SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1923 THE MICHiGA4 DAILY GE THREE
Ito get at the center of things. They million since 1913. But the Bigness
C orresp ondence were good enough to admit me to the which is my First Impression of
Union by Early Doors. Soon enough America is something aside from that.
Srsweaters are the high mogls of tethat Union is going to be the center It is more subtle, much more diffi-
Sir:- of America. But the baby's not yet cult to express.
Today America is athletics-mad. campus ;the boys envy them and the born-the men have not come back. I find Ann Arbor very much like
-Winningteams in football, haseball, girls deem it a rare honor to dance I have seen bui iings and books and home. There are streets here, and
basketball, and the various other col- with them. And naturally we get prfessors. The University is not yet. avenues, houses, shops, magazines
lege and non-college sports are the what we reward most. Hence, mental I have some unforgettable impres- you can read . The people are friend-
idols of the hour-the gold calves wor- accomplishment in our schools s un- sions of your campus. It is a beauti- ly, they understand you when you
shiped by excitement-hnttng crowds. important; athletic prowess is the ful place. I spent a whole fine morn- speak to them. I find English books
As a people we have gone. crazy. over[great thing. To call our high schools, ing rght in the center up against the in the shop windows. The movies, of
perverted- athletics; athletico-manacs colleges, and universities educational Library. I had a book but most of course, are American-and they are
we might be termed. institutions nowadays is really an the time I was losing the place. The just as bad at home. And I see the
At the outset, however, I want to error ;they should be termed athlete trees made dappled radiance on the Michigan Repertory Company is about
make my positiop lb this matter clear.! fatorles- r- grass. People were passing in twos to present a play by St. John Ervine.
Nobody is a greater believer in robust Incidentally, I might.add that in the and threes. Tall broad Americans What I dont find in Ann Arbor is-
health than I, for I am- one with the affairs of the world mind is still king. and slender women. Like one of those garden fences. In England every
ancient Greeks in that. I admire a Becase of It man has been enabled allegrical pictures you see in ultra- house would be in a front garden,
well-developed,'symmetricai5 perfectly to win dominion over the- earth. -I [modern art-shops, "'The Wood beyond jealously surrounded with a little
formed human'body. I thiik there areI sit (down, for example, and by radio the World" and the like. And your paling and a little gate you shut
- few objects of greater beauty than the listen to a concert or a speech in- Bs- flag floating in the -breeze behind me. I carefully or else it banged. Or there
best developed mnen-and women of an- ton, Havana, or Honolulu. I think of The most vivid, the most challenging, would be a high brick wall with
etent Greece or those held up by our the deft word-mastery of Shakespeare, the most inspiring banner In the broken bottles stuck in the top. To
better physical culturists today. Itlts. Milton, Goethe Schiller, Stevenson, or world. I still felt a little strange and keep the other fellow out. Is it that
moreover, lageWly bause of this at- Hearn; or of the wonder-working In- lonely in Ann Arbor, like a presence you Americans don't need to keep the
titude that I desire to' point out eer-. ventions of Edison or Steinmetz, or from another planet. What were [other fellow out?
ta-i. evils in-odern athletics. the subtle control over nature of Bhr- those men and women thinking-what It's a small matter perhaps. But it
To begin with, e-nhas s today is bank. I recall the marvelous- surgical were they going to do with life-what signifies a lot. It stands for what I
laid upon winning teams, nt onwell- skill of Lorenze or Mayo, the great would they make of this wonderful mean by the Bigness of America.
developed individuals. This o ites o-ganizing abitty of. Henry Ford. country that represents the finest op- It's a spaciousness, a freedom, a
iseans attempts to secure ca te allyohiiud, not athletic prowess, assuredly, psortnlity that ever happened to the! generosity of spirit I've found every-
bigmen particularly in football,a- lay back of those amazing accomplish- world? - where. It shows itself in your good-
hall,~ and -.bastethal, een though mente. stti1, if we desire to worship Then there is that gateway. I for- [ ness to the stranger. It shows itself
smaller men may evjust as perfect muscle-,bulk, brawn, let us set up the' get what you cat l it-In the south- in the bearing of your waiters, con-
physially.}rhinoceros aind the elephant as-~our east corner of the Campus. It's shady; ductors, porters. Ther're men-and
. idols. Then all hail to the illustrious there are long wpoden seats and a they know it. Everybody is sure and
Then, 'to get winning teams, men rhinoceros,,. the peerless elephnt! [drinking fountain.. The sun is dim- therefore does not need to insist that
already very well developed physically E. G. P., Indianapolis. med to queer shaped patches on the he's as good as anybody else. You
-are chosen-and trained rigorously. It,- [- stones-but there's a vibrant path talk freely to such people. You treat
Is for- example, a -common practicej PRESSI NS of radiance beyond and golden leaves. them as human beings. If you did
for the coaches~t- our leading colleges , You- see people cross the avenue both- that in England, they'd think you had
and:-universities to -scour the country (Continued from Page Two) ed in sunlight, they go black as they an axe to grind. They'd cease to
for high school "stars" and make itj I am sorely tempted to try the us- enter the tunnel, and then you watch - treat you with respect.
"worth while" for the latter to come uial sort of stuff. I feel sure (never them, closer, closer, and listen for ,I don't think you are any freer, po-
to that university or college and go having tried) that I could skirt the their- voices till they pass. litically, than we are. Though I am
out for athletics. In fact, it is said usual topics with a light, amusing I've been in America exactly one sure you think you are, There's pro-
that the winner of the Indiana college touch. I could fill my space with week. I've seen the Michigan Cam- hibition, isn't there? And don't you
basketball: championship was taken comparisons-English. and American - pus. I've had a day in Detroit. And make it hotter for the Reds. Social-
bodily, coach and all, from the high cigarettes, tobacco, football, restu- beyond that I've seen I suppose, less Iy you are certainly free, though I
school located in the same town. rants, advertising, dancing, slang. than fifty square miles of your terri- sometimes think you are over-organ-
Thas, men already well developed in And yet . . . tory. Oh I want to see Washington ized here-things thatwould grow up
-high- school were rigorously trained Perhaps it, would help along if I and New York, Chicago and Columbus, better left alone. But there's no up-
for playing in college. made -a confession rights away. I Ohio. But already my first impres- per and no -lower-middle class in Ann
The-. intensive-training- today is; want not inerely-to see --Miehgan IUni sion Is an impression of Bigness. Arbor anyway, no country families
moreover, particularly had for ath- versity, but America as a whole. Au I cannot share the superior attitude and no social position to keep up.
letes; sine they are worked so bard ambitious programme , ,fornin whch regards-"mere" numbers with IYou are far less formal. It is only
Ltatbtay s-ave to enrgy forlintenlec- meottil* 'Of, rohrse.1't i ~edfy -luciy coatfempt:. I - cannot even assume fair to say that the war has upset
tual endeavors. I know this from per- to he starting here. It's a fine vant- boredom-with the information that that a lot in England.
sonal contact- with such men in my 'age point I'm told that Michiran there are a million automobiles in [ I perceive you have a Profiteer
classes and from the statements .of draws men from all, state -of the Un- California, or a million people in De- class. I think your breej is worse
men in training. For them the "work- ion. I wanted so much to see liichi- troit. I rejoice with you that you're than ours. Me hes richer pastures.
- outs" arethe big'thing-in school. Of gan University that I tried right away population. . has increased fourteen (Continued on Page Four)
- course, if these -men-ar expecting to -
become'professionals in the vario n[« -....
fields of athletic-, -such exhausting -
- train beg wold he less obectionable.
It wouldthen -be the saiepprticeip
for their life work, - Ifhoweveth, ey
--are- pesumied to- do some scholastic T 7
arI - rsmd-o,~-s coetcA E you ever thought of it as a Salary and at
w rk-and- most .high schools,- col-
leges, and unirerlitislNst-tshat-their-ty AE y ee though t of it l n ts
athletes ,hall at-least do a semblance.tepted systematically to save part:of it? It is
of mental labor'-het intensity of t:hHdovath v r altogether probable that it would be possible for you to
positive han to the men themselves.
They can't etudyif they want to: !- In edo so without greatly inconveniencing yourself.
All this emphasis- on. the intensive fLL
training -of a-relatively few men IsI
bad for the remainder of the student
body, whose physical culture- is neg- T is a fault commonlyfound with college students
lected. And pre-emnently this group
needs bodily development, not those- that they lack a sense of responsibility which every
already perhaps over-developed phys--
icaly. Nowadays athletics put the -successful man must have. The training received from
emphasis on the wrong persons, just
as though we sent our well rather-: the effort made to economize will aid greatly in building
than our sick to the hospitals. What
Is needed, and that most emphatically, such a responsibility.
is to stress the physical culture of
the ordinary and under-developed
student, not that of those alreadyh na
well developed. 1p ERHAPS you have noted the changed attitude to
And finally must be mentioned theIa
effect of this athletics craze on men- ward finances in men about to graduate. They feel
tal pursuits. This is seen in the mat-
ter- of salaries, as we often pay our the need for stricter economy-with their own money.
coaches more than our presidents. In
reality, a coach as the heal of the Why not be as careful of that given to you.
department of physical training
should get about the same salary asI
the head of any other department; he
should never receive as much or more-INK this over. Perhaps thereImay be anidea m
than -the head of the institution. As Tt
well pay a cabinet member as much it for you.,-
or more than the President of the
United States. Naturally, with this - 1'
athlete worship the men on the team
are the heroes of our educational in-
stitutions. Their letters are symbols
of glorious successes. Governors com-
mend successful football captains:m
never winning debaters. A handful The Ann Arbor .Saving Bank
comes out to hear a debate: overflow
crovds fill the bleachers or halls for U N I V M R S I T Y A V E N U R B R A N C H
football and basketball games. "A"
students and winners of the Phi Beta,
Kappa pins are .scarcely known, not
a preoIe tae '-W 'earers of athletics . ......... ... . .. .......... ... sy... N...... ........................................i..y..i......----.... ... .....<.