Arizona republican., 1913-10-20
ATHLETICS AS A BUSINESS.
Frederic Harrison crticizes of
 Amateur Sport.

The aged English philosopher Frederic Harri- son, now above S1 protests in a letter to the don Times against the proposal raise a one-half million dollars train British athletes for the next Olympic games. In the letter en- ters into interesting criticism of modern anna
 eur athletics for being made business instead of kept follows:
 If young who do not gain their living by performing In public for hire are to meet and run races, leap and wrestle genuine teurs. nothing can be more wholesome I a devoted lover or games myself At school and at college went in with heart for boat and eleven; cheered Joe Chitty at Putney and Kidding Mersham at Lords. But sixty years ago large sums not wanted in to wfn
 "The eight eleven lived their usual lives their work even in training of a few weeks; and, for the part, they gained high honors in their universities schools at the bar and in public life All the preparation they had such befitted real amateurs and did not cost more than othe~ kinds holiday exercise. It did take them lives; it was an accomplishment, not profession, and helped to make them eminent of their time
 But what does one-half million dollars o be spent in three years that an army Of professional coaches are to be hired to about and pick out men having special o speed or some knack in leaping a bar-which as not quite incompatible with ath- letic condition of body. It seems if British candidate at Berlin will $5.0OO in some form. He has to be nursed maintained, kept in racing condition by public mOney-n fact, be hired. How does this differ from being professional performer in a kind of international circus?
 "Of course, I shall called by kindly friends a senile philosopher, by unknd critics an effem- mate crank In my day played most games with  eleven of my school, and for college Oxford in 1850. Today I tramping the here Cat Dartmeor) in their glory of golden and purple heather-not indeed, with a gun, but with the stout stick with which years have ranged the Alps
 The stories of Mynn and Pilch, of Clarke and Felix, which in your columns late recall to the cricket of the forties Alasi cricket far the noblest all games-is passing into professionalism gate money and contractors jobs. In most counties the eleven, except for amateur or two, professionals hired The talent passes to club rich enough pay tIeir price and to find the of qualifying' easy this is So, modern cricket tending become q struggle of purses, not of genuine home bred county players This football has long been. I wish rule could be made to restrict a county eleven amateurs, with professional bowler. It would then be honest trial local merit. At present the county which pay the best men, without real condition of birth, residence occupation, brings the highest gate
 And the to collect Olympic dust bids fair be another of 'gate'-profes- sonasfn-years of specialist coaching I should myself prefer to Britain decline to enter, liking the devices which show is run, and then challenge the world cricket football, stepplechase. This is better than trying to beat Jack Johnson the miraculous Italian pastry cook"