The Washington herald., 1908-09-04
OLYMPIA REVIVED.
story of the Re-estabIishmeut of the
International Athletic Contests

International AfhAettc tohtesus-
Fourteen years ago. that is 10 say. in
May. 1884,. there repaired TO the So-bon-
ne in Paris a number Of men greatly In
terested IN all forms Of athleticisu- says
the London Globe These enthusiasts
whose presence vas for the most part
due 70 the initiative os Baron Pierre de
Coubertin. the general secretary Of the
French Athletic Union. and who were
presided over By Baron de Council for
r1er representative OF France in this coun-
try, were gathered together TO consider
the expeJiency of re-establishing the
Olympic games as an international ath-
Ietic meeting. and. inter ALA TO inaugu-
rate International quadrennial games AT
various important sporting ceuters Of the
world. The result Of their deliberations
has az various times been witnessed IN
the sports bearing the trademark OlyTn-
pic. held at Athens in 1SS6. Paris in 1850.
Chicago in 1904 and. OF course. the re
u,arkahIe Atheuian festival presided
over on its initial day by King George Of
Greece. who had as guests our King and
Queen. in April 1876.
When. fouT summers ago, the Olympic
games were held al St Louis during that
city-s exhibition year. the department Of
physical culture was notified that the
international committee were desirous
AllGA Aa'L u Al-AtA -AAA-AEA AA-N
the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition should
bear the name Olympic" with the result
that in addition 10 the purely athletic
events witnessed in the stadium. cham
pionships in divers other sporting events
were decided This precedent-a glance
at the diary Of Olympian games 10 be DE-
cided in this country from Nay 10 Octo-
her indicates-has in great measure been
followed in the present year Of grace
aTeH1rrrn the
length Of institutinG an Olympic cham
pionshin for fishing in the Thames. as
vas done in Paris in 1850. with the Seine
substituted for our royal river. the de-
scription games could scarcely be more
comprehensive than il IS. including as Il
does yachting, rife shooting. and motor
boating among other pastimes-
Apart from the games held at Athens
I in 1876. when the British representatives
were second TO those OF America the
I Briton has not upheld the reputation OF
his nation as the foremost in the world
/ of sport As q matter Of fact. SO far as
I the quadrennial games at least are con-
/ cerned. there has in the past been very
little organization on the part OF the
I athletic authorities in this country. The
Olympic game committee OF the United
{ States on the other hand, have been
most assiduous in securing capable rep
! resentstives- How the British Isles pat
: ronized the corresponding American ath-
I letic festival held at 81 Louis in 1904 can
E be accurately gauged from the fact that
J. J. DAILY. the Irishmal. who won the
/ mile handicap and ran second n the 2.5G0
I meters run. was the only representative
{ Of the British Isles 10 secure a place out
l Of forty-three events Individual initia-
I tive Is excellent IN many ways. and in
7 keeping with cur high standard Of ana
I teurisu1. but II is certainly not conducive
I TO establishing British sporting suprem-
] scy in the four corners OF the world
/ II the fact that the Official invitation 70
take part in the sports OF April s. 1905
! dated December. 1905 only reached Eng-
E land the following March, while the de-
J tailed programmes merely arrived a few
Z days before the meeting was brought Of
| may be regarded as extenUating circUn-
stances in respect to our lack Of success
[ twelve years ago. the same excuse can
I not be urged to explain the modest sue
cess coming our way IN 1900 when the
/ sports were held il Paris. Eight years
] ago. however. the entente between Eng
( land and France was anything but cor
dale, and this fact doubtless. accounted
I for England only securing four firsts in
the chief arena events. as compared to
] seventeen BY American athletes