New-York tribune., 1912-04-05
OLYMPIC QUESTION Up
Some Friction Over Appointment
of Commissioner to Games.
TULLY EXPLAINS POSITION
Saws Swedish Committee Is Not
Opposed to Naming of Man
for This Country.

Friction has developed among those most
Interested in sending a team of athletes TO
the Olympic games ct Stockholm. Sweden,
next July. So at least. It would appear.
The dark clouds are revolving around the
appointment Of a United States commits
sioner 70 the games which must be made
h,' President Taft
Early this week word came from Wash
mgton that the President had been in
formed that the Swedish Olympic commit
tee did not care to have a commissioner
appointed, but. Judging from letter mailed
10 his secretary yesterday, Mr.. Taft has
been misinformcd or else an unfortunate
misunderstanding has arisen.
IN an effort 10 straighten out the tangc
Andrew +. Tully. secretary OF the Metro
potan Association Of the Amateur Athletic
Union, addressed the following letter yes
tcrday 10 G. d. Hilles. the Presidents sec
retary, which speaks for itself;
My Dear Sir: Referring TO your letter of
April 2 would say that 1 feel confident
there has been some Misunderstanding in
regard 10 this Olympic situation. | have
talked with a member OF the executive
committee Of the American Olympic com
mittee that is managing, with full power,
TIE American end Of the fifth Olympiad
and he informs me that on December Z.
Ell, at A meeting Of the executive COM
nittec OF the American Olympic committee
~ which the following members were pres
snt. Colonel Robert VI. Thompson, Gus
tayus T Kirby, Julian W. Curtiss, Barlow
s. Weeks, DR.. Luther Halsey Gulick. James
l. sullivan, Allison '. Armour. Professor
W ". Sloane and Evert J. Wendell.
motion was unanimously carried naming
James l.. sullivan as its choice for United
states commissioner, and Colonel Robert
NJ. Thompson was delegated to convey this
Information to the President Of the United
States
I note that owing to the signihed desire
Of the Olympic games commission the
President will not appoint an American
commissioner Now, Will you kindly ad-
wise me what olympic games commission
has Signihed such desire?
We 90 know from our records that the
swedish olympic committee, which has
absolute control OF the games, has not eX-
pressed such a desire. However, we have
heard that certain members Of the interna-
Lonal Olympic committee body that has
asked that no United States commissioner
b appointed, I'm order that they might be
sGp'eme. This does not suit American attn
letlc interests, who want United States
commissioner, and urge that such com
missioner shall be James r. Sullivan.
As a matter Of fact. the three Ameri-
can members Of the international olympic
committee Messrs Sloane, Wendell and
Armour, attended this meeting Of Decem-
her :, 1911, not as members OF the interna-
tionsl Olympic committee, but az members
Of the American Olympic committee, voted
for Mr. Sullivan and indorsed him. To our
knowledge there has been no meeting OF
the international Olympic committee from
that day until this. So. If the interna-
tinnal Olympic committee has decided not
10 have an American commissioner ap-
pointed IL seems peculiar that they did not
consult the American olympic committee;
We firmly believe that this international
committee, which has no standing whatso-
ever I'm America, has no right TO make
such request OF our President.
ANDREW T. TUILY.