Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-23
OLYMPIA REVIVED.
Story Of the Re-Establishment OF the
Intern ational Athletic Contests.

Story Of the Re-Estabiisnmeht OF tne
International Athletic Contests.
Fourteen years ago. that is to say.
in May, 1894, there repaired to the Sor-
bcnne in Paris number of men great
ly interest in all forms of athletlcism'
saws 1.-The London Globe These en-
thuslast, whose presence was for the
most part due to the initiative OF Bar
On Pierre de Coubertin, the general Sec
rotary of the French Athletic Union,
and who We're presided over by Baron
de CCurcei, a former representative OF
France in this country, were gathered
together to consider the eXpediency OF
re-establishing the Olympic games as
an International athletic meeting, and
inter ALA, to inaugurate international
quadrennial games at various lmpor-
tunt sporting centres of the world. Inc
result of their deliberations has at Varl-
Gus times been witnessed IN the Sports
bearing the trade mark Olympic. held
m Athens in 1896, Paris in 1901, Chlca-
go in 1904, and, of course, the remark
able Athenian festival, presided over
on it's initial day by King George OF
Greece. who had as guests our King
aud Queen, in April 1906
When four summers ago the olympic
games were held at st. Louis during
that city's exhibition year, the Depart
ment of Physical Culture was notified
that the international committee We're
DESTROYS that all sports held under the
auspices of the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition should bear the name
Olympic" with the result that ii adj
dition to the purely athletic events
witnessed in the Stadium, champion
ships in divers other sporting events
were decided. This precedent-a glance
at the dairy of Olympian games to be
decided in this country from May to
October indicates-has in great meas
ure been followed in the present year
Of grace, and although we have not
gone to the length of institutins an
Olympic championship for fishing In
the Thames, as was done i'll Paris IN
1900, with the Seine substituted, for our
royal river, the description games
could scarcely be more comprehensive
than it is, including as it does yachting
rife shooting and motor boating among
ether pastimes.
Apart from the games held at Athens
in 1906, when the British representa-
tives were second to those of America,
, the Briton has not upheld the rcDuta
ton OF his nation as the foremost in
the world of sport. AS a matter of
fact, SO FAR as the quadrennial games
at least are concerned, there has in the
past been very little organization on
the part of the athletic authorities in
this country. The Olympic game COM
Inittee of the United States, on the
| other hand, have been most assiduuus
in securing capable representatives.
How the British Isles patroniZed the
| corresponding American Athletic Festi-
val held at st louis in 1904 can be ac-
| curatelJ 5aLa.,i from the fact that j.
J. DAILY, the Irishman, who won the
| mile handicap and ran second III the
| $500 metres run, was the only repre-
| sentative of the British Isles to secure
place out of forty-three events. In
| dividual initiative is excellent in many
ways. and in keeping with our high
| standard Of amateurisn, but it IS Ger
| tainly not conducive to establishing
British sporting supremacy in the four
corners of the world.
If the fact tl!at the official invitation
to take part in the sports of April 6,
1906. dated December, 1905, only reached
England the following March, while the
detailed programmes merely arrived &
few days before the meeting was
brought eff, may be regarded as eX-
tenuating circumstances in respect to
Our lack o. success twelve years ago,
the same excuse cannot be urged to
| explain the modest success coming our
way in 1900. when the sports were held
in Paris Eight years ago, however,
| the entente between England and
| France was anything but cordialo. and
this fact. doubtless, accounted for Eng
land only securing four firsts in the
chief arena events, as compared to sew
enteen by American athletes.