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Show I I N THE OLDER FIGHTERS The proposition for raising the draft ageto 45 years has raised the question how far men of ages 35 to 45 are fit for the best efficiency in the field. One ele-l ele-l ment often overlooked is the matter of timprovement-in the physicalcohdition of these men, as the result of training in (outdoor camps. A principal reason why men of this age degenerates! is that they live abnormal abnor-mal lives. They are confined in stores, and shops, under conditions of poor ventilation ven-tilation and often.lack of good sanitation. lA. great many of them have poorly cooked cook-ed food lacking in nutrition. Many of these men are already partly broken under these conditions. Such, of course, could not be accepted for army service. But others have suffered no serious injury, but merely show functional func-tional disturbance. Such men would show an enormous improvement in a year of the soldier's out doorN life and hearty food. ' Farmers of the ages named, fellows who live healthful live out doors with nutritious and well cooked food,, are usually us-ually excellent physical specimens. They .can handle the plough with the energy and elasticity of youth. A man is at the prime of life at the period named. There is no good reason why he should be broken brok-en down. Unless organic troubles have 'tegun to'show themselves, he is in every tyay fit for army service. The government may not get any very big army from these men, since so many have dependents or are encaged in absolutely ab-solutely essential-industries. But as far as physical condition goes, a great,many of them are well qualified. They might ' noT have quite the abounding .energy of youth, but they would have more judgment judg-ment and resourcefulness and mechanical mechani-cal skill H B Bfe |