The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-09-25
This l . World
 Sporting !
Wor Penalties of Physical NeOleet
By JOHN A. CLUNEY

VOT TOuUutu9S VI
 Physical Neglect
 From a strictly personal stand point, In relation to the physica condition of our Army, Navy anC Airforce man going Into, still In ol coming out of World War IT, ther, is the following dire but direct no tlce from Col. Theodore Bank, pres. ident of the Athletic Institute (Chi' cago) given to the American peoplS for what 1t Is worth, the writsi hopeful that something can bl done about it', BUT QUICKl
 The Athletic Institute Is Q non' profit organization for the promo. tion of physical fitness in America which is urging an athletic or phy' seal fitness committee in every town city and hamlet of the USA; prin- cipally through the m.dium oi COMPETITIVE SPORTS.
 If you have Q son, brother, sister or daughter in or out of the armed forces, the following should be oi keen interest to you:
 America paid In lives, suffering and treasure for It's failure to bs better prepared physically for World War II.
 Early selective Service statistics showed that . million out of the first two million men examined were rejected for military service because of physical and mental defects.
 Later statistics show that be- tween i,e00,0 900 and 100000 reg istrantS failed to qualify because of nervous and mental unfitness and anothsr 2,600,000 because of physical defects.
 Of the men accepted for service, both the Army and Navy soon found that only 5 to 10 per cent met their full requirements Of physical fitness,
 THE PRICE WE PAID
 First; Because of failure to in. stltute adequate programs of phy. sIcal training in our schools, homes and industries 1t is safe to assume that many fathers of families had to be drafted to mako up for the deficiencies am ong unmarried men,
 Second; The discovery that only 5 to 10 percent of the men ae- cepted were up to Army and Navy atandardS for combat duty, reauir. cd the Armed Services to embark on an extended emergency pros gram of basic training to get tho rest Into condition for combat training, This materially showed up their active participation h the war, and gave our enemies just that much further time to con- Solidate positions which had later to Do retaken ct extra cost of American lives.
 Third: Due to the dire character of our emergency, sufficient time could not Dc given to get aD draftees fully physically 1t before their departure for overseas ac' tlon, Loss of life consequently oc. cured from fatigus and laek oI endurance, etc., which would nave been in many cases unnecessary had oil our fighting men puilt up the strength, agilitieS and skillS which sports and exercises contri' buto to efficiency in combat
 Fourth: Tn addition to lives loSt because of deficient leg strength Tor Jumping combat obstacles, or doil. clent arm and shoulder strength for climbing ropes, pulling ones self over ledgeS and out ot eock' pits of falling planes, and other defieI .ncies in agility and ability to stand up under rigors Of com. bat duty, unnecessary waste oi human resources is Attriputed py Army and Navy ofiicialS to our sending men to war who cannot swim.
 Fifth; Tn addition. to the loss Of life which testimonials of many athletes indicate might not have occurred had our system ef phy. sicai training besil adequate since world War l, there b tho extra financial burden imposed upon our people by tho elaborate system of basic krainlng that had to DO in' StItutcd under costly war condi. tions, and the loss of planes ana other equipmsnt wrecked because. of deficient nervous and pnysical abilities of tho indueteeB.
 Sixth: still confronting us be' vond the end of hostiiities N the human anguish and the enormous financial burdens that our people must bear to take care Of the re" turning men suffering from varl. 1 ous dlSabiing neuroseS. The first million men returned home show that the percentage Of such cases
 will run very high. It seems safe to assume that adFquate programs Of competitive athletics for build' Ing physical fitness in their form. atIve years would have prepared many Of these men 10 stand up under the strain Of war without cracking up nervougly AS it lS, they and their families must sui. fer, and taxpayers must pay Tor the care of many Of them through the veterans Administration for the next thirty to fify years.
 ARMY AND NAVY ExpEhIENCl
 The Army and Navy have DC come convinced that the most prac i ticable method of insuTing adequat physical fitness for aii personnel through on All-inciuslve conipetitiv sports program.
 SHALL WE LEARN FROM OUR
 AaI0TAkE7
 Snail we repeat our mistake an | continue to neglect the IiecesSar measures for physical fitness de yelopment during the postwar years 1 nn uliii SvA find iAAdAra rAAd