Evening star., 1943-01-18
War Is Breeding Tougher
Brand of Sports Editors.

A sizable hunk of crepe has been
hung on golf by the ban on plea sure
driving. Georgetown's entire basket
ball team is headed for armed serv-
ice, as is George WASHINGTON s,
which would be tip on the national
situation. Horse racing is stagger-
ing and so it goes in virtually every
sport.
The sports scene is having its face
lifted, and the job apparently only
has started. The backbone of the
vast sports industry is publicity, and
the backbone is bending. Sports
editors now are thinking twice
before inserting items that previ-
ously made the grade easily. RAPIDLY
eyaporating are the terrific build
ups that attracted crowds. News
papers just can't spare the space.
Sports doubtless won't vanish from
the American scene despite demands
OF total war, but there is a whole
sale swing of prominent athletes
into the services. Civilian sports
Will suffer, but the foundation for
a tremendous postwar boom is be-
ing constructed in service posts scat
tered over the world.
Vanishing from the American
sports scene are its outstanding fig
ures. From baseball have gone Ted
Williams, Bob Feller, Hank Green
berg, Cecil Travis, with Joe Di Mag
gio to follow shortly. From boxing
Joe Louis and Billy Conn have been
plucked. From every sport the Jack
Dempseys, ,,Ty ,Cobhs. Babe Ruths,
Bill Ttldens and Bobby Jones of
their era are marching off to war.
1t follows that those who feel
sports may function as usual are
whistling in the dark, The bulk
OF healthy manpower is flowing
steadily into armed forces, trans
portation represents a paramount
problem and sports pages rapidly are
ellminaIing the f1owery phrases that
nodded sports heros. Sports editors,
OF necessity, are getting around to
wanting facts and wanting them
stated as briefly as possible.
Pre-Flight Program
Is Sports Booster.
There is no Beveridge plan for
sports, come peace. Sports may not
require it, for sports are being en-
phaslzed in the service as a means
of relaxation, physical fitness and
intensifying the will to win. In that
latter phase we feel the Navy pre-
flight schools have been hop, skip
and jump ahead of other service
branches.
The pre-f1ight program, akin to
other service programs, requires
formal physical training, with the
goal in mind of tuning muscles, ex-
panding chest proportions, etc.
through calisthenics, but probably
more important is pre-f1ight's in
slstence on two hours of competitive
athletics every day for every cadet
The desire to excel is developed, as
Is aggresSiveness and determination
Comdr. Tom Hamilton, head of
the pre-flight program, has stressed
swimming as the most vital sport
because it's a life-saver. From the
start, though, he also has empha-
sized the necessity of combat sports
for cadets. His job is to develop
quick thinking physical and mental
courage. endurance, agility, tough
ness and teamwork, plus that vital
will to win He feels combat sports
serve the purpose.
Civilian sports are staggering, but
with that type of program installed
In the service there is evidence the
armed forces will pick up where
civilians left off and after the wal
return to civilian life more sports
conscious specimens.
Civilian sports and sports pages
are shrinking for the duration. but
they may bounce back better thar
ever when Hirohito Hitler and Mus
solini toss in the towel