Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-02
BY II. C. BYRD.

BY n. C. BYRD.
be held in the Harvard stadium next
| Saturday will be the greatest event of
| the kind that has ever been seen in this
| country. There will be finer talent in the
various events, and the men will prob
ably be better trained than ever before.
There will be such wonderful class In
each Of the events that 1t is only to be
expected that more records will go by
the boards. and better marks will be
made in the events. as whole. than have
| ever been set in any meet previously
held in the United States.
| The Olympic try-outs at Harvard Will
probably be just as classy a competition
as will be seen in the real Olympic meet
itself. Just at present America seems to
have the edge on all the other nations
| in the track and field events. and the
class of the talent that will represent
| this country will take part in the games
| 1t will be the first time that college
| and club athletes have ever competed on
| equal footing. with both in good condi-
| ton. In the former meets in which col
| lege men have had to meet their ciuo
| brothers they have been at disadvan-
| tage because of poorer condition but TINS
| time such will not be the case although
| they are not likely to be as good as might
| be the case owing to the grueitng events
| in which they took part yesterday at
| Fraklin Field. When collegiate chaH-
pions meet the best men there are IN the
clubs work is likely to be seen, sucn as
! It will not be the privilege of Witness
| ing again in years. 49,
Recognizing that the competition Is 10
| be the classiest ever, special eHorts arc
being made to put the Harvard track IA
shane to let the athletes show at their
best. When the events start Saturday,
providing weather conditions are favor
able 1t is probable that the contestants
will compete on a course the interior 10
| none in the world
The independence League will play Its
first game in the District League park
tomorrow. Efforts have been made TO
put the field in the best possible condltlon
No admission will be charged to the
games. and there will be special secton
reserved for the ladies'
Hyatt did not do such wonderful work
Yesterday against the MiddieS after all.
even though he did win his game. The
Midshipmen found him for eleven hits.
Just what will come Of the Capital City
League muddle is hard to tell. 1t looks
guilty Of violating the rules that have
been laid down by the commission Tor
the safeguarding Of the amateur circuits
What will be done is not known, but 1t
rather appears that the Sewerage Pump
ing Station is due to be censured for the
course it has taken In the matter. 1t
seems to have been guilty OF an attempt
to prevent the league from continuing its
| season. When 1t left regularly sched-
uled game in it's own league to play an
exhibition contest in another circuit, II
it did not violate the letter of the law.
as laid down by the amateur body. 1t
did In spirit. It is hardly the proper
conduct for a team in one league to fail
to play its own schedule and at the same
time take part in an exhibition contest
in another. No matter IL the Capital
City League was hitting rocks. there was
no cause for one of it's teams to leave
1t. nor did 1t have the right to do so
| under the constitution which governs
amateur base ball until the league was
officially declared defunct organization
What will be done about the matter
tomorrow night, when the whole thing
will be thrashed out at a meeting OF the
commission. is problematic. but 1t Ia GER
tatp that the course pursued in this IN
stance will not be commented. There
is a possibility yet that the Capital City
League will continue its season, and if 1t
gets other clubs to take the franchises
left vacant by the Gunners and the Navy
Yard. then the Pumping Station will still
| be eligible to play in the Columbia
League, as 1t is now doing.
In regard to the Pumping Station play
ing in the Columbia League man who
| is in position to know what he is talk
| ing about and who said that he had good
reason for believing what he stated gave
| it as his candid opinion that the games
| now being played in the Columbia
| League while carded as exhibitions, were
| understood to be allowed to stand as
regular contests. provided the bumpers
| were finally admitted to the circuit. II
such is the case, and there iS posi-
bility that it may be. the condition of
cially a member of another presents
itself before the commission in a way
that will have to be considered seriously
Whether or not the above is true can
| not be told but 1t Is certainly worth
investigation and will surely be brought
up in the commission meeting Monday by
| interested parties. The whole matter
will be aired at that time and the re-
| suits are not apt to be very gratifying
| to anybody.
The question has been raised as to
| why the local track and field athletes
are not taking the expected interest
| in the municipal meet to be held July
| 4, and much surprise is being express
ed that such is the case. The whole
| thing sums itself up into one factor.
that the track Oh WHICH the cNeNtS
were held last year was not in any
| kind Of condition. The cinders were
| not pacsked and looked as though
| there had been little or no attempt to
| put the field in shape for the events.
There was much dissatisfaction after
| the meet was finished because of the
| fact, and many expressions were heard
| to the, effect that there would be few
| entries this year. That the condition
now in effect is that there is little
| interest in the events was presaged
then. and is not very surprising to
| those who knew the conditions last
year.
There Is no laxity In the interest
| taken in track and field athletics in
Washington. as was shown during the
| indoor season last winter. when the
which to compete. No runner feels
| like going to Potomac Park to run in
| loose cfnders, from which clouds Of
dust arise that almost stif1e him. Give
Washington a good track on which to
hold competition in track athletics, and
there would be just as much interest
shewn In the outdoor work as during
the winter.
or course 1t costs a lot of money to
fix track up in good condition, and 1t
is we'll known fact that the funds with
which to accomplish this work are not
plentiful by any means but without
a good track 1t Is almost useless to at
tempt to hold a meet and expect to be
successful. 1t Is not the fault Of any
one that the track is not in the proper
| condition. it is simply condition re-
sulting from a lack of funds with which
| to accomplish what is desired.
| There is another light that may be
| placed on the action of the Sewerage