FRANCE WORRIED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19137, 5 October 1936, Page 13

FRANCE WORRIED

TRAINING OF BOYS EFFICIENCY OF MANPOWER" PARIS,' Sept. 26. France's failure lo take a, high place in the Olympic. Games, and the successes, of Ilerr Hitler's regimented aAhletes, are worrying thoughtful Frenchmen. The question of mass athletics, as .practised in Italy, Germany, and Russia, has been officially brought before, the Blum Government (which since the date. of this dispatch has proposed eompulsorv physical training from the age, ot W years). , Behind and overshadowing Frances standing'in competitive sport is the more serious issue: "How efficient is modern French manpower in faccof the growing threat of war in Europe?" . , With a. population of approximately 43.000.000 against Germany s k&,600 OUU, and with an excess of only some 48,000 births over deaths annually, J'ranee realised years ago that every man must count if her territory is to be successlully defended in a %ropean war. To-day the problem is aggravated by a new factor—the period when the toll oi war years will be most keenly felt. Ihe vouths who are being (.'ailed upon to-.tiay to do their military service are the war babies" of the years 1914-18. Because, of the extraordinary drop ot the birthrate during the war, the military classes of 1935 to 1939 will be smaller.' Their physique bears the imprint of their meagre, start in life in years of hunger and distress. Russia and Germany knew tho same problems, but mass athletics over a term of years' have presumably raised tho stamina of their manpower in a pay that may be impossible iu a purely democratic country. It is proposed to build up track and field sports in municipalities financed with Government' grants for building fields and stadia.