h and
tumble exercises which characterise the activities of so many of our
poorer population by some form of organised activity."[30] The aimless
parading of our streets by the sons and daughters of the working and
lower middle classes in their leisure time, the rough horseplay of the
youth of the lowest classes, are due in large measure to the fact that
during the school period they have not been habituated to take part with
their fellows in any form of organised activity, have never realised
what a corporate life means, and as a consequence are devoid of any
social interests.

One other question must be briefly considered, viz., How far should we
in the physical education of the youth keep in view the end of securing
the military efficiency of the nation? As Adam Smith pointed out, the
defence of any society against the violence and invasion of other
independent societies is the first duty of the sovereign. "An
industrious, and upon that account a wealthy nation is of all nations
the most likely to be attacked, and unless the State takes some measures
for the public defence, the natural habits of the people render them
altogether incapable of defending themselves."[31] He further asserts
that "even though the martial spirit of the people were of no use
towards the defence of the society, yet to prevent that sort of mental
mutilation, deformity, and wretchedness which cowardice necessarily
involves in it, from spreading themselves through the great body of the
people, it would still deserve the most serious attention of
Government."[32]

On these three grounds, then, that the defence of the country is the
first duty of every Government and therefore the first duty of every
citizen, that a nation engaged in commerce tends to render itself unfit
to defend itself unless means are devised to keep alive the patriotic
spirit, and that the keeping alive of the patriotic spirit is useful for
the cultivation of certain necessary social qualities, we may maintain
that the military efficiency of the youth should be included amongst the
aims of any national system of physical education. If the emphasis which
is laid upon the securing of the after military efficiency of the youth
of the nation occupies too prominent a place in the schemes of physical
education of some Continental countries, we on the other hand have
almost wholly neglected this aspect of the question. Every encouragement
therefore should be given to the formation