JAPANESE ATHLETES' VISIT

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 February 1937, Page 10

JAPANESE ATHLETES' VISIT

:K^ ; -ASSOCIATION REPLY; • ‘' [P<5 PBEBB ASSOCIATION.] ’. ? • February 17. A' to alleged to have be?p • by the. the .New.. South Wales. Amateur Athletic was made by Mr H. McCorjpick;secretary.; of .'th.' New Zsa.Amateur Athletic Association, ■wljen th© - cablegram was brought to iil£tpotice. -■/. • ■■..’.• ’ ■ ' '' : . t- “Many months ago,’’ said Mr McCofmick, “joint negptatiojis were being carried.’ out by New South Wales an.i Now: Zcaianri fnr aTvisit from a

team or Japanese athletes. The cor- , rpspondence witli Japan was being ’ conducted by New South Wales. In ’ September last a newspaper report said that • New South Wales, had d’ecided'to abandon the tour, but it was only in response to a cabled enquiry ■ from New Zealand that this was iio •Anally confirmed by New ,South Wales, the secretary, in his letter, saying that formanyreasons it seemed that the

wisdom of the Japanese tour was doubtful,. :-i ? . : - ■“ln response to a further enquiry, said Mr McCormick, “we were advised in September that New South Wales was contemplating inviting ah Ameri-. can team. Nothing further. on this matter was .received by us for nearly, three months. In the’ meantime, oii September 25, we cabled Japan asking infnrmation ahoiit what athletes

might be available for a- topr of Ne>v, Zealand in the'event of our deciding to issue'an invitation. This was merely a request for information, not an. invitation. No reply was received from Japan until December 17. Now, on December 1 we received’ a cablegram from New South Wales advising : that they were about to invite Foy. Draper and George. Mackey from America, and requiring an answer from us on the same day,” he continued. “W.e cabled on the. same day, • agreeing to co-operate, as up to that time we had not been able to get any reply- from Japan. It was on Deceinber IT that a cablegram arrived from japan; advising that Murakoso and Tvgami • were available. •We were still without any information from New South Wales about the American tour, beyond what was contained in their cablegrapi of Dpcembci T, and so. we decided to delay in replying! to Japan. We cabled New South Wales on December 23,' asking lor details of the American tour, and fl.pal.ly, during the Christmas holidays.advice was -received, that the American tour vyas cancelled. Then, and then, only, did we reply to. japan, inviting M vrakoso arid. Togami. At the same ti-'r-.e, we advised' New .South Wales . that we-were inviting the Japanese,

in view of the American. tour. oemg abandoned.' 'On February 2, we gave : New South Wales as full details as <■ we possessed about those athletes and > their itinerary,” and invited them to • communicate with us if they desired, any, appearances in New South Wales. Last Monday I received a reply from the secretary of the New South Wales ' Association, discussing the. possibility of appearances in New South Wales ■after the New Zealand tour, and ask-, / ing-'Wbat terms pur association would desire,* and whether we would demand .a fixed sum or. ashare otythe gate.