A Peace Army.

New York Times 100 years ago today, April 2, 1913:
    At the International Congress of Physical Education recently held at Paris the increase of public concern for the welfare and efficiency of the rising generation was made manifest to a striking degree. The most interesting among the various demonstrations of what has been done to further physical education in France, Sweden, Belgium, and elsewhere seems to have been that given by the pupils, apprentices, and riflemen of the French Navy. This demonstration consisted of exercises given under the supervision of Lieut. Hébert, which were exact counterparts of the daily exercises followed in a large number of naval schools where the Hébert, or "natural," method of physical education is practiced.
    The school for the younger "pupils " of the navy receives the orphans of former sailors, children from nine to fourteen years old, and nearly all who took part in the exercises at Paris had been, according to the reports of doctors, physically defective at the time of their entrance. Their appearance produced a profound impression. Their chests were broad, their color was healthy, their muscles were hard. They marched with a well-disciplined and firm bearing. They went first erect and stiffly, then supple and relaxed, next half bending, and finally on all fours. They also climbed ropes, lifted weights proportioned to their strength, and, without pausing in their, exercises, practiced different kinds of breathing as a means of rest.
    Our modern attitude toward physical education tends characteristically toward generalization on the one hand and specialization on the other. All civilized countries are getting away from the idea of war and concentration on military education, but all civilized countries also are making constantly increasing endeavors to keep each member of society in a condition to enter any service requiring the physical fitness and training of a soldier. If half an hour a day in our public schools could be given to such intelligent and thorough physical discipline as the Hébert system seems to provide, we might have a peace army capable of very effectually protecting our industrial frontiers, if not our coasts and silent forts.