Evening star., 1909-03-15
ROOSEVELT MEMBER
OF OLYMPIC BOARD
American Representatives
Outside of Track and
Field Athletics.
By Edward r. Bushnell.

1T is not generally known that EXPIRES
ident Theodore Roosevelt is now a MEM
ber of the international Olympic commit
tee. representing the United States. This
is in accordance with an unrepOrted vote
taken by the international committee at
The Hague two years ago, the resolution
being that as soon as Mr.. Roosevelt left
the presidency he should become a mem
Der of this committee. which is to decide
upon all the details of the next set OF
games. 1t may be that another vote VIII
be taken to make Mr. Roosevelt formally
a member but he is right now just as
good elected.
The naming of Mr.. Roosevelt to be a
member of the committee, taken in con-
junction with the recent mail vote. by
which Allison V. Armour was named 10
represent the United States. constitutes
very peculiar move on the part or the
Olympic committee. The United states
now has three members on the commit
tee which Is within one of the representa-
ton of England and France, which nave
four each. and if Mr. Roosevelt is to be
considered member this country now
has equal representation WITH EnSldhu
and France.
The selection of Mr.. Armour TO repre-
sent this country is ineXplicable to the
representatives of the Amateur Alhleiic
| niOD and Otnef dliIieJiC vi 'iiiS
country 1t looks TO be studied elIori'
on the part of the Olympic committee 10
ignore the very bodies which deserve rep
resentation. Mr.. Armour. whatever may
be his other qualifications, is not known
as one Interested in, or famillar Wlth
track and field athletics. His chief claim
TO fame Is that of "A yachtsman Tor ne
has been at the keil regatta seNefai times
and is reported to have met the German
emperor 1t has been facetlouSlE suS-
hot elected on
the supposition that the committee III
tends to add steam yachting 10 the oiElh
pic program and that he would De useiui
in securing entries from TINS country,
The composition of the American repre-
sentatiyes is now such that the members
are of very little use TO this country pe-
cause they are not identihed Ill any way
with track and field athletics. which lof
the most part make up the Olympic pro-
gram Prof. Sloane of Columbia unNef-
sity one of the committee. Is professor
of history hut is not known to take an!
deep interest in athlete :. James H. ttHoe'
the second representative. reSlues ="
Paris ard is even less Interested IN am
l.tics than Prof. Sloane. Now tins cotin-
:rv has Il similar representative III MT.
Armour. ;,; of
II is on account of the composition .,
tho international olympic committee anu
its methods of self -perpetuation that our
A A. L. has rebelled. The IDEA that ii
body of men. nearly all of whom are iol
c,rnnrs should select the men 10 repre-
sent ms in these games is diStaStelul ana
contrary TO our ideas of fair play. w Nat
makes i, worse is that we not only can
no, influence them i'll the legislation Vi
the committee. but we can't get rio VI
anV that are obJecuonaDie
Here is the reason i'll d nhtSheii Tor tle
action of the \ a. L. at its last annual
meeting in appointing a committee 10
bring about a meeting with men ih'eieS'-
ed for a complete REORGANIZATION OF the
tl,lc. lN-
the international committee were wise
il would have selected AS representatives
from this country some one cohhecteu
with the A. a. L. or the !. {. A A. a A,
for these are the two podles "hlch nave
most to do with the conduct of all the
Ol,.n,pic sports in this country. 1t was
probablv because of this quarrel and the
anger of Baron Coubertin, president or
the Olympic committee, because inns
country had dared TO attack the present
organization that the A. A. |, was to-
tally ignored in the selection of the thlrd
member from this country.
About once a month the London news
ma ners get some choice morsel from this
country which sets them off again in
violent attacks against the A. A. u
Their latest text is the statement of Theo-
dore Cook, a member of the British Oiym-
mic council but not of the international
Olympic committee. that America may not
he invited to compete at future olympic
meets Of course, talk of this kind is
lust SO much nonsense. 1t may be taken
for granted that, no matter where the
meet is held nor under what rules the
United States will be on hand, and IN
all probability will win as easily as on
previous occasions.
Western Athletes Coming.
What promises to be one of the most
notable features of the University of
Pennsylvania fifteenth annual relay
carnival set for Franklin Field, Philadel-
phia, April -. is the big delegation of
western men who are coming to measure
strength against the "effete east Ever
since the beginning of these games the
west has been well represented, but this
year the men from the interior of the
country threaten to make things lively
for their eastern rivals Michigan. Chi
cago and Illinois. the leaders of this sec
ton of the country, will bring good-sized
teams Both Chicago and Michigan have