Evening star., 1943-06-03
Pentagon Gymnasium
Being Built 10 Harden
Army Desk Officers
News Of Facilities
Follows Directive for
Physical Fitness
BY NELSON SHEPARD.

Army officers who sit at desks all
day in Pentagon Building may soon
have finely equipped gymnasium
to harden flabby muscles, improve
the wind and reduce girth measure
ments.
News of the physical fitness labor
atory followed announcement of a
War Department directive ordering
all officer personnel whose duties
are confined primarily to desk work
to take off at least half day a week
for exercises lin the open air or in
a Well-ventilated room.
The gymnasium for Pentagon
officers, one of the features of rec
reation hall under construction near
the north parking entrance, is de-
signed to meet the physical require
ments of those who prefer indoor
exercise.
Whether the facilities of the gym
will be made available also to civil
ian personnel in the Pentagon who
also suffer from lact of physical
exercise was not known.
Carpentry Work Going On.
TO reach the site of the new rec
reation hall-at least the guard at
the door said that was what it was
supposed to be-one crosses two bus
roads that underpass the main north
entrance to the Pentagon.
Just inside and to the right is
room full of lockers to the right of
the door The corridor opens on to
a number of large rooms. all of
which are the scenes of feverish car
pentry. After that initial glimpse, a
guard bore down on the investigator
and demanded a pass. The official
press pass, however, does not open
the doors of this gymnasium to
press representatives.
According to the guard, however,
there will be such as reading
rooms" in this recreation building,
which is followed out under the sod
and concrete of the north entrance
plaza. Nothing much could be seen
to bear out the statement.
AS for the War Departments
physical fitness directive, there's a
catch in it, one of those three or
four word phrases that lawyer
sometimes puts into contract.
The officers are to arrange their
schedule for half day off when
ever it is possible to do So"
The Pentago pallor is discernible
in many officer and civilian person.
mel, and naturally, with war on,
the department is anxious that all
officers. regardless of duties should
be in the pink of conditions.
Some of the high ranking officials
and officers. like Secretary Slim
son and Gen. George c. Marshall,
take their exercise in morning
horseback rides and keep in re-
markably fit condition, In discus
sing the ages of officers assigned to
combat duty at a press conference
shortly before Pearl Harbor, Gen.
Marshall said he would ride horse
back with any one"
What the Directive Says.
The recent directive. which has
caused a good deal of comment
among officers, says:
There has been marked ten
dency for Army personnel whose
duties are confined primarily to
office work to dispense with the
regular outdoor physical exercises
necessary for maintenance of good
health While outdoor exercise may
be dispensed with for short period
of time without dilatorious effect on
the physical fitness and efficiency of
an Individual, to do so over long
period will definitely decrease his
efficiency.
Emergency situations may tenn
porarily interfere with the partici-
patton of certain individuals in
regular outdoor exercise. However,
health precautions cannot be ig-
nored W1uhsUt eventually resulting
in lowered mental and physical
efficiency, with decrease in the
quality of the work performed.
"In the interest of good health
and physical and mental fitness ex-
cercise in the open air or in a we'll
ventilated room will be taken regu-
larly by all officers not actively par
ticipating in active outdoor instruc-
ton of troops. Whenever it is pos
sible to do so, duties of such officers
will be so arranged that each will
be allowed at least one half day
week, other than holidays and Sun
days, for physical fitness"
Since the directive places no time
limit, it was assumed that the half
6av of Uork AYtenSa around tho