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Show kIUE OF ATHLETICS PROVajM EUROPE ' French and Italian Govern-; Govern-; ments Ask Americans for Expert Coaches. The American athlete and his instructors instruc-tors have scored another victory. Against the Hunt No, not this time, but a victory to persuasion over friends. When a large quantity of basball and other implements used in the great outdoor out-door games of this country were recently re-cently dispatched to Italy, the government govern-ment of that country demurred over allowing such frivolous goods to waste valuable cargo space. "These Yankees are a peculir people. peo-ple. They cross thousands of miles of ocean to help hold the Prussians, and then proceed to spend their time batting bat-ting balls about," said the officers. This was some weeks ago. Now the Italian government and the French government are wiring General Pershing, and everyone else American in authority, to provide them trainers and coaches ' ' the same as yours. ' ' 2he Italian leaders have seen the jmerican baseball teams have ball JfT players, footballers and even a track man or two in action, and nothing can equal such activities for imparting the body and mind to fit to fight, j Reading between the lines (and more information is gleaned in these censorious cen-sorious days in that fashion than otherwise), it is evident that the Arner-icon Arner-icon soldier has already impressed the other allies by his behavior in the field. Writers serving in the forces, and there are Tnore than one, are speculating speculat-ing as to the possibility of a genuine world's series m New York after the war, with Italian, French, Canadian, Australian and, sacred shades of cricket, a real London nine in action. ! The Germans have never had much respect for sport except as a minor form of physical training for their soldiers. sol-diers. But before they are through with "it thero is every reason to believe that their views will be changed. Crack athletes in the air, crack athletes ath-letes in charge of the juns, and crack athletes at the head of the American troops when they go "ever the top," will demonstrate" to the Teutons that sport is an extraordinary effeciency molder of great fighters. And now, severest of all, the American coach is helping the other allies by strengthening strengthen-ing their muscles and cheering their hearts with organized sport. |