Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-07-31
HARD TO DEFINE AMATEUR
international Olympic Committee
Troubled Over Rules.
MANY DIFFERENCES OF OPINION
Not Discouraged by Failure co Get
General RuIc, Committee Takes
suggestions from Numer-
Gus Authorities.


NEW YORK. July 3s.--For couple Of
years or 80 the universal definition Of an
amateur has been troubling the interna-
tional olympic committee. and II has de-
voted lot OF time to the framing OF an
amateur definition that would suit all coun-
tries and all classes OF anna ears About
year ago an English sporting paper in
vited the opinions OF men Interested in
amateur sport and It published the opinions
OF long string OF authorities. All this
matter was turned over to the International
Olympic committee, and it formed sub
committee to take charge Of the question
and report within a year.
This report was read at the recent meet.
Ing OF the International committee at Lux
enburg BY Theodore A. Cook, representing
Great Britain. The failure to reach a COM
mon standard i'm no way discouraged the
members of the committee, who are de-
termined that It must come, and some day
there viii be a definition Of an amateur
that will conform TO all classes AS a
sort of beginning with that end in view
the international Olympic committee In ao-
ceptlng Cooks report selected two sports
| for discussion II was decided that France
should have the task of defining an anna
teur fencer, and England should draw up
the definition OF the track ana field anna
teur.
England and France itcpOrt.
Following is the report:
/. Many of our best racing men, mem
bers OF the Jocky club, ana others, ana
many Of our best yachting men, members
OF the Royal Yacht squadron and others,
habituRlly receive money prizes and pay
professionals to help them win their races.
But II they followed similar course OF
action In the case OK athletics lawn tennis,
for competing for the amateur champion
ship in these sports.
q In athletics a man who has competed
against a professional loses ipso faoto his
amateur status, whereas in golf, in racing,
In court tennis Ceu de paune), In cricket
and some other sports such competitions
are frequent and entail no penalty
3. In some sports, such as rowing, II has
only been found possible to hold out against
the increase of professionalism by making
the amateur definition extremely rigid
The Amateur Rowing association probably
recognizes that this rigidity necessarily
limits the scope of their competitions, but
they might with justice argue that the
| laxity introduced into certain other sports
has produced evils which make them both
unrepresentative OF local effort and useless
to the national life No argument is at
present likely to change this point Of view
ana no amateur definition OF a simple and
inclusive kind can now enjoy the approval
of the amateur rowing association.
Universal ODAniOn Later.
| The result of my inquiries is as logical
as 1t is definite. From general point
of view they prove that universal defi-
milton of the amateur for ell sports Is
at present impossible. In their special APP
! plication, however, TO our own task and to
| the Olympic games, they are not of SO neg
alive a character, for they go to show that
when an athlete Is entered for particular
event, by his national association govern.
| ing the sport in which that event forms o
| his stains be faiTlv
| guaranteed by that association and will be
accepted by competitors OF his own ma.
the Ideals OF the great associations con.
trolling sports In all countries that the
entry guaranteed by one such association
shall be accepted by all associations gov
So far this task only reached its tirst
stage when associations in other countries
accepted It for the purpose OF the Olympic
games OF 1908, the amateur definition Of tht
association controlling each particular spori
/ in the United Kingdom. In several cases
the Swedes will be using IN 1912 defini
tions which are either exactly similar Z
those of 1908 or improved by wider expert
ence in certain forms OF sport. In 1919 a
Stockholm as in 1908 in London, the grea
associations Of all competing countries VII
accept for the purpose OF the Olympic
gaines of 1912 the amateur definitions pu
forward by the country In which the. games
are held. The same process will be re
peated in 1916. And obviously, since ell ar
animated by the same general principle. WI
shall all gradually arrive at series of de
! tails tending to become more and NOR
similar and less and less numerous. But a
the present moment haste in any detail
or excessive rigidity in any ATTEMPT at uni
ficatinn can only result IN offending thos
associations which we may perhaps guild
and support. but to which we can neve
issue definite orders.
Committee Might Help.
The international Olympic committee ma.
we'll lend some practical and useful aid e
this slow but sure development, so tina
the result OF the efforts inspired by Coun
Bertier de Sauvignys report shall not b.
sterile. What then can we do? ventur
to make two suggestions:
1. In the country we can try to persuad
cept the same definition of an amateur 70
the sports they control. We can ask ,
G, d, e, for example, to state their OBJ
jections TO AS definition after this defini
ton has been reduced to Its most elementa
form. These objections we may gradual,
perience, until one country at least can sa!
that for the majority OF its sports tn
definition is the same.
We may also endesvor to secure tn
definition of an amateur such, for instance
as one OF those definitions accepted boil
in London In 1908 and in Stockholm in 1919
in one sport which may commend itsel
not only to two, but to three, four ant
even five nations when II has been authori
tatively brought TO their notice by mem
} Der Of this committee. In swimming
solution OF this kind has already been tried
but It seems to have been reached onfy b!
the insertion. OF reservation in favor o
Germans and Swedes. which will have tn
effect OF barring an italian. Frenchmai
, or an Englishman from entering com
petition open TO SwedeE and Germans o