Show I CAM R CE THE TilE PENN PENNANT ANT CRUISE Written by Keogh lick on his last New Years Year's day over 30 turn for the years cars ago A perfect two pennant races of 1943 ID Ready about and were we're oil orr again On another leg of this blind blind- lead race To finish no one knows where here or when No cares oer o'er much in the present case No backward glance at the might might have been No vain regrets nor haunting fear That Tha t the thc course we lay is beyond our ken ken ken- Weve We've squared away for another another another an an- other year We do not know what is dead ahead And best for us that we wc wedo wedo do not nots know Or if it we are leading or being led Or good or ills in the winds that blow Perhaps in another way wed we'd go goU If U we shaped our course with witha a vision clearTis clearTis clear a Sporting Chance Chance and and wed we'd have it so so- so Were We're squared away vay for another er year Physical examinations In connection connection connection tion with war service have given the nation two startling facts Both have landed with heavy thuds on the national national national na na- na- na conscience No 1 I as reported by qualified officials of the war department Is the number of young fellows in the 18 and year old class who are arc unfit unfit unfit un un- un- un fit for service Out of examined examined examined ex ex- have failed to pass the physical grade As one ranking high officer told me This country spends millions to take good care of its pigs chickens and cows but very little for its kids The No 2 shock P came in the knowledge vl kno 4 edge that so many estar e star athletes are y physically unfit for forwar forwar forwar war service There has been a general belief belie that any well- well known athlete in his prime would Grantland Rico Rice make the finest possible possible possible pos pos- sible soldier or sailor material Many of them do But ut an astonishing astonishing astonishing astonish astonish- ing number dont The fit ones make the best war material but the number number number num num- ber of unfit is numerically large Greg Rice champion long dis tance runner triple runner triple or double her her- nia Craig Wood Wood Open Open Golf champion badly affected spine requiring serious serious se se- serious rious operation Leo Durocher punctured ear ear- drum George Kurowski World Kurowski-World World Series star star defective defective arm Byron Nelson Nelson golf golf star star quick quick bleeder Many others with defective eyesight eyesight eyesight eye eye- sight which is the leading barrier among all war-service war defects The Case o of 0 Nelson Several have written in asking why Byron Nelson a hale and looking hearty-looking athlete who can march all day should be deferred on the grounds of easy bleeding to use the common term This Is a story that few know mow Suspended from a small smaIl chain around Nelsons Nelson's neck there is a small disk hidden from sight with a certain number on It Byron has been wearing this for some years yeu This disk represents the blood type that Nelson must have In the wake of any cut After just a slight cut Craig Wood told me Nelson will start a flow of blood that is unbelievable There wouldn't be time enough to find out just what blood type t Gc ay he needed for a transfusion What to you or ar others might V f be just a scratch would be to Byron Byrona a serious matter r The game of 01 war t offers no such de- de Byron Nelson Nelsen lay It Is for this reason that Byron Nelson twice has been classified Inthe Inthe in inthe the F 4 division Those who start criticizing any deferred deterred person should know aUthe all aU the answers and all aU the reasons before before before be be- fore they go overboard The various draft boards are doing doIng doing do- do Ing the best they can with a tough situation A Different Matter er Certain vital physical defects among leading athletes is something that cant can't be helped The case of our kids is a different matter it was a man named Hitler who who first thought up the Idea of 01 training and developIng develop develop- ing kids of 01 12 12 13 14 and 15 on 15 on up no through 19 This is something we have over over- looked It is something we are still facing In a listless listless fashion despite fashion despite the fact that from have to be bo thrown out |