Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-19
OLYMP1AD GOES TO STOCKHOLM
sWedis Capital Chosen as a Dark
Horse In Race.

NEW YORK. Sept 1.-THE selection of
Stockholm as the site, and the announce
ment OF new regulations for the fifth
OiyInpiad. have opened an avenue OF es-
cape Tor both England and the United
states from the international quarrel which
mas been raging ever since the games in
London last summer. And apparently
both the disputants are glad Of the op-
%portunity to let the disagreeable subject
drop. Both sides are glad enough to have
the games awarded to the Swedish capital
and trust to the fairness OF the Mortimer
to avoid a repetition Of the 1908 troubles.
To the athletic world in general there is
a very hazy idea as to the status OF
amateur athletics in Sweden and the or
gantzstlon the Swedes have perfected for
holding these games. 1t is only within the
last twenty years that the Swedes have
made any pretense at promoting amateur
athletics. It is fitting. in this respect. that
the revival OF the Olympic games, first
held In 1896 at Athens, should nave brought
about this revival. Sweden was repre-
scented at this meeting. but it's athletes
were like infants compared to those from
America and England. They brought home
no prizes. but they acquired more infor-
nation on athletic matters than they could
mentally digest for the time being.
Fortunately for them. the Swedes were
willing and anxious to learn from the sue
cess OF the other countries. Primarily their
leaders set about perfecting some sort of
an organization for the DEVELOPMENT and
control Of amateur sports. In this they
copied for the most part the Amateur
Athletic union of the United States. The
different sports were allowed their own
separate organizations but all subscribed
to the same general amateur code. This
code OF amateurism is practically the same
as that of the Amateur Athletic union.
The Swedish association made its aim
the development of a powerful athletic
team that would bring honors to Sweden
at future Olympic meets. 1t was a hard
task and the hardy Mortimer met with
little success at Paris in 1900. They were
not represented at st. Louis in 1904. In
1906 they sent a team to the special games
at Athens and did exceptionally well.
Their success AT Athens fired their ambi-
ton to win more honors at London i'm 1908.
Consequently they resolved to learn all
they could from America and England by
sending athletes to each OF these coun-
tries to study foreign methods. To this
end Soderstrum, a pole ~vaulter. came to
America and made his headquarters at
Yale. where most OF the world champions
In the event have been developed. This
method, systematically followed. has given
Sweden a well rounded and able team for
the Olympic games. Furthermore, II en-
abled sweden to finish third in the Lon
don meet.
But the Swedes we're not content with
these honors. For several years they had
been dreaming OF the time when they
could hold the games at Stockholm. and
they wanted to celebrate the event not
only by making a good showing them
selves, but also by so managing the meet
that no one could complain. The interna-
tional council has now given them the
chance they wanted and they are further
more assured OF the good will Of the rest
Of the athletic world In their undertaking.
Both by temperament and experience the
Swedes are well fitted to conduct the 1912
games. Their temperament is the most
important consideration. II was tempera-
ment of the unyielding sort that made
most OF the trouble between England and
the United states last year, though the
trouble was the persistence Of the English
management I'm conducting the games with
out regard for the feelings Of other coun-
tries. Any person who has made a first
hand study Of English customs and the
English charactN knows that first OF ALI
the Englishman thinks ne has nothing 10
learn from other countries, least OF all
from America. 1t was this disregard for
contempt Of the customs and ideas Of the
other competing countries that aroused
the anger Of France. Germany and the
United States. And, to make matters
worse, the English officials attributed the
trouble to a desire to quarrel on the part
Of their guests. rather than to their own
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