GERMANY'S BID FOR PHYSIQUE.

Shannon News, 2 December 1927, Page 1

GERMANY'S BID FOR PHYSIQUE.

ARMIES OF ATHLETES AND SUN BATHERS. NUDE AND THE SEMI-NUDE. _ LONDON, Oct.. 22. Mr. F. A. Hornibrook, previously of Chrisichurch, has recently, been in Belgium, Holland" and Germany. While in Amsterdam he visited the site being prepared for the Olympic Games next year. His chief object, however, was to attend what was known as the "Pete of the Young" in Berlin', a great congress dealing- with education, both physical and mental. There were several very big massed displays. In Germany there appears to be a revolution in physical culture. The Germans are out to gain pre-emin-ene'e at the next Olympic Games. If they fail next year they intend to win in 19 83. 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 he bought in Germany for 9d a cwt. Expert coaches find ready employment. Tom 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 Mr. Hornibrook, "about fifteen minutes from the heart of the city, I saw over SOO boys from 10 to 17 years of age, stripped to the ( waist, practising athletics under instructors —high jumping, long jumping, throwing the discus and the javelin, putting the shot and hurdling." Progress of the Sun Cult. In Germany to-day there are 3420 athletic. clubs with a membership of half a million. On e athletic club Recently .'defeated; a French club by over 20 points in "Paris* The Achilles Club, composed of the cream of English ex-university men barely won a month 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 largely played. There are over 6000 clubs with three-quarters of a million players. There are no ' professionals."

Mr Hornibrook spoke of a remarkable movement in Germany. This is the sun cult, which has .'3a, 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. Sun bathing is largely indulged in and the women's object is to gain a dark brown complexion. Battle Between Two Sections. Tho initial opposition to this movement came rrom 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: "Before the war you were always talking about a place in the sun. That meant war. Now we have got a place in the sun 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.

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 that there were Turks and Austrians competing- side by side, and very little friction was found antong nations that had been warring against each other for so long.