Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-26
ong News and Gossip Concerning All the Live Topics Of the Day
FEW GAMES BEING PLAYED
NOW IN AMATEUR LEAGUES
Several Circuits Have Concluded Schedules
and Others Are Reaching Fag End Of
Season-Some British Com
ment on Olympics.

! come a really healthy ambition among
rich and poor, in town and village
Such an ideal. realized already in SWe-
den. in Denmark and in Finland. IS being
discussed in France and Germany.
Here is what another writer says. He
feels so put out because his country
was lost in the games that were re-
Gently concluded. that he must offer
ritfclSmS and suggestions which are
meant to place American athletes and
the methods employed there to develop
athletes in as unfavorable a light as
possible. Here is what he says:
Without entering into the merits Of
American and continental methods of
sport opposed TO English methods.
may say that Mr.. Beach Thomas and
the writer of your leading article are
both making a mountain out of a mole
hill. 1t is the fact that among leading
Englishmen. and indeed. among those
who care for the national welfare. the
olympic games are regarded very much
as if they were parlor tricks in a pro-
Iincial drawing room The fact-if
fact it is, which ! doubt. that the games
are regarded with overwhelming seri-
BUSINESS by other nations is one which,
thank heaven. need not concern
we have other things to do which We
regard as overwhelmingly serious. We
have got beyond the stage of playing
games 1t is true we taught the world
the meaning OF the word sport,
though they have been dull learners.
but now we have graver problems to
deal with Outdoor games were. dur
ing the nineteenth century. the amuse-
ment of the upper classes of the lead
ing race of the world---viZ., the Eng
lish. Parlour tricks (Which you ought
TO spell parlor) are the amusement
of the upper classes in a household.
If we find man who regards his
failure to jump on to the drawing
whelmingly serious matter, we call
him a fool. And when we find a ma
ton that takes success at games as
test of greatness, we put them down
an inferior people. Especially when
the ideal is. as 1t certainly is in Amer
lea to win a any cost.
But although the reason ] have given
viz. other and more serious work
will amply account for the lack of in
terest displayed by the. English in the
Olympic games. it is not the only one.
Almost all games and sports have be-
come infected with professionalism. !
will not stop to explain the incompati
bility of sport with professionalism but
| think You will agree that they are
mutually destructive. Mr.. Beach
Thomas makes 1t very plain that com
mercialism is the keynote of latter-day
sport. With such no clean English gen
tleman will have anything TO do"
The gentleman who wrote the above ar
ticle brings to the point that England has
more serious things to think Of than ath
letics, and in that, ut least IS superior to
this country. lie probably has forgotten
thai on two occasions, when the countries
have met III more serious matters than
an athletic test. the ono he regards In
ferior did not appear in any unfayora bic
Hight. Perhaps the more serious question
which IS being considered by the writer
Of tho article is: If We cannot beat the
infant on either of two attempts how can
We ever hope 10 trounce il after II has
grown into giant ?? The gentleman
will have many 4 serious moment before
he solves his problem.
There IS one British writer. though. who
has given America its due and hit the
keynote Of things when lie wrote the fol-
lowing paragraph:
IF Great Britain wishes to 90 tn thu
Berlin oismpiad with any prospect Of do
ing herself credit she must first OF all
send her best trainer TO America for a
year 10 learn his business"