THE OLYMPIC GAMES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15857, 1 September 1913, Page 4

THE OLYMPIC GAMES.

The controversy which has been excitoc in the English press oyer an appeal foi fun<L for training athletes for the Olympk games will no doubt be interesting to th< public. A year ago, when th< games were held at Stockholm, Swede* scored 133 points, the United States 129 the British Empire 118, and Great Britair 76. The committee which is now appealing for funds states that these result* were a shock to everyone caring foi British sport, and that a repetition. oi them must not' be allowed to occur again. Moreover, it ha 6 already started to do something practical tc give effect to its views, although the next Olympic gathering, which is to take place at Berlin, will not be held till 1916. The Times, among other journals, strongly supports the appeal, suggesting that the fund is justified as affording the only reasonable prospect for the recovery of the nation's lost athletic pTestige. Well-built boys and girls will not be '.demoralised or lose their better instincts, it urges, because, instead of partaking in games in a slouching and haphazard way, they are taught to use their, muscles rightly. But there is another way of viewing this appeal, and those who incline to it will be glad to see that Mr Frederic Harrison, the distinguished litterateur, has taken tne field in their behalf, and in. language more forcible than polished has roundly condemned the movement which the' Olympic Games Committee has set afoot. ; " The raisins of money for the Olympic gamea,",,says Mr Harrison, "stinks of gate-money and professional pot-hunting; Each candidate will cost ,£IOOO. He will have. to be nursed and maintained in Tacing condition by the public for a blackguardly calling, While graft and sharp practice will soon degrade our Olympia to the level of the mob at oldvestablished prize fights." Mr Harrison has evidently been somewhat carried away by his indignation, and has said more than' vtat necessary, bnt the Duke of Westminster seems to have overshot the mark himself a good deal in, his ! reply. Actually from a list of English losses in opori—out of "which he cannot even leave billiards—tb« Duke constructs a "tale of national disaster." The feeling of. most sober-minded peoplo wiii probably be with Mr Harrison iwihtrr than with those, who are making goeh a fetich of national success, hi tho accrimalatioa of points in the Olympic games that ttwy sie prepared to Kiiesrib* to a system which would taod to allot rictory to tba nation willing: to apsud most nwnoy on the training of its ; ccpresontstivs , athletic warn. Without' doubt far tew touch stews him hsen laid on the significance of Oie gamei and on the imporUjic* of success from a naikmaJ etaadjoiht, ami .Cbe &00.000 fcai'far

buying victories, as Mr Nowell Smith, head master of Sherborne (School, has described it, has its ridiculous aspect, sound enough though the arguments used Ijy The Times may be up to a certain point. • The appeal to the public for subscriptions seems to carry the matter to quite unnecessary lengths. It is very desirable perhaps that the business of the selection and the training of the team to ropresent Britain in the Olympic games should' bo taken more seriously in the future than' it has been in the past, acd nothing- need bo said or done to discourage those who con' sider that it as of national importance that Great Britain should be victorious at Berlin from providing out of their own private generosity and abundance the funds required to make preparation to that end. To suggest, however, that any great national calamity is suffered if the British competitors do not run as fast, or jump as high or as far, as competitors from other countries at these sports is to invite ridicule. It is too early yet to predict the future of the Olympic games, but it will not be very bright if international rivalry in sport is going to be carried to all sorts of absurd lengths.