Show I M r r 1 s The e Shame ante of Our Oar Weakness We Ve look upon war Avar As s terrible for the deaths it causes yet the total of lives taken by an ordinary war is insignificant compared with the suffering and losses caused by preventable disease in the United States The physical condition of the male sex in the United Y States is enough to make any man ashamed of the race Four out of five applicants for enlistment have been rejected f because they can not meet requirements of the military examination If this country had in effect the Swiss system under which boys are arc ex examined mined when they are very young and amI their physical condition t t is is watched very carefully and defects are arc corrected in a scientific way we would have a nation of able bodied men instead of millions of weaklings and marred bodies New York state has just put into effect a law providing r compulsory physical training for all public and private school pupils more than 8 years rears old The boys at school do not see sec a rifle and there will be nothing militaristic about their instruction Their g gymnastic exercise will be taken with wands They will have body bending exercises right and left turns etc J Governor Whitman of New York has also signed the bill which provides for the compulsory military training of all male youths of the state between the ages b of 16 and 19 years excepting those employed as a means of livelihood The Tho course is to be given after j 1 school hours C Another bill which has just become a law in New York authorizes the governor t to order the enrollment of all male citizens I between the ages of 18 and 45 He may order a draft from this list at any time whether the country be at peace or war W in order to bring the national guard or any det detachment of it up to the full frill and t required strength We would suggest here that some of the candidates for the legislature who are b going before the people in November write tob to Governor Whitman's office in New York and ana ask for copies of these very important preparedness laws Jaws Other states in the union must follow the and patriotic example set by l N New ew York if this nation is to continue independent t ti i proud and free |