Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-26
BY H. c. BYRD.

Few games are being played in the
amateur leagues now. Many of the
circuits have reached the point where
they have only to finish out their post
poned contests. while there are others
which have completed their schedules
entirely
Earlier in the season it was the gen
eral thing to see eight or ten games
played every day, but five is the ex-
ception now. The flag end OF the sea
son is being reached, and the scarcity
Of games is due simply to a natura
falling off in the number Of contests
played.
North Carolina, in the Sunday School
league, did not show up yesterday for the
game it had scheduled with the Sherwood
nine and forfeited 10 that team.
1t is very interesting to note some OF
the views taken of The recent Olympic
games by the English. One prominent
writer in Great Britain lays special stress
on the fact that the majority of those
who won for America were of foreign ex-
traction. He discourses as follows on his
views regarding the games:
Today, SO far as the stadium is the
arena. the Olympic games come to ar
end The crowds that have daily filled
that comely place. which is TO be per-
| manent center for physical culture ir
Sweden. have scarcely had a chance OF
cheering British victory. In the ter
days that have elapsed since the final OF
| the foot ball only one conspicuous victory
has been credited 10 Great Britain-the
Oxonian's plucky win in the LOO meters
What has been worse than the absence
of first prizes has been the paucity OF
English competitors who We're lin the
running No Englishman reached the
final of the sprint The first four mer
in the 500 meters were three Americans
and a German.
Time after time the American flag was
run up on the tall center Flagstaff at the
end Of the stadium. but what was moro
striking was the frequency with which
the Swedish flag was seen on one Of the
smaller posts that thanked the middle
post. indicating a second and third
place.
One can understand American supre-
macy. The winners are mostly English
men. Scotsmen and above all Jrishmen
at ono remove from the old country One
conspicuous victor was an cx-Swedc. A
vast population recruited by the best
red blood the Americans boast
from virile Europe. a population special
iSticaliy devoted to tn" narroweSt form
IF athletics and possessed almost of a
mania for competition. is likely to pro
duce a fine team. II did produce an in
| comparable team. Inclusion of Indians
Hauaiians and one Anglo-Russian fur
Their added 70 the totai marks.
The SWedcI arc q better standard of
cornpa rson. Their athletes delighted tho
eye. They were none OF them specialists
They were all gJmnasts in tho wide sense
as we'll athletes in the wide sense The
nation has used tho Olympic games 4
test of tho physical training in which tho
whole nation is brought IN. Rv Il quiet
i methodica! really national NOV elnent
they have vastly increased the national
v;riIity. The people AT largo can drill.
row. swim. run. throw. play.
ty,~.
ca mot direct our national talent for ath-
ictics so that our teams may at least have
some esprit dc corpS-in which the de-
featcd Olympic team was Crevously de-
ficient-and So that athletic skill with "A
chance Of representing the nation may be-