Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-17
COMMISSION is SENT
TO STUDY CONDITIONS
Will Also Secure an American
Coach to Institute a Similar
System Among Germans.
BY EDWARD r. BUSHNELL.

Beware of Germany is the warning
which is being sent to this country by
every one who has made a close and in
telligent study of the systematic way
the kaiser's athletic officials are going
about the business Of getting together a
team which will properly represent their
country in the sixth Olympian, which is
to be staged in Berlin in July. 1916.
Most persons do not realize the extent
to which Germany is planning to break
up America 8 monopoly of Olympic cham
pionships. A little unwritten history
will probably illustrate this. In 1908
the year the games were held in London
the international Olympic council offered
Germany the games in 1912 The Ger
mans refused, after a careful study OF
the local situation, to take them. Fol
several years previously their athletic
officials had been planning to entertain
the athletes of the world in 1912. To
that end they had secured a place fol
the location of the stadium and could
have had it ready for 1912. had they not
decided after a careful canvass that In
terest in track and field athletics
throughout the empire had not been
sufficiently aroused to enable Germany
to do herself justice. For that reason
Germany allowed the games to go to
Stockholm.
But in the meantime Germany went
vigorously to work to prepare team
which would make much better show
ing at Stockholm than its predecessors
had done at London in 1905 On the
foundation then laid Germany has Deeii
building ever since. and now mas an
athletic system which its sponsors feei
will make Germany not ashamed to DE
compared to 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
in the United States To that end Ger
many has been adopting American
methods wherever possible since lSOS,
and has even utilized the coaching OF
several American athletes living IN Ger
many, notably James Lightbody, former
Nv of Chicago University, and three
times Olympic champion in 1904 Light
body was very keen to be made the Ger
man Olympic coach to fill position
created much like that of Ernest HJert-
berg in Sweden.
The German authorities apparently hau
other ideas. not being ready at that time
to engage a coach. Before committing
themselves they decided to send com
mission to the United states to make
most exhaustive study OF the athletic
yersities and athletic clubs. That com
mission sailed last week and will at once
begin the study of how America does it
In addition to its Investigations the
German committee expects to take back
with il the signed contract of some
American to coach German athletes
When the commission left Berlin it was
cabled to this country that they haC
decided to offer the position to Alvin c
Kraenzlein, the former University Of
Pennsylvania and world champion hurd
Ter. Kraenzlein visited Germany LAS
winter shortly after he had resigned as
coach OF the University of Michigan. g
position he gave up on account Of his
wife's Illness Kraenzlein returned te
this country without getting the position
and apparently without much encourage
ment This. however, may have beer
due to the fact that the Germans were
not then ready to engage coach anG
wanted to look over the list Of available
candidates first.
There is no doubt that Kraenxleir
would make an ideal man for the posi-.
ton. He is a German by birth and