Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-28
McLemore-
Waves His Wand
At Admiral Tunney
Nv HENRY McLEMORE.

One of my many New Years reso~
buttons was to never again write an
other word about Admiral Gene
Tunney.
You know who the admiral Is, or
course. Strictly career man. After
wears OF experience on the storm
tossed waters of the prize ring, ne
has reached a point where ne is in
charge of the Atlantic. Pacific and
Central Park Lake land based fleets.
gave him up on New Year Day
along with netcherizins my food,
bobbing for apples on Halloween
opium and serving as a lookout for
Washers in Grand Central Station.
But I find 1t impossible to stick
to my pledge. 1t Is Impossible TO.
ignore Admiral Tunney. He won't
let you.
The admiral now is speaking.
writing and gesticulating against
competitive sports for men in the
armed forces. He feels that such.
things as boxing, wrestling, football.
baseball, basket ball and, as far as
I know, handball, croquet, rogue.
curling, fencing, rope climbing.
archery and tennis, are silly. 1t Is
his contention that mass exercise
Is much better and that this Nation
would have tougher. meaner Army
II something on the order of wand
drill were adopted for the hardening
of the troops. I'D.
Sides Lined Up. at-
Lined up with Admiral Tunney.
and applauding his every move, are
the physical culture instructors OF
the country Lined up against him.
and hooting his every effort to have
competitive sports removed from the
soldiers calendar, are the coaches
of the country On enc side are
men (the coacheS who feel that
sports where rough, hard body con-
tact is involved, offer the best train
ing for fighting men, and on the
other side are men (the physical
culturists, or muscle jerks" as DR..
Nal Stevens chose to term them
who feel that a sort Of mass squat
tag is the ideal training for combat
against the enemy.
Speaking for myself, am against.
the admiral you couldn't have pos
sibly guessed that by now, could
your and the physical culturists.
am against them because I know
what wand drills and that sort OF
alfresco torture did to me. was
a wand driller in the third, fourth.
fifth and sixth grades In grammar
| school
Wand drilling was part of the cur
riculum in the grammar schools OF
| Georgia at the time, and the daily
routine with the slivers of wood left
us so worn out and bored and gen.
orally disguised that many of US
could not eat our peanut butter
sandwiches, which our mothers mad
carefully packed for us. when recess
time came around
"One-two- three-four" I can hear
Miss Wheeler calling the numbers
now, and feel the dust OF the school,
yard. as scores of us swung the con-
founded wands about in an effort
to develop muscles and graces.
How About Bean Bag:
If Admiral Tunney succeeds In
having the tough, competitive sports
eliminated from the Army and Navy
sports program, and is casting about
for quiet, gentle sport to replaces
football and boxing and the like.
I suggest bean bag
We used to play this when rain
prevented us from frolicking OUT
doors during recess. 1t isn't rough
| sport, yet it develops cunning. CO.
ordination, and a certain amount Of
meanness. 1t used to delight the
boys in the fifth grade to throw the
bean bag at the girls, throw 1t hard.
The girls couldn't catch very well.
and it was more fun to see them
have to duck under desk to pre-
vent getting hit with the little can
vas bags filled with hard beans.
Squat-tag is good-especially for
wearing out the knees of the trou-
sers-and so is drop-the-h andker-
chief, But for all-around fun and
exercise I suggest to Admiral Tlln-
ney that we have our soldiers taFs
up game which We called go in
and out the window" 1t was more
fun.
You know, III bet that to spite me
for writing this column, Admiral
Tunney will never let me stand
beside him on the bridge of his
flagship as he directs a task force
in operation against the enemy.
Distributed By McNaurht Syndicate, Incl