The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-07-27
The Trouble at the 0lympiad.

Clear light is let into the Olympic
games at London b. an article which
appeared in this paper of yesterday,
signed by the sporting editor Of The
Times. The conclusion is stated in one
sentence;
eff the English had put the games in
the hands Of the o?er kind oil men,
and the Americans had placed their
team under the control of a committee
of two or three sure-enough leaders,
with orders to suppress with an AK all
such individuals as Ralph Rose, and
few others on the team who might
make themselves obstreperous on all
occasions, much Of the friction might
have been done away with"
The premise that some friction was
inevitable is well founded. As was
pointed out, Englishmen are regular
bettors on amateur athletics, and al
most invariable hackers of their own
athletes. This complication has not
made them easier losers, as Is well illus
trated by the ill-temPer with which
Travis was received Gfter winning on
the St. Andrews links; Gould, after
winning at court tennis; Miss Sutton,
after winning in the open woman's
singles; Ten Eyck, after winning in the
diamond SOULS at Henley, and by the
.disbarment of the Belgians from this
years regatta.
But this is not the whole story. II IL
were. Americans might have suffered
10 more than the Representatives Of
other countries, or, at most, only as
winners. But our men plainly brought
a great deal Of the ill-favor on them
selves. We viii do best 20 look the
situation squarely in the face. And
when we remember that Rose Ito whom
our sporting editor pays a PepPery but
nevertheless weIl-earned back handed
complimentl Haunted discourtesy in the
face of the whole English people by
refusing to salute their King, and that
his mates applauded his vulgarity out
in the open, we viii understand the
better why good feeling was hamPered
rathed than helped by the meet.
America won She won on her merits.
Her men were by far the best athletes
entered, all things considered But
There we're two factors which contributed
somewhat to the winning which we
must put in the scales alongside Mr..
Roses exhibition of his own httleness.
/ The first is that our team crossed the
/ Atlantic to win as a team, and so in
vited suspicion that its men would
pocket" the entrants from other ma
tions, if they could. The second is that
( the members of our team had gone into
lamateur athletics as Americans 90 into
anything else-with all the intensity
and concentration which are ordinarily
spent on a business, and with mighty
| little of the good-fellowsihp for com
petitors which ordinarily marks a
SPORT
/ It is not likely, in our Judgment, this
meet will permanently disturb the
growing friendship between the two
English-speaking peoples. They are too
NEARLY related, their aims are too nearly
/ the same There will be some bitter
ness until another meet has presented
its new circumstances TO occupy the
sporting minds of the two nations.
! There viii be a new-and, We fear, a
/ Underestimate of the English as
sportsmen. Most important of all for
us Americans, there viii be tat least
there ought TO bel a new standard OF
personal conduct required of all our
feIlow-comtrymen who essay in future
to represent us in the eyes of our
neighbors-