SPORT IN RUSSIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15626, 4 June 1914, Page 9

SPORT IN RUSSIA.

- ] INCREASING INTEREST. Jl^Vr-;^--w.^~-;:"-V'c.-,;-./ .-■■v^i-;': : ..M-. > !-:l; :-; ;-|'.-,-.->■ ,v : ..'- • I ATHLETICS, ENCOURAGED.:, ;'[^,o^o^ ; ;C( ! Kn E SPOK D BKT.). ; , I." '„. -.' ll^'Lo^V, April 29, • lia> of, M4jor,rGenoral Voyelkov, «as-Chief • Superintend-, .Physiol *Chlltiite -in "■."tho "Russian" ' Empire, h)ads' a .Rusiian correspondent of the' Times , point • out the very'; notice- • abV .mWementjin ••thaV. country • at . the 'present tune',' in favour-of ; ; sport in all iUVform*'"as; a:healthful, influence upon fw^icgi^r^iQn ;; and a -promoter of sound BatiOnalVgrowthT I.' -v\ :'■'* : ''' •>V •- ;" It'is '• worth'; while noting," -■ he. '.writes, ■'• M* assign 'of ,tho" .indifference''with ;■ Which •port' ;i ViSwod;in Russia, . that the atatutte;;of iSportitigCand* athletic 'dubs and •} associations ;: were never :- sanctioned - except j "after tendlcss'; and . delays. Leagues and associations' I were rcgardedyeven '.■with; suspicion. :> Thus the. ; H4Jtu« Russian/skating .clubs could founded, ; although -the articles of association r i:sign*id: by -perooris' of •wide,;repute ; - and vPS^nfed three 'times proper authorities;: Not until 1909 did' sportVapd 'phyiitolculturb .'begin to enjoy ■:the-" fa,fonr7< -thefauthorities,, and iaVthajb,year -the:Russo?Swedishexhibition of; sport 'showe'd Apto;- much;-Russia'was in physical v culture. , 'fi'',fr'.^''-vC-./ '/•. !^:-h Hf'*<-'\ '• •.-..' ' ?i|■';'; ;' '■■:„, .: "'.Thank's ' the: effOrte. ... of ; Russian Bporftmeh- ; an? Olympic, Committee was formed in >19tli : (xMudjngV,repr(!8entativeis from' aU/,l^ -spoHtog,-, associations. - • It nkyj'.appea^ 'be /almost incredible,- yet 'factithat this*committee, ineluding a^!it;ldid;> ? ljiigh'-;ofiibial personages, bad -$m[ greatest'/ difficulty in . obtaining |le^-Mnctiqn ;^for *ftsV*tatut«s, and -thp. i victory wa's;due."in ? a largo measure to the 'Grand \D.ufce'Nicholas' Nicholaiovitch,' who "to^ r %e/ -under; his high patronage.". 'About ■ '300 .military.' and civilian, computers '■; proceeded •' to. i' Stockholm- under the aegis of . Major-General :-Wi'Jß'V*y^MKov;- >.DiC., who had been sfee^^int^d^bjpthe. Emperor. ' "His Majesty paid* all fthev expenses (of '•■ ' the voyage.; / .',. v '■'..'' I experiences' of the ''Russian 'competitors, rin:;. Stockholm' went ■: >far 'to strengthen !.the'conviction that ; this 1 country sduLVriofc i occupy -place it ■ should among 'nation's.?,.• For, in ' spite'of■ the large number; of (Russians':who 'took part .miwe; tames,.prizes were, taken' in : only .three- 'of contests—revolve ,' shooting,'wrestling; and clay-pigeon shooting. PubBc;;;<ojjn'njo^ : in-. Russia; was- highly disappointed ■ jaiuk'Ahe? -'press. was• loud in ; demands >that- ■ something should;! bo

'■: done.;'; MaiorrGeperal .Voyeikov.; made ■ a ; to; ; the/Emperor; .upon the , plympio i Ganjes) and >; the -position \of ; phyeicalf cujture;inj; Russia '< and . mother ' <%tttp^.' t ,;AB; : 'qf. this, report ; ho i was; appointed of "Physical" ... Culture;iri; T/jFwmwan - r Empire. ~ This , &&}ffiiT#otspijsj.^l9l2^whibh v may i 'w^l^be;^regarded ,a? ja; : meiriorable.date in rtioianifflsjof sport.. , -, . I ■■■ / ( Extending the" , System.; _' ! ■'•.; ; "A&tlw%Jm,enibr^e.*,«vent'.*in* the ,: ehroriicles -of <'Rnssi&ri ■sport' i was - the' Em- ; peror'a'decisiori Ho 'summon a consultative ; Bo*rd : tto, "?Ma3br-Ueneral ■■: Voyeikov s ih^hiß;,wbrk]'; : : This ; boards .formed •of of "the Department* of Stateiiwhich''haVe"~any-' connection with :• education > (in ■> Russia . this includes '»rao-tic|lly7>aHirthei'jMiiiistries)yV!and^bt-all 1 athletic'',and sporting ,^associations;-; The board has;ajrewy rendered,great seryice ij>;layingidowri^'.!the'r basis .vof: future* work. ; ;''haß^bberi:;decidbd/ ; to ; foiurid vpafiroriages. all;"tfte.^,tow|»"and;'larger' - settlements," of ffiei-Empire, 'to. encourage and i" promote apbTU'lin the middlo and high : school an^Vto'fforiri'd. rifle clubs v for boys 'and' adults. V : It; remains,. to bo • seen if '■ the movement -will, extend to the : villages,' : that'will; he! the?real! ; test of -its 'efficiency. j " Lawn tennis' started- ;20 .'years ' ago,'arid' sinceitherivhasmade s oiiormous prbgreis'.*- The AH £ Russia. Lawn' .Tennis ; As?oeiatioijFf6nnded-"in'June,"' 1900; now :. cbmbuleft■,'o|ver'SO>clubs; i, -'••>;-'"" "-;- ; iif rPopnlirtty (?1 7ootball.> ;.,.•„■ y'. |jboth»ll ; J'Jwas % first played % „by ~:, the ■ '.the T British,: cominnity|iniSt?%^sb"urglm'4 and the A%ltosiaV '■'KobtbiU. J" Association \ ".was founded; in J with Arthur. Mac- , jphcribtt UslicKaiiiianr 'It! then i included i November, last this tfutaber had 'grown to! 160.. A gate. of ; recorded,at Pretljovo Zeovo, near Mowow ■ last autumn. Championship mstehes' were' first .played in 1912, when St 'Petersburg, was. victorious.; last -year Odessa. won. -The;-, rapidity .'with /Which football has been taken ; up 'throughout the Itkra'fe^i^Snrs^bJli' the future quality i of the players. ', '.';..;■ ' Rowing lraJsoi growing in popularity. ;PANAjMA' CANAL RULES; ■\ '..;* ''■■■'.' ■'■--■' ' •' , '; ,;'FREAK ;;'s'HIPS ] TO; 'BE ; BUILT. j : \litint {■'}*■'' />'♦-'* ■ \Lo>ro6)r, . April. 29,; . Jirsi as'freak'ships-were built by- enterprising?owners/in'early'.dayß i of'the SuezijCaM/f tbbVipW?i>emg to 'save .canal dri^,v:6o ; we,,arethreatened ■ with further oVigi9ality-viri : ;design I ;in v the new , vessels toi-;pass tihroughr the Panama 'Canal. Sweishfirifts 'are: stated -to be responsible for .thevinteritien-,to ."drive a coach .aid four'l. though ; the' regulations governing > _ large, ships '• will ..bo c«ns^cted,iof,',ft i 'iype ..'never yet? built. :lifap^rs|that ; along -the • Chilian- coast, near, \CoquimbV art^imniense' ' irori,-oro deposits,';;but;it "has'. ' neVcr' 'jet _ paid _ to *thbuY manufacturing can'.tres; ;• .That;-ii surprising ' when 1 it ;, r,ememfered jthat.;irbn ore at Middlesbrough''is ; noW;.'quoted-'at--188-per ton, afld;''frei|hts' for;-nitrate-, from Chili Ho fte United' -Kingdom' list ';■ year touched f4os andsrates.. by the long sen route itb j the'-' 'Atlantic : coast -of '. North Africa, were * stoilarjy.,high. ■"' !.' ,: '' Tne''Pan'am& CaiaJ -will;, revolutionise, the situation; 'arid;, the, BethleheniV Steel'Com.'pVpy^isA'cffltVacted;',with|"Sji!ediph. firms for', ~'tra^spojt',',of' the, .ray riiaterial -'"to .Eastern ■', pbrts>durmg>;the'.,'ne'xt.'ten. or twelyeVye'al-B.''':'-'.-../- ' '..'■" ',".'/' • i -For,- six'vor eight .'steamers with' :v ,de^dp'ei'glit- 'capacity ; of, s about 16jpb0 tons' each "are' to.' bo } built', and British'"' b'uijderywijr probably ' be; invited to'feri'der.'' 'Theee'-'boats- are 'to be'designed for 1 this particular'trade." The; ingenuity ofthe "Swedish-Urnis, rests'' in combining 'to"their!:advaritage"the facts 1 that iron ore'.'bulks very; small, 1 and ''that,.-for tho purpose of. thePariama' Canal dues, spaces usable'-only! for' water ' ballast shall bo exempted: "from ; measurement. The proposal' is, .therefore, .that the new snips shall "rio- fitted ? with 'deep spaces for water'. ballast; leaving: only '.a compara-l-lively. small-space'fox-the- iron: ore cari goes. ' -The', whole of' the interior of'a ship 'can; never j'fully laden, with such i heavy cargo.'as iron '..ore, -and/the .buoyajricy'to be giyeri.by.the.. ..hajfest, spaces " wilfbe just important, as the buoyancy 'given,',by any^'parte.of -an'' ordinary ship. ■yet 7 ' the „ new v vessels ..will. be ...".freak" ships'. .' The '.importance ,bf .the; iiew', plan may,' be gitiered!,from the' estimate' that i the -ahips,' carrying' about' 161000 " ( tons d^weight,'iwill*.pay; ■ rji>;;mpre 'dues than ,veiiseliß;'' btiilti^ iri; the :. ordinary ', dystem, 'wrrying .about;'6ooo.:tons;,deadweight/. .'