Evening star., 1943-01-16
Fitness Farley
Ends Today With
Student Drill
Results of Period
Training in High
Schools to Be Shown

Local educators and recreation
leaders this afternoon were sched-
uled to see the George Washington
University physical fitness confer
ence conclude with drills by dozens
OF high school students.
Boys and girls from Calvin Cool
idge, Roosevelt, Mckinley and East
ern High Schools were to show the
results Of their new five periods a
week of physical training in the
gymnasiums at Roosevelt High
School. This morning the confer
ence group heard discussion of the
new United States Office of Edu-
cation physical training manual by
three specialists from that Office.
DR.. Jackson Sharman. Miss Dorothy
LaSalle and Miss Ruth Grout.
Five-Period Setup Praised.
The f1veperiod a week program
here was praised by DR.. Sharman.
specialist in physical fitness of the
Office of Education. He said the
officers new manual Of physical
education had been planned espe-
Cially around this amount of in
struction each week. School systems
which still give the students only
one to three periods Of physical in
Gtruction per week are behind the
times, he said.
Miss La Sale said the manual has
been aimed particularly at physical
fitness for the women who are now
taking jobs in war Offices and fac
tories. Miss Grout added that new
manual on general health is soon to
be issued by her Office.
Just before the students exhibi-
ton, the conferees were scheduled
TO hear a discussion of supple
ments" to the regular school health
examination by DR.. Joseph A. Muir
ohy, director of school services of
the ONCE of Public Health.
"Overloading" Advised.
The responsibility for saving
American fighting men from death
by beginning their physical train
Ing long before they enter the serv-
ice was laid squarely on the shoul-
ders Of school teachers at the open
ing session of the conference at the
university last night by five speak
ers from the services themselves.
Lit, Col. Theodore Bank, Army
director of athletics, and Comdr.
Aom Hamilton of the Navy Bureau
OF Aeronautics stressed the "over-
loading" principle of getting boys
into shape.
You have to extend the boy fur
ther than he is willing to go of his
own volition," declared Comdr.
Hamilton. The former Annapolis
coach said that football is the
closest thing" to war and reeled off
names of his former players who are
hitting the enemy with submarine,
destroyer and airplane.
Comdr. Hamilton's description of
swimming as "a cheap life insur-
ance policy" was seconded by an
other Navy physical director, 1t.
Comdr. Charles Forsythe, who
quoted a physical fitness director on /
sn aircraft carrier. now sunk. as !
saying that only the strong swim !
mers got away from the ship in |
time.
Fatigue Killing Fighters.
James E. Pixlee of the Army Air |
Forces declared fatigue is killing
more boys than shot and shell. !
These boys need years of back
ground to get in shape" he said, |
mot 40 weeks of training"
The training problems of the |
WAACS and WAVES were briefly |
described by First Officer Dorothea
Coleman and 1t. Jenny Turnbull. |
Miss Coleman said many of the |
women had to be taught how to
carry, fall and crawl" 1t. Turn !
hull said the WAVES try to teach !
their women the ability to relax in
the little free time they have"
In stressing the need of a sim
pier, more widespread system of
recreation for civilian war workers,
Harry S. Wender, chairman of the
District Recreation Board, attacked
set curriculum like Greek and
Latin.
Il am glad to see that at last we
are beginning to emphasize
Greek and Latin" he said. Under
the same policy, he continued, don't
try to mold your students to physi-
cal education curriculum that re-
Quires lot of equipment that they
don't need. I always found with
Greek and Latin that / didn't need
it and it didn't need me-"
Miss Ruth H. Atwell of the George
Washington University women's.
physical education department pre-
sided, assisted by 1t. Comdr. Max
harrington. Miss Louise Stitt of
the Women's Bureau cited the prob
lems of the large numbers of mar
ried women now trying to carry both