
A selection was sung by the Bowen
Glee Club.
Seated on the platform were
Southwest Health Council members:
L. R. Evans, Miss E A. Lyons. Mrs.
E. S. Browne, Mrs. E. P. Derricotte.
G. G. Myers, Mrs. G. T. Peterson.
Mrs. M. S. Thompson, Miss M. E.
Negus, J. T. Rhines, the Rev. G. E.
Stevenson, the Rev. B. H. Whiting.
the Rev. Father c. B. Winckler,
Mrs. B. j. ODaniel, Miss S. D.
McGinniss and DR.. j. E. Walker.
Eight group meetings at which
various health topics were discussed
followed the main session. Speak
ers at these group meetings were
Ray Everett, DR.. Catherine Sy-
monds, DR.. N. A. Owens, Mrs. Eliza
beth Grant, DR.. Roscoe Brown, Mrs.
M. S. Thompson. Mrs. M. c. Mccall,
DR.. M. r. Deane and L. r. Evans