$2,795,196 FOR ATHLETICS

For the use of the Army and Navy during the war, the Y. M. C. A. spend $2,795,196 for athletic equipment which is believed by its officials to be the largest order of its kind ever placed by a single organization. The figures represent only goods that were given away in foreign countries to our troops, and does not include the quantities disposed of in the camps at home.

Of this enormous bill 80 per cent, was distributed between January 1 and June 30, 1919. Soldiers in Siberia, Belgium, France, Italy, England and the Near East all received their quota of the supplies.

Baseball heads the list by a large amount. No less than 1,078,191 separate articles of baseball paraphernalia go to make up the list and the bill for this item alone ran to $1,434,528. League balls totaled 719,174 in number, and indoor baseballs, 47,004. In the matter of basis the invoice shows that there were 115,913 outdoor and 21,926 indoor, making a grand total of 137,839 bats.

For football equipment, which comes second in point of size, the sum of $364,272 was expended but it ran a poor second, to baseball. Boxing gloves, a few medicine balls, punching hags, wresting mats, etc., caused an expenditure of $207,680. Basketball was the fourth largest item with a total of $195,995. For these four sports, the grand total was $2,201,574.