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Show SPORTING LEGION THINKSJF WAR (By D. K. Argylo.) NEW YORK, April 28. Now that the national Blogan Is "To the colors," It Is interesting to note the part the athletic fraternity of the United States is going to play In the reorganization plans of the army and navy. Procodent established by our allies early In the war shows that as a olass the sporting element was the first to jump Into tho traces when the necessity neces-sity arose. In tho United States there is every indication that tho athletes will not be backward In UDholdintr the honor of the nation. Baseball diamonds which In past years were thronged with aspiring youngsters anxious to win a position on one team or another, anoth-er, now aro thronged with businesslike business-like young men In olive drab bent on making an all-American team of an entirely different nature. Tho universities of the country have taken the initiative. Baseball and track activities havo been diverted to the army. Guns replace tho willow. Dog tents liouso men who used to loll around in fraternity houses, while tho thud of charging artillery horsoa and the flopping of guidons denote that hlghor education Is running In a channel chan-nel of Bteel. The polo field Is deserted. Our own dashing idols of tho mallet havo followed fol-lowed tho example of tho British and now ride in fours, boot to boot and spur to Bpur. Tho spirit of "good old Leslie Cheape," tho star of many an International Inter-national polo tournament, seems to call for action, and I know of one well known organization that has vowed in all sincerity to revenge the death of the dashing Englishman, if it ever gets into action. There Is still much to bo dono, how-over, how-over, and it is time we' as a nation realized re-alized the task ahead of us and got down to hardpan. The athlete of tho country because of his peculiar training train-ing is fitted for the hard, gruelling work of the drill field. It is to him that the nation looks with confidence, and it Is to be hoped that such expectations expec-tations are not misplaced. The "Sporting Legion" should appeal ap-peal to those who do not caro to enlist en-list in tho regular army or militia. I say enlist because at the present time our only chance for speedy action is a voluntary rush to tho colors. When the army reorganization is put into effect there will be no more Individual units, for the United States array will swallow up Individuality and become one solid substance. There will he no more national guard. It will be absorbed into tho great machine that the war college lias designed with a view to smashing on to victory. No moro will a man be accepted ac-cepted just because ho will make a valuable addition to the track team of somo popular regiment. Ho will be taken because he is willing to fight for his country and "do his bit" There have been a few cases of well known athletes getting chilly pedal ped-al extremities when tho bugle sounded. sound-ed. Tho Mexican mobilization showed somo yellow stroaks, but tho same streaks appeared before in athletic combat, and such men aro small loss to tho army or tho nation. Tho bulk of tho athletes of tho country, howover, havo rallied to the colors, as they always have done, and many are already dcing duty. Norman Selby (Kid McCoy) Is a sergeant In a militia rogiment now. When the Mexican troublo started he enlisted as a private. Ho took soldier- ' H ing just as seriously as he did ring j H generalship and it will not bo long be- U H fore ho will fight his way to the top, H for he has already shown that he has , H every quality that is necessary in a ii H good officer. I H "Doing your bit" was England's wat H phrase. It is a good slogan, and v.t H already have, adopted it. There are IH many ways of helping the nation and jH not all of them call for actual military H duty, but in order to "do your bit" you iH must have unselfish devotion to Uio H United Statos and tho cause of hu- IH H Young men have proved that they H are the best soldiers. Their nerves H are steadier, their endurance of more B lasting quality and their (enthusiasm H greater than men In more advanced ll atnrroq nf Ufa. Therefore, it Is to the H youth of the country that wo must H look and to the athletic youth in par- H Men who arc too old to enlist aro H not too old to direct physical training. IH Athletics call for rigid training, and IH athletes know the best methods to H pursue. The attitudo of tho war do- jH partment permits civil assistants in H athletic training and welcomes all the B instructors who will come forward. H The crying need of the nation at the H present timo, however, is for men, and IH those who have proven their courago IH on field, track or ring, can do no great- H cr thing than prove it again by join- H ing the colors H |