The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-07-07
BY Associated Press.

Stockholm, July 6.-The glory of the
opening of the olympic games of 1912
should be divided between Sweden and
the United States. Sweden gets the
lions share for the impressive stage
setting she provided for the contests.
which with the natural beauties of
Stockholm, its parks, palaces, lakes,
the king inaugurated the meeting,
makes it by far the most memorable
international festival ever held.
Americas share of honor was due
to the remarkable fashion in which
her brawny young men set to work
on the cinder. They ran away with
heat after heat in the first rounds of
the 100 and 500 meters. They outdid
the expectations of their trainers,
lie made and left the old time Brit
ish rivals far behind.
With the five American sprinters,
Meyer, Craig, Lippincott. Belote and
the south African patching to run the
final in the 100 meters, that event may
be written down for the United States
and with eight men out of eighteen to
compete in the semi finals of 500 met
ers, five of whom won their respective
heats in tile trials, it would seem as
though the United States had an op-
portunity to annex that event also.
The smashing Of the olympic record
by Lipptncott OF the University Of
Pennsylvania. n the sixteegsk heat Of
siee rnstses vMs an ev4ut fhat ants
hifp u tie f,e itsss 81
the Spriastield High ScnooI. strained
the tendon OF his left leg In the semi
finals Of one hundred metres.
Americans were successful in the
first rounds of the fencing contests to-
day.
impressive Ceremonial.
For the inaugural ceremonial the in
ternational committee which included
representatives of all nations, under
the leadership of the Crown Prince
Gustav Adolph Of Sweden, assembled
on the field in front of the massed
competitors. A big male choir was
formed up at the far end of the sta
dium and sang hymn while several
bands played. The court pastor, the
Rev. Oskar Clemens Aehfeldt, then
preached a short sermon in Swedish.
Rev. Robert de Courcy Laffan of the
city of London, an old rowing man and
a member cf the Olympic committee,
then stepped forward In his clerical
robes and offered prayer, speaking of
the meeting as in the interest Of
peace and friendship.
While everybody stood uncovered,
the assemblage sang the Luther hymn,
"A Mighty Fortress is Our God"
The crown prince made a brief
speech and afterward Cling Gustave V
rose and formally declared the Olym-
pic games open. His majesty laid en-
phasis on the great honor which had
been done TO Sweden, who had been
enabled to greet her friends and well
come athletes from other nations to
peaceful competitions. His majesty
expressed the hope that the noble
idea of the Olympic games of old
would be followed in these modern
games. to the great benefit of the ply
sical health of the nations. The crown
prince, speaking again in Swedish, eu-
logized physical culture. saying the
richer a country was in earnest, devot-
ed sportsmanship, the more it was to
be congratulated. He asked the for
eign sportsmen present to rest assur-
ed that the Swedes, who had had the
great honor of organizing the fifth Sc
ries of Olympic games, were sincere
ly inspired by the desire that victory
should go to the best men. The fifth
Olympic games would thus be made
worthy of its predecessors and be the
greatest sporting meeting of modern
times.
Trumpeters Sounded Blast.
A group Of trumpeters in medieval
costume stationed on the tower at the
south end of the stadium sounded a
blast which was responded to by an
other group of trumpeters on the
tower at the opposite end.
The crown prince, waving his hat,
led three Iesounding cheers and the
march of the athletes Immediately be-
gan.
AS soon as 1t was finished. body
lco-.,-,,,ad On Pc n-inoN