Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-12-09
SPORT NEWS PAGE
Little HOPE OF
1916 0LYNP|CS
Trainers Returning From
Europe say Abandonment
of Sport Certain.

New York. Dec. 7.-Amcrican ath-
letes and trainers returning from Eur
ope arc almost unanimous in express
in. the opinion that tho Olympic
games scheduled for Berlin in l3l6
Will in all proba ability have To be
abandoned as a result Of the war. y
period of eighteen months stretches
between the present and day set FOR
the opening of the international meet
and much may yet be accomplished
BY .hc olympic committee in year
and half. There is already evidence
of sentiment in favor of transferring
the games to this country or some
European nation not involved in the
war 1t is not the site Of tho contests
MS much as the condition and number
Of contestants that ca uses those best
informed on the situation to doubt the
possibility of successful meet in
1916.
In tic Olympic games OF 1912
there we're twenty-savcn nations rep
resented at Stockholm. Tho complete
cntry list showed 4,.S1 athletes en-
rolled and the total entry 1851. or
This number "..S2 athletes competed
for an aggregate entry of 49,. To-
day fifteen of the twenty-Scven ma
iions and colonies. whose athletes as
.cinhlcd Ut Stockholm, are at war and
still others may join he conflict.
These nations contributed 1.121 ath-
Ictcs to games in the following or
der: Great Britain and colonies, SIS {:
Germany, 1S5: Russia. lis: France.
49,: Hungary, 49,: Austria 9S: Eel
:ium. -: Japan. Turkey and Servia
two each
That these nations, even though
peace is declared in the meantime,
cannot approach in number or ath-
l.;:c calibre these entries in 1916 is
generally accepted by those who have
Witnessed the physical result of the
war to date. Albert F. COPELAND. Aus
iria's olympic trainer. and Alvin
Eracnzlein, chief of the German staff
of athletic instructors. have both re-
turned to this country on an indefinite
leave of absence. COPELAND i'll discuss
ing the outlook said:
'Pcrsonally | do not think the
olympic games scheduled to be held in
Berlin in 1916 will take place. even if
the war does not last longer than this
winter. Other nations as we'll as Aus
tria. and Germany have suffered from
the loss of their best men in the track
and field work.
There is not much interest in the
games in Berlin. The great stadium
nf war. The grounds and grand
stand Of the surrounding race track
are being used as hospital for con-
valeecent soldiers
Conceding that the meet is held
either in America or some neutral
European country. the result can be
forecasted as a decisive victory for
the United States providing that the
entries Of this country are made upon
the same scale as in former games.
Although eighth in total number Of
starters in 1912. the United States was
second in number of diplomas won
scoring sixty to Sweden's 81. This in
cluded all forms Of Olympic sport
comprising a program of thirteen
competitive features. The United
States was not represented in rowing
football. gymnastics and Yachting. vet
finished second on point basis with
"a. points to Sweden's 1876. Great
Britain was third with 76. Finland
fourth with 50 and Germany fifth
with ~. Even as optimistic an Amer
lean athletic enthusiast as James f.
Sullivan was. he conceded just before
his death. that under normal condi-
tions the United States could not hope
to win SO decisively in 1916. With
Sweden and Finland as the only for
midable athletic nations not handi-
capped by the strain and drain of the
war. there could be. however, but one
victor if the olympic games are held
in 1916.