ARE WE degenerating the springfield republican republic discusses the surprising fact that so aso great a percentage of patriots are rejected on account of physical and remarks that same gome one should bring together che statistics of the recent army recruiting and learn leam the number of militiamen examined sot bof admission to td the united states volunteer service the number rejected and the chief causes of rejection he should try to whether the standards wt of physical fitness were substantially the abe same at the various recruiting stations aMoas st throughout the country and whether they were applied with the same toree font and impartiality and fin finally alIV the subject should be considered particularly in respect to the of at tine the volunteers whether from a large barge fity city or small or from the country As noted previously in these columns the habit has been charged 1 4 with responsibility for much of the physical disability that has come to light ait aa the various recruiting stat stations tong i particularly in eastern larger cities N but the republican suggests there may be other causes what for instance is the physical eff effect eat of the street railway int and the bicycle the street railway tempts people to ride when they ought to walk P factory hands bands clerks business men bad and others ride more generally to their work wark than ever betor beron spend the whole day in stuffy indoor quarters and ride home hom others use the bicycle where they the y would otherwise walk and the X swift bicycle not only keeps them to a less extent in the open air but exer eger elsea only a part of the muscular system which is strengthened astren and improved by walking these questions seem to be pertinent students of natural science believe that civilized human beings are more perfect in m physique than the lower orders ordera of the human rame race and tree th animals 1 I that netar near the human family V because they use their legs more will then the habitual disuse of the lower extremities tend to a physical degeneration in the civilized races by which they in muscular development and form willi will approach the and the orang boutang that is the serious question tion raised perhaps reliable statistics gathered from the various recruiting stations would aid in a rational understanding of it it is not nat impossible that modern modem civilization is confronted by a problem which the growing interest in various outdoor games and in physical culture has not been able to solve if so the sooner that fact is understood the better improvements in the system orf of the training of the young may be needed to meet the changed dhan ged conditions that hawe have arisen alisen as a result of the progress of civilization