The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-09-29
(Reg. U. s. Pat. Off,
 BY OSCAR FRALEY lIInited Press Snnrts Writer


 New York, Sept. 2e.-UP)-Lt. Leslie MacMitchell and I passed out of the Navy today-only his was of- ficial and just passed out.
 I had a lot of company though. Just suppose you were one of those busy examiners in the Navy person. nel separation office, with your eyes duly accustomed to uniforms and campaign ribbons, and then you look up and see a guy sitting there in slacks and sport shirt.
 Brother, the reaction is terrific After the shocked disbelief leaves the examiners eyes he looks at you as if you were a male Mata Hari It's an understatement to say you feel like an umpire at Ebbets field. We made 1t, however, though for a time I though Les was going to be too old to run by the time they cleared him.
 Battened in with batch of pho- tographers, we steamed up to Amer ica's four-minute mile hope just af- ter he had been logged in by the officer of the deck and docked with the records officer. That's where they checked the fact that Les was 25; about five foot Il; had all his teeth; black hair; a pleasant smile; was on the cruiser Philadelphia in the North Africa, Sicily and Salerno landings, and received the commen- dation ribbon for work on the cruis- CT Houston when it was torpedoed twice off Formosa.
 Uses the Head
 Mental conditioning is important in running the mile for 1t teaches you to keep punishing yourself Mac mental-conditioned me as we sprint ed for the disbursing office.
 That's nice place, that disburs- ing office, with money and pretty Waves counting it. But the Waves wouldn't look at me-but two husky members of the shore patrol did, and closely.
 These Swedish runners, Gundar Hagg, Arne Anderson and Lennant Strand have proved that mental factor" Les added enroute to the medical examining room. They've proved you can get down near that four-minute mark"
 The civil adjustment officer was next, and I'd like to complain to the secretary of Navy that he sounded more as if he was aiming his advice at me instead of at Mac Mitchell. Then, heading for the records officer again, and more form typing, Les asserted that he thought the four minute mile was very close possibility.
 "Only ! believe that E5agg, when he ran his 4:01.4 record, had the wrong formula" Mac continued, conveying me past another Wave He ran his first quarter in 56 sec- onds and that's too much effort ex- pended too early. The opening quarter will have to be in 59 or 60 seconds to save steam for the wind up.
 Maybe
 'But somebody is going to hit that four-minute mile soon, maybe one of the Swedes," Les predicted, and showing that he counted him. self in the running, added: T hope to run just as fast as they do."
 All he has to do is maintain the pace he set as we headed back for the disbursing office, that lovely little place with the pretty money and prettier Waves-and those irl- hospitable shore patrol guys. They make you feel as if they almost don't trust you.
 That's where we received the final payoff for Macs 38 months in ser- vice. And I don't want you to think Mac is Iniser. understand but there I was. an eight-hour-old salt. and he kept every alarmed penny of it. The officer of the deck checked US out different doors,