The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-06-28
Ry James D. sullivan.)

From time to time dissatisfied in- dividuals have endeavored to create dissension in the Amateur Athletic Union, and criticized that body un- justly. but such individuals have in variably failed. as the majority of those interested in athletics know what the situation would be without the governing body. The Amateur Attn letic Union is absolutely responsible for the healthy condition of track and field athletics and the general interest that is taken in American sports. Criticism and abuse can never take away from that body the credit for it's twenty-two years of hard and honest work in the interest of wholesome amateur athletics. The Amateur Ath- letic Union has established laws for tions, its association members. com peting athletes, the clubs and the pro- moterS, and these laws were enacted after careful deliberatiOn. At times the enforcement of the rules affects, by what is termed by some. ''an un- fortunate, but as the Amateur Attn letic Union is a voluntary organization, those who are not satisfied with its laws and who do not like the penalties imposed are not compelled to remain members, if they are clubs, nor to con- tinue their registration cards. which
 
 athletes.
 Prior to the formation of the A. A. U., sport in the United States was controlled by an Association known as 'tf1e National Association of Amateur Athletes of America. referred to in brief as the N-Four-As. This asso- ciation had very few members. Its president was Walton Storms. and the present Secretary-TreaSurer of the Amateur Athletic Union, James E. Sul- livan, was Vice-President. The Nat ional Association interested itself very little in the development of athletics throughout the United States. and MT. Sullivan resigned in 1887 and became the prime mover of the Amateur Ath- letic Union.
 The formation of the Amateur, Ath- letic Union of the United States and it's public proclamation that it would control amateur sport in America. led to a bitter warfare with the old N. A. A. A. A. in 1888. Recognizing the in jury that was being done to athletic sport by the continuation of the war, MT. A. G. Mills of the New York Ath- letic Club and MT. A. c. Stevens of the New Jersey A. C., who were two of the most able men on the Amateur Atheltic Union board, terminated the hostilities, the N. Y. A. A. A. agree ing to relinauish control and go out of existence and bring its club into the Amateur Athletic Union. The Amateur Athletic Union as it was organized in 1888 was a union of clubs, with a board of governors of twelve but the organization and expansion of sport in the United States under its auspices met with such spontaneous approval that clubs sprung up all over and it became at once apparent that the mechanism of government was be- coming unwieldy. Pacific Coast and New Orleans matters had to be ad- .,-ex %1I Srl HT0rr 0rI- 1TO ed that something would have to be done if the organization was to remain intact and still have control. In 1889 Mr. A. G. Mills worked out what has since been known as the Mills Reor- ganization Plan," whereby each sec- tion of the country would have home rule and instead of the Union being an association of clubs provided that it should be a union of Associations, active and allied. The plan was adopt ed unanimously. The wisdom of the Mills plan was immediately apparent, as from it started what has proved to be the most remarkable growth of ath- leticS known in any country Of the world. An estimate of the competing athletes in 1888 would be about three thousand; today statistics show that there are millions. Recognizing the strength of the Amateur Athletic Un- ion and the strength that would accrue from organized athletics in their own spheres, other governing bodies quick ly formed alliances with the national body Among the allied bodies today are the Intercollegiate A. A. A, Attn letic League of Y. M. C.. As Athletic League of Young Mems National Cath olic Union, North Amercian GymnaS- tic Union, National Cycling Associa- tion. International Skating Union, Mill itary Athletic League. Amateur Fenc- ers' League, Federation of Motor Cy clists. and the Union des Societes Franchises de Sports Athletiques.
 Since the first authentic amateur athletic meet held in Hoboken in 1888, progress has been steadily made in track and field athletics. In 1866, with