Franco-British Exhibition.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13397, 21 September 1907, Page 3 (Supplement)

Franco-British Exhibition.

COMPREHENSIVE. SPORTS PROGRAMME. Rapid and satisfactory progress is being made with this greatest of international exhibitions, and everything points tb'-a'-promising inauguration next May. Some idea of the enormous size of the undertaking may be gathered from a comparison of the areas of some notable, exhibitions. The following table ishows the difference at a'glance: Acres. London 1851 (Hvde Park) 21 London 1862 23£ Indian Colonial 24i Manchester Exhibition (1887) ... 381 Glasgow Exhibition (1901) 64 Next years Fianco-British Ex- 140 hibition 140 Among the larger buildings will be the Machinery Hall, which, with its annexes; will contain about 200,000 square feet of space, arid is believed to be the largest building of its kind ever- constructed iii England. Again, the exhibits of painting, sculpture, and the fine arts generally will be more extensive than-at any-previous exhibition in London, and will'be especially rich in the work of British and French masters. . One-half of the entire space of the exhibition will be devoted to the French exhibits, and the representation of. France will be bigger than has ever been displayed outside Paris. All the British over-sea pessessions will be represented upon a larger and more comprehensive scale than- has hitherto been attempted. Canada alone has secured an area of 120,000 square feet upon which will be erected a bilding containing exariipies of- the produce and manufactures of the Dominion.

The unique feature of the exhibition will be the stadium. It is oval in shape, 300 feet long by 300 feet broad. In this arena there will be contests in every known international game by the most dulled exponents. As the games are international, cricket will 'be barred and so also will baseball and pelota, the national game of Spain. Neither will there be any bullfights. Bui there will be ing and walking events, quoits, archery, polo, water polo, cycling, fencing, football (association and Rugby), golf, hockey, rowing, riding, shooting, tennis, lacrosse, racquets, wrestling, yachting, swimming, and speed skating—weather permitting.

All these forms of. athletics will not, of course, he displayed 1 in the stadium. Yachting is obviously impossible, and the contests under this head will take place in Southampton Water under the Royal Yacht Squadron rules. So, a'.so, will the motor-boat competitions, while the shooting will take place- as Bisley, and motor racing on the Br'ooklauds track. Polo will ba played at- Hurlingham, figure skating will take place at Princes, rowing at Henley, racquets at the Queen's Club, West Kensington, golf on some convenient course. ,

All the othsv events -will take place in the stadium, which is surrounded by-two cindrr tracks, one for running and the other for cycling. On one side there is an open swimming pond 100 yards long. A maximum number of competitoro from each country has been fixed. In iunning, lumping, and kindred forms 'of athletics the maximum is twelve, for the tug of war there will be four teams, and for the three-mile team race one team from each competing nation, llsi archery thirty competitors will be allowed to each country, and in cycling and fencing twelve. For the cycle- pursuit race one team only may. enter, and for the tandem cycle race six pairs. In football, four teams for each style will compete, and the same- number in the golf team competition. lii individual golf, however, thirty players will be allowed to each country.

The rowing events will take place on July 25 and subsequent days in the year of the exhibition, under the management of the A.R.A.. who are arranging that the Henley course «hall be specially lengthened for the purpose-. • Tin shooting competitions will be under the management of lb:- National Rifle Association, and the service iifle of any country may be ti&jcl. One *e.->m of "six: marksmen will represent each country, and th<> ranges will bj 200, 300, SCO, 600, 9,000, and 1,000 yards -ang?. r • -'in'., win be allowed at each range. Claybird, miming led", and levoi er ?i.d pistol" shooting will bo given a max'.inv.nof twelve competitors, and the -vinv. number will apply to the sn-vd-sk.-.tiiig evtrt.s. In the figure-skating be three competitors to '-asi i-..'.iniry. K'-r swimming there will t>e Uvul.-a, for high and fancy diving six, .:n I for w.r- r ;>ry, one- team of seven. In wrestling ihe style will be catcb-as-cat.'h-'v.!!, an I tliivo hruts will bo fought, limited tr. twer.i.y minutes each. There will l.e five weights.

Theso figures will Rive son e con??| ::><.. of the importance of -.he rente;.ts m the Rhepherd's-bush Stadiam. There* is a section for flying machines,'including modeis, and mention should !,I«ro-lie ■made of the Marathon race of twent-rive miles, the javelin throwing, and tin- discus in two stylie, free and Greek. Twelve- competitors may take pait »n sac'i ev-i.t as re presenting their country. The largest number of compeMt-ors if any event is thirty, for archery. Thi; should be a most intc-. ,: ;'iag series of competitions. Archery is more commonly practised in England than is generally supposed, and, altho i<rh the ( cldast club is the Royal Scottish Oompr.ny of Arehirs —who constitute the King's bjdyguisn l when His Majesty is in Scotland—there are many clubs south of the Tweed tl-at keep alive this ancient • art. • Gentlemen competitors, in what : s known as lli-r York round, will fly seventy-two arrows at IfiO yards, forty-eight at ei r rh*-.;7 yard;, and twenty-four at sixty y.irds. 'Ladies in the National round will ba allowed foriy-eigLt arrows at- sixty yards and .twenty-four at fifty yards. There will be another competition for gentleman, w.th forty arrows shot singly in Continent:.i fashion. It will be interesting 'o 01-serve vi--!:t»L"tr the modern English- archer ha-s -fallen away from the ideal of the olden iime when it was a national boast that■ every man ' '/lulled a cloth-yard shaft." Such an arrow was not: meant for long distances, so, doubtless, eyery competitor at the Staliam will be able to repeat the ancient boast.