GAMES OPENED.

Wairarapa Age, 3 August 1936, Page 5

GAMES OPENED.

OLYMPIC TORCH PLACED ON ALTAR. AN IMPRESSIVE CEREMONIAL PROGRAMME. NATIONAL AND POLITICAL EVENT. (Received Sunday, 6.30 p.m.) BERLIN, August 1. The Australian Associated Press special correspondent says tens of thousands of yards of flags and bunting decorated the route along which the Olympic torch was borne beneath grey skies. The streets were lined with spectators at an early hour. The ceremonies began at eight a.m. with the Youth Sports Festival, followed by open air plays, a service in Berlin Cathedral and a ceremony at the tomb of unknown soldiers. Twenty-five thousand Nazi girls and youths saw the Olympic torch placed on the altar near the Great War Memorial. The giant stadium was a mass of grey relieved by the white uniform of boys’ and girls’ choirs, as the strangely quiet crowd, estimated at 130,000, awaited the great moment, which to Germans was both a national and political event of great importance as well as a sporting festival. The rain ceased as Herr Hitler arrived, wearing a brown uniform and accompanied by a black uniformed bodyguard. Members of the International Olympic Committee followed Herr Hitler to the dais, which was the signal for the singing of “Deutschland Über Alles” and “Horst Wessel.” The Olympic bell tolled “to the youth of the world, 1 ’ the crowd gave the Nazi salute and then the competing teams, headed by Greece, in accordance with tradition, as the first nation to revive the Olympiad began the march round the running track. Herr Hitler, in six words, declared the Games open. An artillery salute was fired and a flock of homing pigeons was released and circled above the stadium before departing while an Olympic hymn, composed by Richard Strauss was sung. The standard bearers of 51 nations assembled in a semi-circle below Herr Hitler’s dais while the German -took the Olympic oath of sportsmanship on behalf of all. Finally, Handel’s “Hallelhijah” chorus was sung.

In the 800 metres, second heat, the New Zealander, Boot, is drawn against Conway, Canada. Tffiere is the keenest sympathy for Lovelock. Although outwardly he is the most composed person in Olympic village, he has nothing to gain and much to lose by making a splendid gesture in entering for the 1,500 metres. He admitted to the Australian Associated Press special correspondent that now he knew he had a better chance of winning .the five thousand metres but did not dare to run away from a combat with old rivals in the fifteen hundred metres. If he pulls off the fifteen hundred metres event no victory will be more popular. TOKIO’S THANKS. VENUE OF 1940 GAMES. (Received Sunday, 6.30 p.m.) TOKTO, August 1. In an interview the Mayor, Mr. Ushizuka, conveyed through the Australian Associated Press, hearty thanks to Australia and New Zealand for voting for Tdkio as the venue of the 1940 Olympic Games.