Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-12-08
GAMES
Be CALLED OFF
Athletes Agree That Games
Scheduled for Berlin Will
Be Postponed.

New York, Dec. 7.-American ath
letes and trainers returning from Eu
| rope are almost unanimous in express
ing the opinion that the Olympic
games scheduled for Berlin in 1911;
will be in alF probability have to be
abandoned as a result Of the war. A
period of eighteen months stretches
between the present and the day sci
for opening of the international meet
and much may yet be accomplished
by the Olympic committee in a year
and a 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 the con-
tests as much as the condition and
number of contestants that causes
those best informed on the situation
to doubt the possibility of a success
full meet in 1916.
In the Olympic games Of 1912 there
were twenty-seven nations represent
ed at Stockholm. The complete entry
list showed 1921 athletes enrolled and
the total entry 1867. OF this number
3.2S2 athletes competed for an aggre.
gate entry Of 4,7i2. Today fifteen Of
The twenty.seven nations and colonies,
whose athletes assembled at Stock
holm, ?ie at war and still others may
Join the conflict. These nations IN
tributed i,l21 athletes to games in the
following order: Great Britain and
colonies, 376; Germany, 1856; Russia,
ITS; France, 1902; Hungary, 1877; Aus.
tria, 9S: Belgium. SO; Japan, Turkey
and Servia, two each.
Physical Result.
That these nations, even though
peace is declared in the meantime,
cannot approach in number OR ath.
le.ic ca!ibre these entries in 1916 is
generally accepted by those who have
witnessed the physical result Of the
val 0 date. Albert F. COPELAND, Aus
tria's Olympic trainer. and Alvin
chief of the German stan
of athletic instructors, have both re-
to this country on an indefn-
tie leave of absence. COPELAND in dis
cussing the outlook, said:
"Personally l do not think the
Olympic games scheduled 10 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 Austria and Germany have suffer
ad from the loss Of their best men il
The track and field work.
There is not much interest in the
c9mes in Berlin. The great stadium
voc honr 1lnc aJ ctroo tho 1no1o roftor
Of war. The grounds and grand stanC
)l the surrounding track are being
as a hospital for convalescen'
soldiers"
Conceding that the meet is he'd in
America or some neutral European
country, the result can be forecasted
as a decisive victory for the United
providing that the entries OF
as in former games. Although |
his country are made upon the same
in total number of starters in
1912, the United States was second
number of diplomas won scoring |
sixty to Sweden's 81. This included
all forms of Olympic sport comprising
program Of thirteen comparative
features. The United States was not
represented in rowing, football, gym
nastics and yachting, yet finished sec
ond on a point basis with 124 points
to Sweden's 1876. Great Britain was
with Is, Finland fourth with
So, and Germany fifth with AZ. Even
as optimistic an American athletic
enthusiastic as James Il. Sullivan
was, he conceded just before his
death, that under normal conditions
the United States coud not hope 10
win so decisively in 1916. With Swe-
den and Finland as the only formid-
able athletic nations not handicapped
by the strain and drain Of the war,
there could be, however, but one vic.
tor if the Olympic games are held in