Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 March 1918 — GREAT VALUE OF ATHLETICS [ARTICLE]

GREAT VALUE OF ATHLETICS

Foundation for Health and of Permanent Importance in Keeping Soldier In Condition. That the value of athletics in improving mental and physical conditions of all men from the standpoint of military service is appreciated by English as well as United States government officials is shown by the following statement by Brig. Gen. Wildred A. White after several years of observation on the western front: “When the athlete has gone to the front his place in athletic ranks should be immediately filled. Sport is the foundation for health, and too much emphasis cannot be laid qpon its benefits and necessity. Athletics are of paramount importance in keeping the soldier fit, and the same is true of the man who must be prepared to become a soldier. “The soldierly qualities developed are many. Discipline is encouraged, Inasmuch as discipline is the very essence of team play. Quickness of decision and speed and agility are not to be overlooked, and what cricket and football do for the Englishman, baseball and track athletics do for the American.”