Evening star., 1943-01-13
Roadwork for Sailors
Boosted by 1unney as
Best Conditioner !
Applies Lessons Learned
During Boxing Days to
Tors' Physical Troining
By JAMES T. CARTER.
Associated Press Stan Correspondent.

Associated Press stan Correspondent.
NEW YORK, Jan. 12.-For a man
who won fame and fortune with his
fists, Gene Tunney is the last person
you'd expect to hear talking about
feet.
The way feet came into the con-
versation was bit indirect, but 1t
went something like this:
Without feet, you can't run Cor
even walk, to get TECHNICAL. Unless
you can run, you can't get into good
physical condition And unless
you're in top-notch trim, you're not
much good in the Navy.
All of which is roundabout way
of saying that Comdr. James j.
Tunney, former worlds heavyweight
boxing champion and now director
of the Navy's physical fitness pro-
gram, thinks running and jogging
is the foundation of all conditioning.
Before Navy recruit goes to sea
he gets, along with his other train
ing, one hours physical training
daily for six days week. With this
in mind, I asked Comdr. Tunney if
that training wouldn't turn out a
crop of superathletes to grace the
ball parks and gridirons after the
war.
Not Training for Sports.
Undoubtedly it will" he said,
"but that's the farthest thought
from my mind. We're turning out
well-conditioned warrior sailors and,
frankly, we're - interested in the
higher skills of the varsity or pro-
fessional sports.
"Of course, part OF our training
course includes baseball, football,
basket ball, softball and the like.
But that's only at the training sta
tions where we have the facilities
and there are few such facilities at
all the stations.
"Other things we concentrate on
are calisthenics. rope climbing, cargo
net climbing, the obstacle course
and swimming. Running, or jog
ging, though, is the best conditioner
of all. I'm a great believer in it."
Comdr. Tunney, still in the pink
at A and without an ounce of excess
weight, doesn't train the recruits
personally, but he is the man behind
the scenes, with headquarters in
Washington.
When he started his program in
the spring of 194l at the Norfolk
Naval Training Station, he spent
three months training chief special
lists in athletics so that they, in turn,
could pass on his knowledge to the
men.
Director in Each District.
Now he conducts his program
thus:
For each of the l3 naval districts
in the continental United States, he
selects well-konwn athletic di-
rector, who receives a commission
either as a lieutenant or a lieuten-
ant commander.
For example, the Navy's physical
training in the 9th Naval District
at New Orleans is under the direc-
ton of 1t. Comdr Elmer Mitchell,
who was director of physical educa-
ton at the University of Michigan
before Tunney brought him into the
service.
Here in New York 1t. Comdr E.
Craig Davis, who had the same
position as Comdr. Mitchell at the
University of Pittsburgh and who
was president of the National Asso-
citation of Physical Educators, runs
the physical training for the Sd
Naval District.
Operating under such men as
these are chief specialists who work
directly with the recruits. The chief
specialists, most Of whom are Sc
lected personally by Comdr. Tunney,
are college men. The majority hold
degrees in physical education. A
good college athletic record, showing
that q man Is a natural leader, also
is considered in the selection.
There were four such chief
specialists when Comdr. Tunney
began his program. Now there are
5000.
SpecialistsLo Lost to FIeet.
Comdr. Tunney made four tours
OF the country picking his men, and
1t looks as II he'll be making plenty
more. for the chief specialists are
always moving on for sea duty