PHYSICAL CULTURE IN GERMANY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19157, 14 November 1927, Page 13

PHYSICAL CULTURE IN GERMANY.

REMARKABLE ENTHUSIASM INTERVIEW WITH MR F. A. HORNIBROOK. (?aOM OTTE. QVS CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, October 4-. Mr F. A. Homibrook, previously of Phristchurch, who iias now established '.-■. :Tvv- r :-s an of virtual cul-

; and inem-iii. vii-it. : '■ .v •.'■;■!.<' ' big massed diii ass* ' In Germany there appears iu bo a revolution in physical culture. The Germans are out to gain pre-emin-ence at the next Olympic Games. If they fail next year they intend to win in 1933. A- certain institution is giving medals for efficiency in athletics, and these are the most highly coveted things in Germany. Iron Crosses, by the way, may now be bought in Germany for 9d a cwt. Expert coaches find ready employment. Sullivan, the New Zealand rower, is still employed teaching rowing. He was in Germany before the war. He was interned but not treated badly, and he has remained there ever since. Kid Lewis is teaching boxing, and there are a host of other English and American boxers employed. "In one of the parks," said Sir Hornibrook, "about 15 minutes from the heart of the city, I saw over 300 boys from 10 to 17 years of ago. stripped to the waist, practising athletics under instructors—high jumping, long jumping, throwing the discus and-the- javelin, putting the shot, and hurdling. In Germany to-day there are 3420 athletic clubs with a membership of half a million. One athletio club recently defeated a French club by over 20 points in Paris. The Achilles Club,, composed of the cream of English «xTJniversity men, barely won a montn ago in Berlin. "Swedish exercises have been given up in Germany. A new system by a man named Mendendieck has been generally adopted. They are much freer than those hitherto used. There is a great deal more posturing and stage effects. Association football is largelv played. There are over 6000 clubs'with'three-quarters of a million players. There are no professionals. The Sun Cult. Mr Hornibrook then went on to speak of a remarkable mo%cment in progress in Germany. This is the Sun Cult, which has three and a half million followers, who are divided into two sections. There are the extremists who rent certain woods and secluded places during the summer and go about completely nude. The vast majority, however, do not believe in that, but they go about stripped to the waist. It is a common thing to see the farm labourers and men about the country stations with no covering from the waist up. i Sun bathing is largely indulged in, and the women's object is to gain a dark brown complexion. The initial opposition to this movement came from the clergymen. Then came a battle royal between the two sections of sun bathers. Then the old military element opposed it. The sun worshippers said in reply: "Beforo the war you were always talking about a place in the sun. That meant war. Now we have got a place in the sun and without any war. "War stands for broken and mutilated bodies, ugliness and dirt. The sun stands for life and growth." Everywhere on _ the bookstalls in Germany one finds magazines dealing with physical culture and the sun cult. Olympic Gameß. Finally, Mr Hornibrook spoke of the value of the Olympic Games. Objection had been made to unsportsmanlike incidents. But it had to be remembered that 1923 was not a long time after four years in which the gospel of hate had been preached throughout Europe. In spite of there were Turks and Austrians competing side by side, and very little friction was found among nations that had been warring against one another for so long. '