Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-07-24
BRITISH UNFAIRNESS
IN OLYMPIC GAMES
eliminates Thursday When Carpenter
Is Disqualified In Favor Of English
man Ha|swe||e on Alleged Foul.

Stagg, members of the American COM
mission, sat in a room in their hotel
this evening the most disgusted lot of
Americans in England. Commissioner
Sullivan, as spokesman, said that the
arrangement of the track was unfair
and especially to Taylor and appar-
emily the arranging was done by a
man who did not want all the con-
tcstants to get a fair start. TaylOr's
position caused him to give away
yards which he could never regain.
Talking of the race, Mr. Sullivan
said:
"Carpenter at the crack of the pistol
took the lead and did the only thing
he could do and win, and that was to
take all the running out of HalSWelle
in the first 300 yards. AS result he
gave the spectators the fastest 300
yards ever seen on the Stadium. The
200 yards he covered in 22 seconds and
at 300 he had 'Halswelle out Carpenter
had the pole but he did not run close
to it. He ran well out at the first bend
coming to the second bend leading to
the straight away he ran wide, as he
had a perfect right to do.
"Halswelle, instead of taking advan-
tage of this chance and cutting in to
the pole, remained in his old position
Halswelle was all out before the
stretch was reached and America had
found in Carpenter a wonder at this
distance.
when Carpenter started to leave
Halswelle behind the officials cried
foul in unison and the announcer also
ran, yelling foul Furthermore they
did the unspOrtsman like act of run
ming out on the track in an endeavor
to stop Carpenter coming through and
deliberately broke the tape so as not to
give him the race.
''They practically declared it no race
without authority. There was but one
man in the arena who had authority to
do that and he was the referee, and he
did not do So The formal announce
ment of the American committee is as
follows:
1--WE have decided to protest the de-
cision as unfair and because the off,
cials declared no race without right"
The American committee further an
nounced tonight that although Carpen-
ter and Robbins would not get the
Olympic medals they would receive
medals from the American committee
and they would be credited with their
victory in America. Carpenter thus de-
Scribed the race:
"As we approached the last bend
Robbins had the pole and was leading
by a yard. Halswelle had lots of room
to pass me on the other side.
1T is ridiculous talk of a teams bor-
ing or pocketing as good a man as
HalsWcllc in quartermile race No
team could do it. We had nothing OF
the kind in view; we Just raced him off
his feet and he couldn't stand the
pace"
All the men agree that Trainer Mike
Murphy called the runners together
before the start of the race and in tell
ing them what 9 good man they had to
beat and how careful they had to be on
account Of the statements in the pa
pers that the Americans would try un-
fair play, cautioned them to be fair
above all things and to run their hard
est. They all say they were doing this
and nothing more.
The many signs of i'll feeling to-
wards the Americans have not escaped
the notice of continental visitors, the
French correspondents particularly
condemning the way in which the
Americans have been treated and af-
ter the 100-metreS race, they, with
others of their Countrymcn. took up the
arguments in behalf of the American
case.
America Is not alone in her protests
against unfair treatment. Sweden has
withdrawn all of her men from the
Graeco- Roman wrestling contests on
the ground that one of the Swedish
representatives. Anderson, was un-
fairly deprived of q bout yesterday.
Whatever may be the facts in the un-
fortunate episode the English and
the Americans firmly believe that their
men are absolutely right and other
wholly wrong and the result is likely to
be extremely damaging to Anglo
American athletics for years to come
Tie other events of the day seem un-
important compared with the eruption
over the 400-metre race. The 2O0-metre
sprint was a splendid contest. Kerr, the
Canadian. won. as anticipated. but the
Americans. Cloughen and Cartmell. gave
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