Keeping Fit All the Way | Page 5

than that of any other nation. Philosophers like Prof. Irving Fisher are
sounding the warning. Shall we heed it?

CHAPTER II
When Dr. D.A. Sargent, of Harvard University, makes the charge that,
"More than one-half of the male population between the ages of
eighteen and forty-five years are unable to meet the health requirements
of military service, and that, of the largest and strongest of our country
folk pouring into our cities, barely one of their descendants ever attains
to the third generation," it becomes a pretty serious charge. We are
already familiar with the forgetfulness of physical condition by men
over forty, but we had prided ourselves considerably over the belief
that the majority of our youth would compare favorably with those of
other countries. When one comes to sift the statement, he should
remember that many disabilities for which the military examiners
might reject a man are not so serious, after all, and that nothing has
been said about the splendid physique of the large number of men who
are accepted.
The writer visited recently many of the training-camps, both military
and naval; and when he came away he was quite prepared to agree with
those who praise the flower of the flock as being superior to that they
have seen on the other side. The point is that Doctor Sargent is
absolutely right in asserting that we ought not to have had so many
rejections. It is time for us to realize that a man who is out of balance
physically should be looked after. Moreover, men should not become
out of balance. The truth of the matter is that our mechanical devices
have gone so far toward taking the place of manual labor that we only
have one line of physical development--our athletic sports. If, therefore,

these are not made broad enough and thorough enough and accessible
enough, we are likely to have just what is happening now--namely, a
slump when it comes to measuring up to the standard instituted by the
military authorities.
Our young men do flock to the cities and city life means crowded
conditions, lack of outdoor exercises, vitiated atmosphere, and a
minimum of sunshine and of the other elements that go to perfecting
and keeping up a robust and enduring physique.
THE VALUE OF EXERCISE
Now exercise is the most important factor toward counteracting these
unnatural conditions. Air, bathing, and diet aid, but we must have
exercise in order to get the energetic contraction of the larger muscles
of the body which goes so far toward regulating the physical tone. We
must have what are called compensatory exercises, beginning as far
down as the grammar-schools and continuing right through the
universities and professional schools into general business and civic
life. This war has opened our eyes; it should be a warning, and it ought
to result in a far broader comprehension of what physical condition and
physical education really mean. It is in this way only that we can meet
the demands of modern civilization without an accompanying
deterioration of the physical condition of our people. No one has set a
finer example in this respect than President Wilson himself, who,
realizing the enormous strain that was coming upon him, has
systematically and conscientiously prepared for it. Early every morning,
long before most Washingtonians are so much as turning over for their
pre-getting-up nap, the President is out and off around the golf-course.
Also Doctor Grayson has prepared a system of exercises for his use
when outdoor work is impossible.
PREPARING FOR EMERGENCIES
In the summer of 1917 several members of the Cabinet formed
themselves into a club, with other prominent officials in Washington,
and kept themselves fit throughout the season by consistent morning
exercise, four days a week. So far so good, only we should have

realized more than a year ago the strain that was coming upon our men
and taken measures to meet it, as Germany did. Dr. William C.
Woodward, who is chairman of the District Police Board in
Washington, did not overstate the matter when he said that the draft
officers were weary, that the strain had begun to threaten their
efficiency, and that they were thoroughly undermining their bodies in
the effort to accomplish their tremendous task. Every community has
seen the same thing happen, and several of them can agree with Doctor
Woodward that this has come close to being a really serious business
calamity throughout the country. All these men should have been
prepared by thirty or sixty days of physical training for this extra strain.
Again, the Equitable Life Assurance Society, in its September Bulletin,
calls attention to the fact that, out of approximately 1,300,000 men who
volunteered for the army and navy, only 448,859 were acceptable.
Furthermore, the Equitable notes that these