New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-17
Will Study and Copy Americas
System of Developing
Its Athletes.
FOUNDATION ALREADY LAID
Success in 1915 Will Add
Further to Their National
Honor and They Will
Work to That End.
nv Edward X. Bushnell.

"Revare Of Germany" Is the warning
which is being sent to this country by
every one who has made close and in
teligent study of the systematic way the
Kaiser's athletic officials are going about
the business Of getting together team
which will represent their country In the
sixth Olympic games in Berlin in July
1916.
Most persons do not realize the extent
10 which Germany Is planning TO break
Up Americas monopoly Of Olympic cham
pionships. A little history will Illus
trate this. I'm 1908. when the games were
held in London. the international Olym-
pic Council offered Germany the games
I'm 1872 The Germans refused 10 take
them. For several years previously their
athletic officials had been planning to en-
tertaln the athletes of the world in 1872
To that end they had secured place
for the location Of the stadium. and could
have had IL ready for 1912 had they not
decided after a careful canvass that
interest I'm track and field athletics
throughout the empire had not been suf-
fciently aroused 10 enable Germany to
do herself justice.
In the meantime Germany went 10
work TO prepare a team which would
make a much better showing az Stock
| holm than its predecessors had done al
London. on the foundation then laid
Germany has been building since. and
! now has an athletic system which It's
Sponsors feel will make Germany not
ashamed TO be compared 20 the United
States hereafter.
Germany makes no secret Of the fact
that the ideal system for the develop
ment OF athletic teams is that followed
| I'm the United States, and has been adopt
| ing American methods wherever possible
since 1905
! The German commission which IS 10
study American athletics expects 10 take
/ back with 1t the signed contract OF some
| American TO coach German athletes.
| When the commission left Berlin It was
| cabled 10 this country that they had de-
cided 10 offer the position 10 Alvin c.
| Kraenzlein the former University OF
| PENNSYLVANIA hurdler. Kraenzlein visited
| Germany last winter shortly after he had
resigned as coach OF the University OF
/ Michigan Kraenzlein returned 10 this
country without getting the position. This.
! however. may have been due TO the fact
that tho Germans were not then ready 70
/ engage a coach
/ There Is no doubt that Kraenzlein would
make an ideal man for the position. lie
IS a German by birth and speaks the Ian
guage 1uently. Likewise he has been In
/ Germany several times and is we'll ac-
( qualnted with conditions there. in this
country he was trained and developed by
Michael G. Murphy the most famous OF
all athletic coaches. Since his graduation
from Pennsylvania he has coached a,
Mercersburg Academy. the University OF
Wisconsin and Michigan. He not only
knows the Murphy system perfectly. but
has gained much experience on his own
account.
While here the German commission IN
tends TO study eXhaustively how we de-
velop athletes They viii begin by an
examination OF orr public school athletic
system. whore they will study how We IN
terest the boys I'm outdoor sport. encour-
age them TO develop their bodies. and
then. when they are old and strong
enough. supply them with competitive
athletics
In other words the Germans intend
10 follow our development Of the athlete
through his entire career Every bit of
information they can obtain will be
taken back and used by them. The
United States has always done every
thing in It's power to encourage It's
rivals.
AS near as can he learned the Ger
man commission will make the German
nation realize that its national honor
demands a good showing In the 1915
meet. To that end all of the public
schools throughout the Empire will be
encouraged TO foster athletics. I'm add
ton TO their present gymnastic work. in
the hope that champions will be discov-
cred. Similar encouragement will b.
given for the organization OF athletic
| clubs throughout the country.
Germany retains from its 1912 team
good nucleus This includes Braun
who was second 10 Reidpath in the AGO.
metre run in Stockholm. He is good for
40 seconds IN the quarter-mile and 1854
I'm the half-mile. Braun announced after
the Stockholm games that he would give
up athletics. but he has reconsideret
and will probably run as long as he I.
able.
Another high class German athlete 4
Lische. who was second TO Richards II
the running high jump at Stockholm
Lsche was. in fact, the surprise of thi,
event. for prior TO the meet few person.
had ever heard of him. He jumped 8 fee
3 Inches at Stockholm, Just one inch les,
than Richards.
Two other men who are always sure Il
be point winners are Passemann. the poll
vaulter and broad jumper. and Rau. tn
sprinter. Passemann was not in his usua
good condition last year but ne has dom
better than II feet for the pole vault anC
% feet for the running broad jump. RAJ
was Germans champion Splinter. but h,
failed to come through at Stockholm.
In addition to the four men mentioned
| Germany sent quite number OF promls
ing athletes to Stockholm whose chic
faults were their lack OF confidence anS
| their nexperience. If Germany succeeds
In giving this crop Of young athletes tn,
sort OF severe competition they need an,
gives the proper encouragement to other,
to take up athletics the United States. a
well as other countries, will have 10 b,
on their guard