The article entitled, “Physical Fitness Is Needed By All,” written by E.B. Prugh, Director of Physical Fitness at the Williamsport YMCA for the “Sun,” offers some startling facts.

Mr. Prugh’s figures show we are “soft” and how the Williamsport YMCA is meeting the crisis.

“Victory Through Fitness” should be the slogan of every youth and every adult, realizing that physical fitness is a pressing national need. Physical fitness is a vital part of the war effort related to production, to speedy and efficient transfer of armed forces, and to the morale of the fighting fronts and home front. It should be the patriotic duty of each in the war effort to train himself to a much higher level of endurance, to resist fatigue, to build strength and power and to maintain a supple body.

“With our entry into the war, the urgent need to establish physical fitness programs by YMCAs, colleges, schools and recreation centers was immediately recognized.”

The War Manpower Commission is equally interested, along with the Army and Navy in a program aimed at power maintenance of a civilian population engaged in all forms of industry, agricultural and home life.

The Williamsport YMCA is meeting the crisis by establishing of the following features, conditioning gym classes, swimming clinics for boys 8 to 17 years, beginning classes for men 18 years of age and older, commando training for boys both indoor and outdoor physical tests of 10 parts for 18 years and up, intensive swimming for pre-induction high school boys.