Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-28
Member of American Olympic
Committee Gives Views.
ISSUES A LONG PAMPHLET
He Says Judge Swore at Him
Once.
GIVES DETAILS OF THE RACES
Doesn't Believe officials Represented
Feelings Of the Whole Eng
lish People.

Gustavus T. Kirby. one Of the three
members Of the American committee
d'honneur present at the recent Olympian
games in London. has just returned to
his country. Many statements have APP
peared regarding the treatment received
by the American athletes at London. and
Mr.. Kirby has issued a sixteen-page PAM
phlet relating in detail his observations
during the games.
In his introduction Mr.. Kirby states that
the American committee has In prepare
ton report Of the games. which II set
forth in his individual report would only
add to the disagreeable story and accom-
plsh no good result
The report gives data regarding the
men. trainers. etc, which need not be re.
peated.
The greatest tribute to the team"
says Mr. Kirby. is not the points and
places won. but the greater moral victory
in its forbearance and gentlemanly be-
havior under circumstances and condi-
tons which made IL hard for any self-re-
his temper. The team made up its mind
to take its medicine. no matter how Bit
ter or improper the dose"
No American Flag Flying.
The report states that on the opening
the stadium. When requested by the
American committee to hoist a nag the
decorator" stated they had none and did
not know where one could be obtained.
The report criticises the arrangement OF
the program. the method of drawing
heats, the system of running the field
events in sections and the rule. nowhere
to be found, that there should be no hole
for the pole In the pole vault.
Mr.. Kirby states that the British ofi-
Gals openly coached the British con-
testants. mot only by shouting to them
with and without megaphones but by
running alongside the track with them
When complaint was made promise was
made to stop 1t. but this promise wal
never kept.
Americans Neglected.
The report says the only attention paic
to competing athletes was that OF Brit
ain. 1t further states that not until the
third day was an invitation extended &c
an American representative to be upon
the field, and this in face Of the fact tina
there were dozens OF people on the field
not only unnecessary officials. but per.
sons who were not officials. Only after
Mr. Kirby pointed out to the A. A. A. the
absolute necessity of there being some
one at or near the finishing line to help
an American runner from the field II ne
finished In a distressed condition was this
DONE
In one portion OF the report Mr.. Kirby
says:
Had these trivial instances been all
much could and would have been forgiven
! and charged to mismanagement and In
experience. One would have paroonet
those Englishmen who booted at you 4
Sit down when you stood during INT
| playing of The Star Spangled Banner.
and forgiven the others of the same breet
who endeavored to take away small
| American flag from a boy in the 'Ameri
can section of the grandstand. on TIT
ground that these acts were not character
istic of the British, but committed by Z
few who lacked manners. But when on'
looks to the 4O0-meter race and the Mara
thon, events of importance are being con
sidered, and in considering these I here
state only what I personally saw. heard
and know of my own knowledge.
I'm the final of the 40O-meters there
Pennsylvania Robbins Of the Boston Y.
NJ c. A. and the Englishman Halswell.
The race was on a third-of-a-mile track
and was around one run and without
lanes. Robbins, the third from the curb
at the start, gained the curb before
twenty yards were run and set the pace
for 300 yards close to, II not actually
under. even time.
lat this point Carpenter was right be.
hind Robbins and next him from the
and next the curb and Taylor fully ten
yards behind Robbins and Carpenter. and
in the rear of and farther from the curb
than Halswell. At no part did Taylor
Carpenter passed Robbins: he did not
take the curb. but-as Is his custom
and to my mind most unwise and UNI
safe custom, though used by him 80 as
to the better keep his stride-ran with
each stride further and further from the
curb. leaving between Robbins and him.
self a gap large enough to drive q car
through. and through which gap Halls
we'll should have endeavored to pass
Halswell. however. with what, / was told
istic dumbness. In making his squirt en-
deavored to pass Carpenter on the out
side.
4OO-Meter Race.
TRY as he would. he could not get up
At no time was he within better than
half a stride of Carpenter, and at no time
did Carpenter strike him or in any man.
ner foul him. II he was elbowed by Car.
penter 1t was because he ran into Car
penter But Halswell never made any
such claim. nor has there ever been evi.
dence other than newspaper talk to sub
Siantiate such a charge. At all times
there was never less than four feet be-
tween Carpenter and the outside Of the
track. and through this gap Halswell
could and would have come II he had had
the speed to SO do. The truth is that he
was stale from his unnecessarily and
foolishly fast trials of too few days be-
FORE and the fast 300 yards had killed
him OFF. At 80 yards he was a beaten
man. Thereafter 1t was either Carpen-
ter's or Robbins race. both Of these NOV
ing away and leaving Halswell further
behind at every stride. Carpenter crossed
the finish line first. with Robbins and
| Halswell some two strides behind.
The race was declared no race. And
in what manner? Officials crowded on
the track and claimed a foul. Some grab
bed up megaphones and shouted into the
stand No race. Foul work on the part
of the Americans! 'Halswell fouled! etc
Immediately sentiment framed itseli
against the American and howl went up
to .Disqualify the dirty runners!' And all
the while the officials kept calling into
and exciting the crowd. and one OF them
actually came outside the track and stood
amidst a mob of excited Englishmen and
started to harangue them as to the race