IN MIDST OF WAR

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 11, 13 January 1945, Page 5 (Supplement)

IN MIDST OF WAR

U.S.A, Track Sport Musi Be Kept Up

APPARENTLY a spot of stringpulling by those interested in maintaining interest in sport in America is the accepted thing. As, for instance, this account of Lawrence Perry, sports writer of New York, respecting a proposed visit to the. States by Swedish athletic champions.

Announcement in the Svenska Morgontidriingen, Stockholm daily, writes Perry, that Sweden's great distance runners, Guilder Haegg and Arne Andersson, together with Haaken Lidman, the Swedish hurdle champion, will come to U.S.A. for the winter and early spring indoor track meets, relates directly to the pertinacity and diplomatic genius of Daniel E. Ferris, secretary of the A.A.U.

Ferris' dream of giving track enthusiasts of this country one of the greatest treats they have ever had was regarded by those aware of his ambition as completely hopeless. Daniel did not think so, however, and in the recent session of the International .Business Congress in this country, he barged into the meeting upon several occasions buttonholing important business men of Sweden.

Result was an enthusiastic cooperation chiefly manifested in burning the overseas airways and cable lines and the outcome was set forth in the above-mentioned Stockholm daily, which stated that the athletes would take passage on the safe conduct passenger liner Tranvancore about the middle of next month.

This, however, was an unofficial announcement, albeit probably close enough to fact. What is officially known is involved in a reply to a cablegram to Dan Ferris from Bo Ekelund, president of the Swedish track and field organisation. Ferris cabled that as a result-of negotiations with the United States Government he could guarantee air transportation for the three athletes. Ekelund immediately responded that he was very much interested and would give a definite answer later.

' Meanwhile, it is not believed that Haegg's call to military service, slated for November .20; will be permitted to stand in the way of his journey here. For he has served his time, and his present call is what is technically known as a "refresher service," a term that is self-explana-tory.

To anyone who knows of the vast patriotic pride that pervades Sweden when its athletes perform their great competitive feats, it is hardly necessary to assert that the exploits of Haegg, Andersson and Lidman would at the present time bring their country more honour and glory, more cause for satisfaction than ten divisions of Svenski soldiers could do.

So far as American track and field fans are concerned, the absence here of greater specialists qualified to extend the Swedes is compensated by the fact that the visitors will be able to provide all necessary competitive interest among themselves.

Incidentally, lest Dan Ferris be forgotten, be it known that recently in the "Voice of America" programme, sponsored by OWI, he supplemented his invitation to Haegg, Andersson and -Lidman by addressing the entire Swedish nation via the air.