OLYMPIC GAMES

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27637, 19 April 1955, Page 11

OLYMPIC GAMES

President’s Visit To Melbourne STERN WORDS OF WARNING [From A. P. McVEIGHJ MELBOURNE, April 13. The stern words used by Mr Avery Brundage, president of the International Olympic Committee, when he rebuked the Organising Committee of the 1956 Games this week, have stunned and even frightened Melbourne.

Mr Brundage brought it home to Australians that, because of fumblings, lack of good sense and experience, dilatory planning and effort, the Commonwealth’s prestige has tumbled and will tumble further if men with a purpose are not quickly recruited to organise the biggest event in Melbourne’s history. Mr Brundage’s findings came as a surprise. When he arrived in the Victorian capital six days ago he said things were not as bad as he and most of the world had been led to believe. During the week he inspected this and that site and project and found it all quite satisfactory. When he examined the £500,000 stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (on which the 50 carpenters had just returned after a month-long strike) he quietly suggested that many more than the 50 could be employed. The day before last Monday’s press conference newspapers rushed into print with the message that a favourable report would be made on Melbourne. Even backs were expected to be patted. Instead, Mr Brundage told reporters what the public has often suspected. “Not enough has been accomplished,” he said. “You need half a dozen of the biggest men in the city to take charge of plans.” Melbourne, continued the American millionaire, had a “deplorable record” —promises and promises—in its preparations for the Games. He condemned the “squabbling and bickering” and added: “Today the world more that ever thinks we made a mistake m giving the Games to Melbourne. I know you say you are going to do it but all I know is what has happened in the last six years.” Another of Mr Brundage’s statements made even reporters feel embarrassed. “I have seen the chairman of the Organising Committee for an hour at a luncheon. I saw the committee at a social occasion only. I don’t know whether they thought that giving me a luncheon was meeting them, but that is all I have seen of them.” Seated in the room were five members of the committee, including the chief executive officer. With the Federal Government now holding a hand in this £1,000,000 gamble progress might be made. But it was Mr Brundage who provided the impetus. That Australians will be the laughing stock of the world if they fail is not a comfortable thought Melbourne will have to move fast. In fact it will have to cram four or more years of planning and building into just over one. Now that the public knows clearly what has to be done it is likely the city will do it.