The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-12
Thanks to King, Expected to
Take Leading Part in
Olympic Games.
by LA MAnaUIsE, DIE FoNTENoY.

BY LA MARQUISE DE FONTENOY.
CPAIN, thanks to her King, who Is
so devoted to athletic sports OF
every kind, will figure quite prom
fnently ut the international olympic
games at Berlin two years hence.
Everybody knows of his fondness for
polo, game In which he is an adept.
But what most people in this country
do not know Is that, largely due to his
initiative, Spain is developing an en-
thusiasm for football: and he has just
announced his intention of giving
very handsome cup each year for ma
tional competition by the various foot
ball clubs In his dominions. There are
no less than five important clubs of
this kind In Madrid alone, and most Of
the cities and towns. both big and
small, have now their football clubs
and their football grounds. The games
excite Il tremendous amount Of popular
interest, salmost as much. indeed, as
the bullhghts. though there is as yet
no prospect of their supplanting these
latter in popularity. The game play
ed is association football
Nor are polo and football the only
manifestations Of the rapid growth of
the new athletic movement In Spain.
Tennis, both court and lawn. golf,
yachting and swimming. are likewise
In vogue, while athletic meetings. with
running, jumping, pole vaulting. etc.
contests, arc being organized through
out the length and breadth Of the land.
Moreover, the Boy Scout movement has
caught on. and is being actively foster
cd by the King and many of his lead
ing mobiles. 1t numbers already many
thousands of Spanish boys. III Madrid
there are about 5000 of them alone.
and the youngsters are full OF en-
thusiasm.
Spain indeed has, through the in
fiuencc mainly of her King. turned
over a new leaf. The old days of physi-
cal Incidence and inertia, which kept
men lounging, smoking and resting in
preference to anything else, putting off
every possible eXcrtion to the morrow,
are passing away.
Don Alfonso has been largely assist
ed In the promotion of this athletic
movement in his dominions. by all
those young Spaniards of good family.
including some of his own Spanish
kinsmen, who have been educated at
the great Catholic colleges in England.
and who have acquired there a pro-
nounced taste for the various sports
Of the English speaking races.
Incidentally, 1t may be stated that
Spain is thriving to wonderful de-
gree. During tho last ten years there
has been an increase OF over 200 per
cent in the amount OF the deposits of
the various savings banks OF the king
dom. and an increase of $50 per cent
in the number of depositors. More
over. industry and trade are prosper
ing to such an extent that the Spanish
railroads find themselves just at pres
ent unable to handle nc traffic. owing
to an insuniciency o. ,rs, and are now
engaged in endcavoring to purchase at
once, or to lease abroad, 5000 cars for
Immediate use.
a number of new hotels are going up
in Madrid, where the principal
thoroughfares are now being paved
with asphalt and wood. in the place OF
those terrible cobblestones which have
done duty for hundreds of years; while
the municipality is also equipping the
metropolis with an entirely new sani-
tary and sewerage system of the most