The San Francisco call., 1896-04-13
OLYMP|CS AS AMATEURS,
They Will Forestall Any Expose
That May Come From
the East.
Caspar Whitney's Attacks and the
Professional Boxing Contests
Arouse Discussion.

The directors of the Olympic Club are
about to inquire into the amateur stand
ing of certain members who have been
made the subject of the recent lnvestlga-
tions of the committees of the Pacific
branch of the Amateur Athletic Union.
The names of the doubtful amateurs are
not yet known in the club, but it is the in
tention to take some official notice of vio-
lations of the amateur rules before the re-
port of the committee shall have been
acted upon in the East at the headquarters
of the Amateur Athletic Union. 1t is the
intention of the club to show in advance
its disapproval of questionable amateur
ism, rather than wait silently until the
public may possibly learn from the East
that the authorities have declared certain
Olympic Club men to be professional ath-
letes.
John Elliott, one of the committee of
three on amateur standing that it is be-
lieved has already completed its report, is
a member of the olympic Club, and
through him il is hoped that a tip may be
given as TO which of his own clubmen are
on the blacklist.
There Is great diversity of opinion
among the Olympians concerning the ef-
fects of Caspar Whitney's attacks upon
lne CluD ) dInabSuI SldnIlDg anu aISO rs 10
what may result from the prospective pro-
fessional boxing tournament to be given
outside of the club, but as benefit to it.
kinglon, the Olympic center-rush, says
that Whitney is kicking at long range and
relying largely upon what some man here
writes him, and that he need not look SO
far TO reform club athletics as the New
York Athletic Club the largest club in the
world, is a pretty good subject for his
treatment. kIngton fears that Whitney S
public disparagemen. of Olympic purity
in athletics will discourage many amateurs
from longer attempting to conform to the
strlcteSt rules.
Captain Gill, chairman of the outdoor
committee, and mem ber of the board of
directors. does not believe that boxing can
be carried on as an amateur sport.
The participants, many OF whom are
young men on small salary, cannot devote
several weeks TO strict training alone and
be out of pocket for training expenses
while they are not earning ANYTHING
The amateur limit Of S35 prize is not
sufficient. and entrance into the profess
slonal ranks is the result. Several of the
Olympic boxers who have heretofore
boxed as amateurs will in consequence
appear in the coming tournaments as
avowed professionals.
At one time the amateur boxer was
allowed So-called training expenses, but
the Amateur Athletic Union has recently
put stop to the practice. Il think that
after this" continued Gill, whenever the
club wants to give a benefit it will have
these professional boxing contests; it is
simply the hiring OF professional perform
ers 10 give an exhibition. That is the way
the directors feel about it.
'All the other branches of athletics will
remain and will be maintained Simon
pure"
D. \. Short, another director of the club,
feels that the inauguration of pro iessionaI
boxing practically under the auspices of
an amateur cluo will result in law being
passed by the Amateur Athletic Union
1orbldding 1t. He says that the rules of
the union are more or less arbitra rilv
formed by the Eastern branch, which
made class B and class A men for certain
sports about as it pleases without asking
any advice from the branch on this coast.
We represent about as well recognized
athletic institutions as they do in the East
and | think the sooner we get out of the
union and organize out here for ourselves
the better. We could make our own anna
teur rules and not be dictated to from a
distance.
II purpose to see about this list of Olym-
pic men accused OF professionalism so that
something may be done by the directors
before. they stir up sensation in the
East"