hunter。AttheendofthelunchSethBullocksuddenlyreachedforward，sweptasideamassofflowerswhichmadeacenterpieceonthetable，andrevealedabronzecougarbyProctor，whichwasapartinggifttome。Thelunchpartyandthecougarwerethenphotographedonthelawn。
　　Someoftheyoungerofficerswhoweremyconstantcompanionsonthesewalksandridespointedouttometheconditionofutterphysicalworthlessnessintowhichcertainoftheelderoneshadpermittedthemselvestolapse，andtheverybadeffectthiswouldcertainlyhaveifeverthearmywerecalledintoservice。Ithenlookedintothematterformyself，andwasreallyshockedatwhatIfound。Manyoftheolderofficersweresounfitphysicallythattheirconditionwouldhaveexcitedlaughter，haditnotbeensoserious，tothinkthattheybelongedtothemilitaryarmoftheGovernment。Acavalrycolonelprovedunabletokeephishorseatasmarttrotforevenhalfamile，whenIvisitedhispost；aMajor-Generalprovedafraideventolethishorsecanter，whenhewentonaridewithus；andcertainotherwisegoodmenprovedasunabletowalkasiftheyhadbeensedentarybrokers。IconsultedwithmenlikeMajor-GeneralsWoodandBell，whowerethemselvesoffinephysique，withbodiesfittomeetanydemand。
　　Itwaslateinmyadministration；andwedeemeditbestonlytomakeabeginning——experienceteachesthemostinveteratereformerhowharditistogetatotallynon-militarynationtoacceptseriouslyanymilitaryimprovement。Accordingly，Imerelyissueddirectionsthateachofficershouldprovehisabilitytowalkfiftymiles，orrideonehundred，inthreedays。
　　Thisis，ofcourse，atestwhichmanyahealthymiddle-agedwomanwouldbeabletomeet。Butalargeportionofthepressadoptedtheviewthatitwasabitofcapricioustyrannyonmypart；andaconsiderablenumberofelderlyofficers，withdeskratherthanfieldexperience，intriguedwiththeirfriendsinCongresstohavetheorderannulled。SoonedayItookarideofalittleoveronehundredmilesmyself，incompanywithSurgeon-GeneralRixeyandtwootherofficers。
　　TheVirginiaroadswerefrozenandinruts，andintheafternoonandeveningtherewasastormofsnowandsleet；andwhenithadbeenthusexperimentallyshown，underunfavorableconditions，howeasyitwastodoinonedaythetaskforwhichthearmyofficerswereallowedthreedays，allopenobjectionceased。Butsomebureauchiefsstilldidasmuchunderhandedworkagainsttheorderastheydared，anditwasoftendifficulttoreachthem。IntheMarineCorpsCaptainLeonard，whohadlostanarmatTientsin，withtwoofhislieutenantsdidthefiftymilesinoneday；fortheywerevigorousyoungmen，wholaughedattheideaoftreatingafifty-milewalkasover-fatiguing。Well，theNavyDepartmentofficialsrebukedthem，andmadethemtakethewalkoveragaininthreedays，onthegroundthattakingitinonedaydidnotcomplywiththeregulations！Thisseemsunbelievable；butLeonardassuresmeitistrue。Hedidnotinformmeatthetime，beingafraidto“getinwrong“withhispermanentsuperiors。IfIhadknownoftheorder，shortworkwouldhavebeenmadeofthebureaucratwhoissuedit。[*]
　　[*]Oneofourbestnavalofficerssentmethefollowingletter，aftertheabovehadappeared：——
　　“InoteinyourAutobiographynowbeingpublishedintheOutlookthatyourefertothereasonswhichledyoutoestablishaphysicaltestfortheArmy，andtotheactionyoutookyour100-
　　mileridetopreventthetestbeingabolished。Doubtlessyoudidnotknowthefollowingfacts：
　　“1。Thefirstannualnavytestof50milesinthreedayswassubsequentlyreducedto25milesintwodaysineachquarter。
　　“2。Thiswasfurtherreducedto10mileseachmonth，whichisthepresent’test，’andthereisdangerlesteventhisutterlyinsufficienttestbeabolished。
　　“IencloseacopyofarecentlettertotheSurgeonGeneralwhichwillshowourpresentdeplorableconditionandtheworseconditionintowhichweareslippingback。
　　“Theoriginaltestof50milesinthreedaysdidaverygreatdealofgood。Itdecreasedbythousandsofdollarsthemoneyexpendedonstreetcarfare，andbyamuchgreatersumtheamountexpendedoverthebar。Iteliminatedanumberofthewhollyunfit；ittaughtofficerstowalk；itforcedthemtolearnthecareoftheirfeetandthatoftheirmen；anditimprovedtheirgeneralhealthandwasrapidlyformingatasteforphysicalexercise。”
　　Theenclosedletterraninpartasfollows：——
　　“Iamreturningunderseparatecover’TheSoldiers’FootandtheMilitaryShoe。’
　　“ThebookcontainsknowledgeofapracticalcharacterthatisvaluableforthemenwhoHAVETOMARCH，WHOHAVESUFFEREDFROM
　　FOOTTROUBLES，ANDWHOMUSTAVOIDTHEMINORDERTOATTAIN
　　EFFICIENCY。
　　“Thewordsincapitalsexpress，accordingtomyidea，thegistofthewholematterasregardsmilitarymen。
　　“Thearmyofficerwhosemenbreakdownontestgetsablackeye。
　　Theonewhosemenshowefficiencyinthisrespectgetsabouquet。
　　“Tosuchmenthebookisinvaluable。Thereisnodangerthattheywillneglectit。Theywillactuallylearnit，forexactlythesamereasonsthatourfellowslearnthegunneryinstructions——ordidlearnthembeforetheywerewithdrawnandburned。
　　“BUT，Ihavenotbeenabletointerestasinglenavalofficerinthisfinebook。Theywilllookatthepicturesandsayitisagoodbook，buttheywon’treadit。Themarineofficers，onthecontrary，areverymuchinterested，becausetheyhavetoteachtheirmentocarefortheirfeetandtheymustknowhowtocarefortheirown。Butthenavalofficersfeelnosuchnecessity，simplybecausetheirmendonothavetodemonstratetheirefficiencybypracticemarches，andtheythemselvesdonothavetodoastuntthatwillshowuptheirownignoranceandinefficiencyinthematter。
　　“Forexample，sometimeagoIwastalkingwithsomechapsaboutshoes——thenecessityofhavingthemlongenoughandwideenough，etc。，andoneofthemsaid：’Ihavenouseforsuchshoes，asI
　　neverwalkexceptwhenIhaveto，andanyoldshoesdoforthe10-
　　mile-a-monthstunt，’sothereyouare！
　　“Whenthefirsttestwasordered，EdmonstonWashingtonshoeman
　　toldmethathesoldmorerealwalkingshoestonavalofficersinthreemonthsthanhehadinthethreeprecedingyears。Iknowthreeofficerswholostbothbig-toenailsafterthefirsttest，andanotherwhowalkedninemilesinpracticewithapairofheavywalkingshoesthatweretoosmallandwaslaidupforthreedays——
　　couldnotcometotheoffice。Iknowplentyofmenwhoafterthefirsttesthadtoborrowshoesfromlargermenuntiltheirfeet’wentdown’totheirnormalsize。
　　“Thistestmayhavebeenabittoostrenuousforoldheartsofmenwhohadnevertakenanyexercise，butitwasexcellentasamatterofinstructionandtrainingofhandlingfeet——andinanemergencysuchaswesoonmayhaveinMexicosoundheartsarenotmuchgoodifthefeetwon’tstand。
　　“However，the25-miletestintwodayseachquarteransweredthesamepurpose，forthereasonthat12。5mileswillproducesorefeetwithbadshoes，andsorefeetandlamemusclesevenwithgoodshoes，iftherehasbeennopracticemarching。
　　“Itwasthenecessityofdoing12。5MOREMILESONTHESECONDDAY
　　WITHSOREFEETANDLAMEMUSCLESthatmade’emsitupandtakenotice——made’empracticewalking，made’emavoidstreetcars，buypropershoes，showsomecuriosityaboutsoxandthecareofthefeetingeneral。
　　“Allthispassedoutwiththeintroductionofthelasttestof10
　　milesamonth。Asonefellowsaid：’Icandothatinsneakers’——
　　buthecouldn’tiftheseconddayinvolvedatramponthesorefeet。
　　“Thepointisthatwhereasformerlyofficershadtopracticewalkingabitandgivesomeattentiontoproperfootgear，nowtheydon’thaveto，andthenaturalconsequenceisthattheydon’tdoit。
　　“Thereareplentyofofficerswhodonotwalkanymorethanisnecessarytoreachastreetcarthatwillcarrythemfromtheirresidencestotheiroffices。Somewhohavemotorsdonotdosomuch。Theytakenoexercise。Theytakecocktailsinsteadandaregettingbeefyand’ponchy，’andsomethingshouldbedonetoremedythisstateofaffairs。
　　“Itwouldnotbenecessaryifserviceopinionrequiredofficerssotoordertheirlivesthatitwouldbecommonknowledgethattheywere’hard，’inordertoavoidthedangerofbeingselectedout。
　　“Wehavenosuchserviceopinion，anditisnotinprocessofformation。Onthecontrary，itisknownthatthe’PrincipalDignitaries’unanimouslyadvisedtheSecretarytoabandonallphysicaltests。He，acivilian，waswiseenoughnottotaketheadvice。
　　“Iwouldliketoseeatestestablishedthatwouldobligeofficerstotakesufficientexercisetopassitwithoutinconvenience。Forthereasonsgivenabove，20milesintwodayseveryothermonthwoulddothebusiness，while10mileseachmonthdoesnottouchit，simplybecausenobodyhastowalkon’nextday’feet。Asfortheproposedtestofsomanyhours’exercise’aweek，theflatfootsofthependulousbellymusclesaredelighted。Theyarelookingintothequestionofpedometers，andwillhangoneoftheseontheirwheezychestsandletitcounteveryshufflingsteptheytakeoutofdoors。
　　“Ifwehadanadequatetestthroughout20years，therewouldattheendofthattimebefewifanysacksofblubberattheupperendofthelist；andserviceopinionagainstthatsortofthingwouldbeestablished。”
　　Thesetestswerekeptduringmyadministration。Theywereafterwardsabandoned；notthroughperversityorviciousness；butthroughweakness，andinabilitytounderstandtheneedofpreparednessinadvance，iftheemergenciesofwararetobeproperlymet，when，orif，theyarrive。
　　Innocountrywithanarmyworthcallingsuchisthereachanceforamanphysicallyunfittostayintheservice。Ourcountrymenshouldunderstandthateveryarmyofficer——andeverymarineofficer——oughttobesummarilyremovedfromtheserviceunlessheisabletoundergofarsevererteststhanthosewhich，asabeginning，Iimposed。Tofollowanyothercourseistoputapremiumonslothfulincapacity，andtodothegravestwrongtotheNation。
　　Ihavementionedalltheseexperiences，andIcouldmentionscoresofothers，becauseoutofthemgrewmyphilosophy——perhapstheywereinpartcausedbymyphilosophy——ofbodilyvigorasamethodofgettingthatvigorofsoulwithoutwhichvigorofthebodycountsfornothing。
　　Thedwellerincitieshaslesschancethanthedwellerinthecountrytokeephisbodysoundandvigorous。Buthecandoso，ifonlyhewilltakethetrouble。Anyyounglawyer，shopkeeper，orclerk，orshop-
　　assistantcankeephimselfingoodconditionifhetries。SomeofthebestmenwhohaveeverservedundermeintheNationalGuardandinmyregimentwereformerclerksorfloor-walkers。Why，JohnnyHayes，theMarathonvictor，andatonetimeworldchampion，oneofmyvaluedfriendsandsupporters，wasafloor-walkerinBloomingdale’sbigdepartmentstore。SurelywithJohnnyHayesasanexample，anyyoungmaninacitycanhopetomakehisbodyallthatavigorousman’sbodyshouldbe。
　　IoncemadeaspeechtowhichIgavethetitle“TheStrenuousLife。”
　　AfterwardsIpublishedavolumeofessayswiththisforatitle。Thereweretwotranslationsofitwhichalwaysespeciallypleasedme。OnewasbyaJapaneseofficerwhoknewEnglishwell，andwhohadcarriedtheessayallthroughtheManchuriancampaign，andlatertranslateditforthebenefitofhiscountrymen。TheotherwasbyanItalianlady，whosebrother，anofficerintheItalianarmywhohaddiedondutyinaforeignland，hadalsogreatlylikedthearticleandcarrieditroundwithhim。IntranslatingthetitletheladyrendereditinItalianas/VigordiVita/。Ithoughtthistranslationagreatimprovementontheoriginal，andhavealwayswishedthatIhadmyselfused“TheVigorofLife“asaheadingtoindicatewhatIwastryingtopreach，insteadoftheheadingIactuallydiduse。