Olympic Games.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13638, 4 July 1908, Page 3 (Supplement)

Olympic Games.

LORD DESBOROUGH ON SPORTS. The Admirable Crichton of Mr Barries drama in twing played nightly at the Duke of lheatie, but the real Admirable Crichton of our time a Loid Desbotougli, better known as Mr VV. n. Grerifefl, of Taplow Court. . Heia llie presiding genius of the lourth Olympiad, which is to be held this year in London. He is the president of the British Olympic Association, and as such he has suudenlv developed into an international character of the first importance. ' What The Hague Conference was last year in the political world, the Olympic games at Shepherd's Bush ale to the world of sport, and as such they demand iuch closer and keener atten ion, and more sympathy and support than they have vet- received from the Government of the* day. The Ministry ought to regard the Olympic Games of next July as a great opportunity of demonstrating to the world, and especially to their own subjects, the reality of their zeal for the promotion of .peace, and tie development of closer international relations between the peoples of the world. 5 What M. de Nelidoff was at The Hague Lord Desborough is "at Shepherd's Bush. M. vie Nelidoff presided over the diplomatic military and naval representatives of fortv-five- independent Governments. Lord Desborough's domain is not so extensive, only twenty-; hree different ' nations are represented at the Olympic Fes? tival; but. their representatives are.more numerous and. .more varied , than those which met at-Thii' Hague. _ The forty-five - Powers at the Hague did not average more than five representatives each, whereas -the' nations represented at Shepherd's Bush will average a team of, 100 each. _ The representatives at The Hague all haii'their credentials from their own respective Foreign . Office:' Those who. come .to Shepherd's Bush have also credentials, bu : t they »« issued by (he Olympic Committee, which is formed in each- country -which has entered for the contest., .It rests with these Olyifapic Committees to decide upon the bona fide character of those who are entered for the contests. ■ . •"

In"' somer respects the Olympic . Games are ; 'more cosmopolitai than eveii <• Tlio Hague • Conference. -At • The . Hague all documents were is«wd in. French only, Tfrhicb • is the '" official 'language df 'internationalism, at Shepherd's Bush all 'documents are issued in English, French and Germain.'- • ■ to v:

j ATHLETE AND SPORTSMAN. • ! Lbrd Desborougli is in every respect an ideal representative of-'English sport in its best : sense—tall, well set up, a command-; ing yet' utterly'.'deyoid of'arrogance" or. side, which frequently causes,an ; Englishmen to be 'detested-"by the' foreigner: Few men; ill -England' have achieved such supreme excellence in -so. many different braches of athletic- sports. . From the time whe he was a graduate, at Oxford . down to" to-day, W. H. : Grenfell 'has always been at tlfe forefront of all -those who liave sought to excel in all kinds of inanly sport, whether mountaineering, boatiog r hunting, . swimming, fishing, punting, tennis or fencing. He has made records,, won championships , and - established his right to eminent domain in the realm of British and international sport. It is twenty years ago since he rowed as stroke in the clinker-built boat with sJiding seats, - in which-eight. Oxford men crossed - the Channel. More than once it seemed as if the fragile eight-oar boat would be sunk, and the crew would have to swim for their lives. Prompt and dexterous baling averted this catastrophe, .which, however, had Tin for Lord •Desborough. He has never swum across the Channel, but. he twice swam - across .Niagara, just, below the Fallfi. He is at home among the mountains as much as in the sea. ' He climed the Matterhoro, Monte Rosa • and Rothhorn 'n eight.days. This' was when he was younger, but . even . now he thinks nothing of a fifty miles walk, as a constitutional. Lord Desborougli was' president of the University Athletic Club and of the University Boat Club, and he was a. member of the Oxford crew which rowed the famous-dead-heat witlh Cambridge just 31 years ago. He was' a member of-two Harrow cricket elevens,. and in his later years his chief exploits have been with the rifle and with the jfoils. He achieved his distinction at Harrow cs a schoolboy with the foils, and. has-kept, it'up with such success . that > he won the fencing

prize at the Military Tournament in 1906, and also acquitted himself like a master in the Olympic Games at Paris and Athens.

He ia ' also master of the " huntsman's craft. Five hundred stags have fallen to his rifle in Scotland; and he has- pursued big game in the Rockies and Bmish Columbia with equal success, for he has been a mighty hunter from his youth up.

He succeeded Cecil Rhodes as - master oJ

the draghounds when tie was an undergraduate at Oxlord. Eight years ago he made an excursion to Florida, and speared no fewer than 100 tarpon in three weeks, the biggest of which weighed -1821bs. iie drives a four-in-hand m the Coaching Club, ' and whenever there is anytiiing going that requires athletic skill, physical strength, the nerve of the sportsman, and the uasii of the hunter, there Lord' Des-' borough, is always to the trout. He is, therefore, of all men the right man in the right place when he presides over the British Olympic Association, which is charged with the onerous responsibility of making all the arrangements tor the great Olympic contests which are to take place in July' this year. ' BRITAIN AS HOST.

I aiii intensely interested in it from a national -point 7 of . view,"' said Lord Desborough to me, as we climbed the seats of the Stadium, and looked down upon the famous track, on which the picked athletes of the world will compete for victory. "Thi6 is the first time the Olympic Games, have ever been; held in ttiis country, and they will not be held here

again, even under the most' favourable circuiwistances, for 25 years.' , It is,.therefore, of ■ supreme importance that everything should be done to justify the position upon which we have prided ourselves both as sportsmen and as hosts." " How will the games this year compare with those which have preceded -them?'.' "We have every reason; to believe that these Games will be exceptionally well supported. They.are held, as you know, eveiy four years. The first series was held in Athens, the second ill I'ariSj at the time of the Exhibition, where, .unfortunately, it attracted but little attention. The third was held at -St. Louis. This year it ought- to have been -held in Koine, but difficulties arose, as the result of which we'weie invited at very short notice to hold them in England, and this Exhibition coining on at- Shepherd's Bush gave us the opportunity of securing, a magnificent Stadium for their celebration." " You have been present at the otheis; how does this Stadium compare with lliose in Athens, l'aris, and St. Louis ?"

"In shape and. equipment, 1 hope .this Stadium will prove the best for the purpose. One innovation is the swimming tank,-another the cycle track inside the Stadium. Everything is measured .in metres, as we have to be exact, but there are three.,laps to the. mile, and the dourse is wonderfully:.good. You will see that it., runs just: inside the bicycle track, whieh promises ,to be . one of the best- in the world. The, lawn inside 'looks.', well; You see ; the swimming-pond, which is 100 ■ metres long; . .and you note the. dip in the ' centre, ■ thatf descends a distance of twelve feet , ; for . displays of ■ high diving;" ->. V - • ' ' *' : '.As' we diescended'the sea's of the Stadium, which, will accommodate 60,000 spectators, we went through, the spacious retiring rooms and bathrooms for the .performers beneath the seats, and noticed the charming little palace which ,is set apart as the club or headquarters of the Olympic Games, which stands outside the Stadium, close to the main entrance. 1 2500 COMPETITORS.

"How many competitors do vou expect ?"

"Of those ivho will take actual part in the games we shall have about 25G0. They will be with us-for a month. They are all amateurs, coming at their own charges and defraying their own expensts, although the Olympic' Committees in each country may _ contribute to the .expenses in order that their country may be properly represented. __At- (he last contest at Athens, where they hold' competitions of their own 'every; four years, the American Government contributed a large sum in order to provide for and house the team that represented the United States. -This year they expect to be able to dispense with that subsidy, as a subscription will be raised from various athletic clubs in America."

" Has the Government helped you at all, Lord Desborough ?" we have to- find the money ' a 6 beet we can. In Greece the games were official, and official invitations were sent to the different "countrfci; to.participate in the games and. send- official representatives; but- in this case• we can do: nothing of the that 6ort, as we have no official recognition." : -

"Tlife-w very bad," T-said. "It is very far off the ideal of 'John Bull as international host."

" It is a fact," said Lord Desborough, " and we should be only too glad .if it were possible for you or anyone else to rpuse public opinion, to the importance of the occasion as regards * International hospitality. The Lord Mayo/ is going to give, us a reception at the Mansion -House, and we are arranging to dine the whole of the competitors in five lots of 500 each at the Holborn Restaurant. But that is the utmost; we shall be able to do. PROBABLE EXCURSIONS.

' " There are a. - great : many other things that ought- to be done if- the best use is to be made of this great accasion. Wo ought to take parties of our foreign visitors ,to Oxford and Cambridge, to Strat-ford-on-Avon, to Portsmouth, the Ke*" Foreet, Windsor, and similar places. They ought to be entertained by tlie nation, and it will throw away a. great opportunity if one ■of these 2,50 i» leaves • our shores .without, having had a good time. If. you are writing about the, subject, I should like , you to make a special; appeal tfo all. persons . who are in sympathy with the . idea, and are in a position to show hospitality,, either in their own houses or. by subscribing to a. Hospitality , and Reception Pund, .to communicate .with me, for we shall need all tlie help we can get. '• (■ " I should be.- glad .to hear also from those who are interested in the different nationalities, "and could speak tlie different languages, if they could receive as guests,'- either for 'the whole' time or for a friendly visit, some of our..visitors. It js no sjnall tast, to provide adequately and handsomely for the flower of the youth of the World for that is- what we have on our hands;; and it would be an everlasting-regret-if: one of these young men carried aw&y with him from this country an impression that we were , inhospitable churls. : '. J 'lt is impossible for all the sports to. take place in: the Stadium. The Marathon i-ace," 6aid Lord Desborough, 'will have to start from Windsor, but it will end in the Stadium. . Polo, lawn tennis, rackets, and golf will be held . elsewhere..' It costs £55,000 to- put up this S .adium; what would it have cost to put up a S'adiuiii large enough for polo, golf, etc., I leave you to imagine." . - ' W. T. STEAD.