Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-12
BritOns In an Athletic Slump
ReverseS Cause Much Dissension

OF the foreign competitor" English
men, he says, know what is going on
and are disguised by the knowledge
that immense sums are now being
spent to buy men and to turn them
into professional record breakers"
This is why, he AYERS, there is no re-
spouse from the great public to the
appeal for 100000, which leads peo-
only before the spurious amateurism
pie to think that it is proposed to
adopt American methods"
On the professional amateurs meth
cd The Newcastle Daily Chronicle
grows cynically sarcastic and re-
marks:
1T will be quite worth spending
$4,000 to train cams of profession
ais and send them to Berlin. 1t will,
at any rate, be Just as good fun as
backing horses in obscure alleyways.
And it will permit the genuine anna
teur to proceed on his way in peace.
He will go on playing cricket and
football, running with the barriers, or
having an occasional round with the
gloves, happily indifferent to the wiles
of the highly salaried coach and ap-
preciating, though not envying, the
exploits of those who are being paid
to do these things, and, being paid.
naturally do them much better than
he can hope to do them. But even
though we spent 100000 and still re-
manned out of the running at Ber-
lin, we should not have any reason to
shed tears"
Any success at Berlin, also argues
the London Daily News, would 1ut
really revive the national prestige"
of English sport, for only a few high
ly trained and expensive specialists
would be put to the front and this
would not imply the creation of -
system of universal physical educa-
ton" Therefore:
ut is really more spOrtsmanlike
to do our best in such events, and,
where inevitable, accept defeat, than
to try to purchase with great price
an altogether unrepresentative vie
tory. The lavish expenditure of the
United States on its selected athletes
has no doubt resulted in their seclr-
ing a considerable number of tro-
phies."
Tt HE appeal for funds is. however,
Imported by The Times, in whose
editorial columns we are told that be-
cause money is spent on athletics 1t
does not necessarily result in turn
ing the amateur into a professional.
Witness the boat race at Oxford,
which is "one of the more COSTS
forms of amateur sport, and yet rs
more free than any from the faint
of professionalism" The Times
wishes England to cut a figure in
the games of 1916, and therefore
backs the appeal and encourages
English athletics to enter at Berlin.
This paper admits that some Incl
dents of foul play disgraced former
Olympic games, but complacently
adds:
1--WE protested strongly at the time
against some of the incidents which
disgraced the games of 1908. But
since then, though the games ut
Stockholm were not altogether clear
of reproach, a distinct advance mas
been made. y We venture TO oeneVe
that. owing to the greater leASth ~
lis traditions, the British conception
Of sportsmanshi, has had a certain
dominating influence in forming in
ternational opinion in this matter
II that is so. 1t may be reckoned as
a really valuable result of the Olympic
games, and even as an argument 10:
their continued existence. But IN
any case continue they must Gre II
british can not at this stage, as Mr..
Harrison wishes, retire from the con-
test Not to GO to Berlin would oe
an insult to our German FRIENDS anu
prospective hosts, as well as to tha
other nations engaged, which would
he far more harmful than the posi-
bility of international complications
whi.n the games have sometimes
threatened TO produce in the past.
The country, as we have said more
than once, is committed to the con-
test. That is why We support the
appeal, which Lord Grey and his EEL
low signatories have put before us
as a national duty. Not because We
should look like sulky children whJ
will not play in a game in which they
have been beaten, but because we are
II, honor hound to send to Berlin thu
best team that we can get together
we commend the fund to the generos
ity and public spirit of our readers. -
Literary Digest.