New-York tribune., 1908-07-27
COMMENT ON SPORTS
THE OLYMPIC TRIUMPH.
NesCs and Viescs on Current Topics,
Amateur and Professional.

o,,,,,o11,-e and vholehearted tribute to the
,,ras,ness of the triumph of these sturdy attn
aetes who went 10 what turned out to pe fatile'
hostile shores and conquered slnsiehaii"eu -
flower of the athletic world from all couiiliie
,.,bic,, took mart. Some modern Homer might
well make that American team ana lts e'ie'
the subject of an Had. for never since the DAYS
90 e,c,.n- Greece and Rome, when feats OF
sl,slI and strength and daring were sung in Ferse'
was there greater reason or more fitting cause
Fourteen first places out Of twenty-sN eNeh'''
not counting the sterling performance Vi - ~
Daniels in the short swim and the VictofS "a
Carpeuter in the 40o-metre run OF which ne was
deprived by q ruling of the judges, WHICH Aiiie
cans will never consider fair. stamp the WORN
of our athletes as little short Of remarkaole anu
confirm beyond question the right and title 10
the track and field championship won IN pre-
vious Olympic games, at Athens, Paris ana 81:
Touis From the point OF view of the unqualihed
,riurnph of the Stars and Stripes the olympic
games of 1905 were a distinct success, but u1-
fortunately. there is cause for some concern as
from the point of view of fostering interTauohal
friendship and good feeling the games were an
;,tter failure due perhaps TO the awakening OF
old animosities born in 1I16
II &c more than a pity-ft is crying shame
that the greatest Olympic games ever held in
modern times could not be run off without pro-
tests w-rangling charges and counter charges
of unfairness and unsportsTnanlike conducI
The tug-of-war incident and the various pro-
tests about the drawing of heats ana olher
questions were cause for regret, while the ols-
qualification of Carpenter in the 4eO-metre run
on Thursday. on the ground Of foullns. ana the
discussion growing out of it, must be deplored,
more particularly as they added fuel TO the name
of discomfort and Ill feeling which appears TO
inns i1rdging
reports. ever since the games began 1t Is I'M
7oossfble TO comment fairly a race run across
the ocean. as even those on hand do not seem
TO be Of one mind as to the true merits OF the
case From long acquaintance with James T.
Sullivan president Of the Amateur Athleuc
Union and the American commissioner TO the
Olympic games 1 must confess TO an aololhs
faith in his fairness and good sportsrnanshp'
and II Mr.. Sullivan was quoted properly the ac-
ton OF the English judges. granting that a loul
had been committed distinctly unfair ana
unsportsmanlike Running on the track
breaking the tape and declaring it mo race
before the referee the sole arbiter. had chance
70 make his decision. or even know what had
happened were against all the rules or sport
and should not have been tolerated by the
Amateur Athletic Association of Great Britain.
There is another side TO the question. how
in charge of the American team. Once the ref
cree and the Olympic committee had passed on
the case and ordered the race rerun' even
though it was found necessary TO disqualify
CARPENTER il would have been better sports
rnanship TO accept the decision no matter now
unfair il may have been. and take the medicine
no matter how bitter. It was ruled otherwise,
however OF the ground that TO rerun the race
would have been open acknowledgment or
Carpenters urfairness. which was not conceded
Fut there is another point TO be considered.
The referee, umpire or judges, no matter what
the competition, are accepted TO perform certain
duties They are the sole arbiters, and their
decision must be accepted in the best spirit
possible Perhaps there is such thing as be-
ing too much Of a stickler for the rulings Of a
Judge Of play. but it has always appeared child
fish 10 me TO refuse 10 abide by the rulings, no
matter how unjust. and sulk. The reports Of
the Carpenter incident appear to have been col
ored in the English and American papers TO suit
the particular readers Judging from the cable
reports to this country and from the statements
OF Mike Murphy. the trainer for the American
team, and James E Sullivan. it a clear
case OF highway robbery. Judging from the re-
ports in the English papers, and from the action
of the Olympic committee, whether Intentionally
or not Carpenter fouled Lieutenant Halswelle,
the English runner. With three American runners
against one Englshman. il would have been
strange indeed if the Americans had not worked
together. This does not imply any question of
fouling. and indeed it would have been utter
folly for the American runners to unfair
tactics in a race in which the English had been
led to believe by newspaper stories that the
Americans would win at any cost This is the
strongest reason. perhaps TO believe that the
judgment against Carpenter is not entirely fair.
One thing is sure the provocation must have
been great for the American committee TO re-
fuse 10 allow its men TO rerun the race.
The Englishmen have been noted for their
sportsmanship, and many with whom 1 have
come in contact in golf. lawn tennis and other
sports have impressed with the spirit OF fair
ness in which they played. Englshmen may be
no less sportsmanlike now, but the most un-
fortunate part Of the occurrences in the Stadium
IS that It viii be impossible to convince thou
sands upon thousands OF persons in this coun-
try that the boasted sportsmanship is nothing
more than a name and that the desire to win
al any cost is just strong in one place as
another From a long way off there is reason
TO believe that the men in control of the
Olympic games in England were not happily
chosen. Be this as it may, the good fellow
ship existing heretofore between the athletes
of the two countries has been strained, although
not 10 the breaking point, it is hoped.
Disrnissing the unpleasant features in the
conduct of the games last week, one can turn
with feelings Of elation the brilliant perform
ance OF man after man the American team
in winning event after event last week and the
week before. II triumph for American
athletes and American methods and the honor
and glory Of winning the Olympic championship
~ -~osxo .En hars