The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-07-25

seen since the opening OF the Olym.
pic games, not only between Ameri.
cans and the officials OF the Amateur
Athletic Association but between the
iathletes of other nations and the Of
hcials, eliminated in an occurrence
which threatened 10 wreck the inter
IOlympic meeting,
The trouble was over the final heat
of the 400-meter race, for which ].
IC. Carpenter, Cornell University; ].
B. Taylor, lrish-American A. c.; w,
C, Robbins, Cambridge, Miss, and
Lieutenant Wyndham Halsewell,
United Kingdom, qualified With the
exception OF Taylor the men got off
quickly on the firing of the pistol and
Robbins sprinted in front, taking the
pole from Carpenter, who was just
behind with Halsewell trailing along
beside him, 1t looked like anybody's
race as they approached the last turn,
the three leaders being punched.
Their spurt for the final hundred
yards was begun, when suddenly one
Of the officials rushed onto the track,
the tape across the finnish was torn
down and the race was declared void.
II was hard for a time to under
stand what had occurred, but the Of
fetal pronouncement was that Car
penter had fouled Halsewell at the
turn. Everybody close TO this spot
had noticed that the three men had
swerved toward the outside OF the
track as they came around the bend
at terrific pace, but there was no
sign OF deliberate foul visible to
those in the press stands,
An uproar followed such as seldom
or never was witnessed on an athletic
field. Officials OF the Amateur Athlet-
lie Association, with whom the arena
ma had been filled since the opening
Of the gates, ran along the edges Of
the track shouting foul" and ap-
peared even more excited than the
runners, who, with the exception of
Taylor, continued the race to the
finish, Carpenter passing the post
first, Robbins second, and Halsewell
third. Taylor, who was consider
able distance in the rear, was dragged
off the track by one OF the excited Of
fcials, who shouted all the while that
it was no race.
This and other signs OF ill-feeling
toward the Americans have not es-
capped the notice OF Continental visi-
tors, the French representatives who
have been following the sports par
ticularly condemning the way in
whic hthe Americans have been treat
ed, and after the 300-meter race and
the Holmes incident they, with others
Of their countrymen, took up the ar
| guments in behalf Of the Americans.
America, is not alone in her protes
tations against unfair treatment. Swe
den has withdrawn all her men from
I the Graeco-Roman wrestling contest,
on the ground that one OF the Swe-
dish representatives, Anderson, was
unfairly deprived OF bout yesterday.
Whatever may be the facts in the
unfortunate episode, both the Eng
lish and Americans firmly believe that
their men were absolutely right and
the others wholly wrong, and the re-
suit is likely to be extremely damag-
ing to Anglo-American athletics for
years to come. The British public
takes sport more seriously than any
other nation and has the fullest con-
fdence in the English officials de-
cisions in international events
Moreover the Englishman concern
ed in this event, Lieutenant Halse-
well, is a gentleman Of the highest
standing and an officer OF popular
regiment, which counts for much with
Ia
his countrymen, who are certain that
he would not knowingly profit by an
unfair ruling in his own favor, or ac-
cuse an opponent of foul unless sure
of the facts.
1t is an undeniable fact that the
American athletes have not been pop
ular in England since the famous
Cornell rowing episode. The public
mind has been charged with the be
lief that American amateurs are tain
ted with professionalism and this sus-
picion has been vastly increased by
charges of the sort reproduced from
American magazines. No one at
tending this Olympiad could fail to-