"Fencing Develops the Intelligence, Boxing Increases the Nose," Says Danguay--"It Takes Brains to Fence"

"Fencing develops the intelligence, boxing increases the nose," said M. J. S. Danguay, coach of the University fencing team yesterday. He took a foil from the rack that he might illustrate his point and began by head and hand and foil to explain the superiority of the fencer.

"Any strong man can fight," he said, "if he is strong enough. To be a good boxer you must be quick, but not in the head. So long as you are a big, strong, quick man, you can go biff and that's all.

"Fencers can come any size, any strength. But big, strong men with cauliflower ears and battered noses don't fence. If you are quick, you can fence. If you have the intelligence, you can become what you will. The slow man not too slow, who uses his intelligence, he is a very dangerous man. He will parry, he niposte until he tires you.

"So, too, in the boxing. But not so much so. A quick little man can keep away from a big man, can tire him out. But if the big man hits him bang! it is all stopped.

"Fencing may hurt the pride, it cannot black the eye. And you can play it with your friends. You box your friend. He hits you on the ear. He says, 'So sorry, I didn't mean--' And you are mad. You say, "Oh, quite all right.' But you hit him on the nose your first chance.

"In fencing there is none of that. You see your friend's weakness. You say, 'You will fence with me, Monsieur?' And then he gets a touch, two. Your pride is hurt? Never mind. Tomorrow you can take a lesson. Next day you may beat him. You are not mad: you are not hurt.

"I do not say, 'Don't box.' Boxing is good, but not for fun. Boxing is protection only. I know boxing myself. Not what you call boxing, but what we call 'la box.' There are many forms of 'la box.'

"If a man attacks you, heu, you kick him in the jaw so. It is all called 'coup de pied.' But it is dangerous, very dangerous. While you kick, so, to the jaw, he may kick your other leg. Then down you go. No, I prefer fencing to 'la box,' for there you have the mask and you have the glove. Above all, there is the head."