ATHLETIC.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10278, 7 October 1911, Page 5

ATHLETIC.

AMATEUR. In view of the endeavour of the president of tho Australasian Association, Mr R. Coombe3, to unite Australasia with Canada and Great Britain as an Empire team for the Olympic Games next year, the following from the pen of " Strephon," in the "Athletic News" is very much to the point:— " It is suggested that in furtherance of tho notion of Imperial development the English athletes and those of the colonies should train together and traveltogether, and, I suppose, share in the triumphs of the British Empire. Fiddlesticks 1 say I. As men of our own kith and kin we shall 1)9 glad to see Canadians (the keenest of all our colonial cousins), Australasians and South Africans successful, just as some of them were when they came to Shepherd's Bush, and Robert Kerr and' R. E. Walker triumphed in furlong, and sprint respectively. But wo want England—tho United Kingdom—to take her own part. Surely to goodness ws of the Motherland are not so played out a peoplo that wo cannot produce yet one more 10 seconds man —a sound ten seconds man will not be far from winning the 100 metres—a decent 200 metres runner, a man who can run a half-mile as Edgar Chichester Brodin or Mr Tindall used to run it, a tip-top miler or a 400 metres man..

"We have had men on tho track second to none that have succeeded them, and I am certain that if we go about it and train them, that we can find others. T detest this word ' Imperial 'in some ways. I think it is almost synonymous of funk. " Jinks, minimum, beaten in his fight with Kink's, says: ' Oh, yes, you've licked mo, but you can't lick my brothers.' Or else Snooks declared in expiation of his hammering: 'You're very clever, but you can't beat my cousin.' There is something of the same spirit of dependence about this parrot cry of' Imperialism in sport. ; The athletics of .England may be bad, but look how 'the South Africans, the Australians, and the Canadians are coming on.' Which is all very well from the colonial point of view, •but is reflective of degeneracy at home. It is this suggestion of degeneracy which 1 want our athletes to fight down.

" If among all the millions of people in this country, there arc not good athletes, then let us own up the sad fact. But in tho lir«t place let us bo convinced by good training and the propei encouragement of the young iallows on our grounds. Tho first real step towards fresh development that has been taken is the threatened training to bo given our athletes next year. lb should do some good. But in the first place I think tho A.A.A. would do well to i«sue a statement which can bo read by all its club officials and all its members, announcing how important it if? that in view of the trials of next year the utmost should bo done to provide good training for the young fellows during tho period at their disposal next spring. If the big clubs of our cities would for tho time being sink their independence and train together, so that tho very best men could be discovered and further developed, a lot of good would be accomplished. The ttia.k av&iu njul the best m<m di'W™ o '-

Ed, the fortnight's training, in London should do an immense amount of good. —that and as much time as can be obtained in Stockholm ■ prior to ■■ the games. ' "One thing more must not be forgotten. It will be impossible to go straight from the steamship to tho Stadium and. run races with effect. . It will be essential to travel (it, but it will also be essential to have a few days wherein to got used to the place And another great thing; will be the proper feeding of the men. They will require to be systematically dieted, until their work is over.

" All this is already being thought out by the Americans. Timo is taken by the forelock by our Yankee cousins, and I see the Boston Athletic Club has already promised a greater sum towards tho expenses of the national team than it provided in 1908. This is most satisfactory. What is being done in England? It is high timo a move was boing made; such should not bo left to the springtime of 1912. Every Englishman who cherishes the sport of his country should do something in this matter—should help provide tho necessary funds, interest himself in the young men, hope for their success, and rejoice in-their victories; or, if tlieso happen not, work hard for future triumphs. " Let somethiiip; be dono t-6 waken up England! Tho colonies will look after themselves. Wo aro told, with painful reiteration, that tho Festival of Empire did much for sport. Let us hay© on© instance- of practical bonefit this glorified _ side-show did. It did as much as n joy-wheel or a switchback ; it provided, entertainment for a parsing handful of the people. It was ignored by Englishmen, it was not considered worthy tho attention of South. Africa, it was participated in by a set of badly-trained and halfcrocked Australians, and by a fair, yet lucky, team of Canadians. Yet it was a success! It also provided, a. them© for sloppy sentimental dissertations upon tho subject of Imperialism—of funk. In that it was successful.

"Let ua think more of England and less of Imperialism. The results will be more satisfactory. What is the position of E. R. Voigt in Australia? (asks " Strephon " in tho' " Athletic: News ") I read in a note from a friend in Melbourne that tho exchampion is expected to bear the banner of fair Victoria in tho Australasian Championships in the winter. I take it that when Voigt made that ill-ad-vised "attack " on the- three-quarter mile record at Hull, last March, he automatically puV, himself out of the A.A.A.'•court, just as did every other runner participating at that proscribed meeting. At any rate, Voigt's next appearance was advertised to. take place under N.C.U. and N.A.U. rules, only the weather gods intervened. Now, whatever he himself may think, E. R. Voigt has erred against the A.A.A. laws, and could not without reinstatement by the latter.body compete under the laws under which he made his name famous throughout the athletic world. What is his position in Australia? ' I do not know that the N.A.U. has a working agreement with the Victorians, but I do know that the latter have such a thing with the A.A.A., and I also know that even whether he competed under the banner of the Commonwealth Voigt will be not be allowed to run in A.A.A. championships. This international problem is nice, and it will be interesting to watch the athletic doings of Voigt in Australia.. I hope he will do well out there. My colleague, F. W. Hatton, and myself were the first to recognise the great merit that was in this runner even when he was running in handicaps ; and his successes in 1908 were not in the least surprising to us. At the same timo, he had a notion that he could run any distance race. By good training he made himself a fino miler—he is a natural four-miler or five-miler —but he never got those ten miles on which he set his heart. Once Nature beat him; the second time he could not stick out the journey. Then came the A.A.U. craae—for craze I always maintained, it was, and craze I shall ever maintain it is, for the one great reason that it is not and never can become a power evenunio itself—and the Australian trip. If Voigt runs in Australia he will do good 1 time; I am sure of that.

By the way. I notice (continues the same writer) that the old Birchfield Harrier, P. J. Randies, has arrived in Sydney, where he intends to settle. I take' the following:—"He has won prizes to tho value' of £7OO during that time (twelve years), and which includes 27 marble clocks and 19 watches. Amongst a fine collection of medals are five Midland Cross-Country Championships, two Northern Counties, and three National Championship .wins. He also holds one International, badge. . ." There may be misunderstanding here, . for Randies never won Midland Counties, Northern Counties, or National individual championship, as the quotation might infer; and the trophies were acquired from positions in the teams of Birchfield Harriers and Crewe Harriers. All the same, he was a useful runner across country, and in a distance race, though now he must be past his best. Apropos of the suggestion that New Zealand should be granted separate representation at future Olympic Games, the following statement by Mr R. Coombes is interesting: "With regard to the desire of New Zealand., or any'section' of New Zealand, that the dominion should go on its own—that is, apart from Australia—at noxt year's games, and also have a representative apart from the Commonwealth on the International Olympic Committee, I have made considerable inquiry into the matter when in England. So far as next year's games at Stockholm are concerned, tho existing procedure would have to be followed. But I hope to be able to influence my colleagues on the International. Committee to grant separate representation to New Zealand when the-eommitteo next moot, which would bo in June, 1912. I have no doubt that if Now Zealand really required it I could get separate representation for tho dominion." The whole point (writes "Amateur" in the " Otago Witness") is contained in the last sentence. "If New Zealand really required it." It has not been shown so far that New Zealand does really require separate representation. This is rather surprising, coming as it does from Dunedin. If I mistake not, the cry "separate representation" will bo found to have originated from Otago.

CASH. TO THE KDITOH. Sir, —I noticed a most extraordinary statement in the athletic columns of the "Star" of September 30, that the West Coast Athletic Union Centre, at its meeting last week, endorsed tho action of the chairman in disqualifying Batstone (who competed at the Granitv sports at Christmaa), whose records showed previous victories which he had withheld. I have known- Bert Bat-stone all his life, and T can declare that he never, prior to the above-named, sports, competed in any athletic event, either for a trophy, stake or prize money. In justice to Mr George Batstone, jun., who has amateur athletic records, yon •sliovilcl publicly deny the above false and misleading statement.—T am, etc., 1). C. MT.EATH.