The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-08
TYPE OLYMP|AD
To Be ARRANGED
international Olympic Com
mittee Meets at Lausanne
FERRERO ON SPORT
SAYS Modern People Are Living at
Such High Mental Tension That
Some Relaxation Is Necessary
to Preserve Balance
Lausanne, switzerland. June Prof.

Lausanne, switzerland, June PROF.
r. NJ. Sloane of Columbia university.
New York one Of the American dele
gates to the Olympic congress and a
member of the International olympic
committee, in talking about the results
of the committee recent work at Lau-
same has expressed himself as fol-
lows:
"One must distinguish between the
meeting of the international olympic
committee and the congress for the
discussion of the psychology of sport
which was summoned and organized by
the |. o. C. The work of the commits
tee was most important. Progress was
made in arranging for the Berlin Olym-
piad of 1915, especially in summarizing
for use the experiences of the last
Olympiad 1912) at Stockholm. In some
respects this was our great achieve
ment IN this meeting-that all the sug-
gestions for improvement from the var
ious national olympic committees We're
prepared for Incorporation in the ar
rangements for 1916.
Congress to Meet i'm Paris
"Of almost equal Importance was the
completion of our arrangements for the
congress to be held In Paris next
year, for the preparation of a type
olympiad. That congress will be at
tended by representatives. from all the
national olympic committees and IN
commemoration of 20 years work will
definitely settle questions of events,
judges. qualifications, entries etc The
l. o. C. is in no sense a representative
body. 1t is self -perpetuating and is
the historical carrier of the Olympic
idea. Its business is that of clearing
the way for the successive olympiad DIS
and securing nations to act in turn as
nests. 1t meets once every year. The
congresses organized by the COMMITTEES
meet at irregular intervals and have
no continuity. adjourning sine die They
give invaluable advice and disseminate
knowledge and have hitherto had no
represe ntative character That of 1911
in Paris differs from all its predecessors
in that respect. 1t will be a represen-
tative authoritative International body
selected to settle vital questions. as
those who participate as athletes in
the olympiads desire them to be settled
Its work done. it will adjourn not to
meet again until summoned by the l.
o. c."
FerrerO on Sport
Prof Guglielmo Ferrero of Turin uni
versity, the well known historian. In
an address before the congress on snort
from the point of view of an outsider
gave an interesting analysis of the real
Significance of sport under modern con
d1t1ons of living. He said that the ten
dency for each set of men, whether
men of science, artists, architects or
commercial men, was to overrate the
Importance of their own line of work
in relation to other work.
Sport may be considered as a neces-
sary Limitation imposed on the excesses
of an intellectual, sedentary state of
civilization" declared Professor Fer
zero, which severely tries the nervous
system Never has man lived in such
state of permanent and increasing
excitement If the ancients could
come to life again. their first impress
sion, we may be sure. would be that
men had become mad. This extreme
mental tension throughout the world
needs something to counterbalance T.
Might 1t not increase indefinitely until
1t entailed bankruptcy of the entire
nervous system? How long this nervous
over excitement can go on is one of the
most serious problems of our times
Sport may, if Carved on in accord
ance with certain principles become
one of the limits set to over excitement
In ones work. If it be practced as A
wholesome diversion, it will be a bene-
fcent and recuperative force, acting
upon the nerves above all. This Is the
ideal of sport, the only conception of
1t which is in no danger of running TO
extremes. An equalizing force some
thing TO counterbalance the intellectual
eXcesses of contemporary civilization
sedentary. nervous, and kept in con
tinual turmoil-this is the best defini-
tion of sport. 1t is as old as the world
but still it is the hest definition Spor.
is force whose function 1t is to pre-
serve the balance between the various
elements of social life, force of eauili-
brium
DisappOintments in View
But If this conception of snort Is To
make way, We must be prepared for