Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-07

II ANtW IOTk, Lee. o.-<alliSiAC dlH-
letes and trainers returning from
Europe are almost unanimous in ex-
pressing the opinion that the Olympic
Games scheduled for Berlin in 1916
will in all probability have to be
abandoned as a result of the war. A
period of Is months stretches between
the present and day set for the open
ing of the International meet sand
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 Euro
/ pean nation not involved in the war.
1t is not the site of the contests as
much as the condition and number of
contestants that causes those best in
formed on the situation to doubt the
possibility of a successful meet in
1916.
In the Olympic games of 1912 there
were q nations represented at Stock
holm. The complete entry list showed
4,2S1 athletes enrolled and the total
entry 1857. OF this number 3,2S2
athletes competed for an aggregate
entry of 4,742. Today Is of the q ma
lions and colonies. whose athletes as
sembled at Stockholm, are at war and
still others may join the conflict. These
nations contributed 1,121 athletes to
games in the following order: Great
Britain and colonies, 376; Germany,
1855; Russia, 17S; France, 1o2; Hungary,
1877; Austria, IS; Belgium, 80; Japan.
Turkey, and Servia two each.
That these nations even though
peace is declared in the meantime
cannot approach in number or athletic
calibre these entries in 1916 is generally
accepted by those who have witnessed
the physical result of the war to date.
Albert F. COPELAND, Austria's Olympic
trainer. and Alvin Kraenzlein, Chief
of the German staff of athletic instruc-
tion have both returned to this coun-
try on an indefinite leave of absence.
COPELAND in discussing the outlook
said.
Personally 1 do not think the
Olympic Games scheduled to be held
in Berlin in 1915 will take place, even
if the war does not last longer than
4 this winter. Other nations as well as
i Austria and Germany have suffered
Il from the loss of their best men in the
/ track and field work.
4 There is not much interest in the
games in Berlin. The great stadium
has been closed since the declaration
of war. The grounds and grand stand
OF the surrounding race track are being
Z used as a hospital for convalescent
soldiers
Coneeding that the meet Is held
either in America or some neutral
uropean country, the result can be
foreoa sted 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.
i Although eighth in total number of
/ starters in 1912, the United States was
second in number of diplomas won
scoring 60 to Swedens 81. This in
cluded all forms of Olympic sport
comprising a program of 10 competi-
tive features. The United States was
! not represented in rowing, football,
gymnastics and yachting, yet finished
second on point basis with 124 points
to Sweden's 1876. Great Britain was
third with rs; Finland fourth with So
and Germany fifth with AZ. Even as
optimistic an American athletic en-
/ thusiast as James E. Sullivan was, he
conceded just before his death, that
under normal conditions the United
| States could not hope to win so de-
cfsive1y in 1916. With Sweden and
Finland as the only formidable ath-
/ letic nations not handicapped by the
/ strain and drain of the war, there
4 could be, however, but one victor If
the Olympic Games are held in 1916.
/ Back in the early nineties, when James
j. CoYbett first stepped into ring promi-
nence, California began to make pugilis-
tic history and ever since that time the
Golden State has been looked upon
as great centre for the maintenance
and encouragement of fistic sport. Many
championship battles have been fought
there and followers of the fortunes of
pugilists in every class, from heavies to
bantams, evinced unusual interest when
bouts were scheduled at San Francisco,
Los Angeles or any other of the many
places where glove encounters were de-
cided and titles passed. Two generations
of hstic champions have enjoyed the
privileges afforded by the State of Cali
fornia and thousands of followers of the
sport have been well satisfied with the
results. But all this is to be changed
and the knights of the glove and
squared circle" will have to seek fresh
fields outside of California.
At the recent state election the majority
of California's voters decided that pu-
gilism should not be accredited as legal
sport, thus making 1t mandatory for the
boxers to settle their differences as TO
relative merits elsewhere. At midnight
OF Tuesday December Is, TAPS" will be
sounded for other than amateur bouts of
four rounds duration in the principal Pa
cific Coast state and after rather pros
porous quarter Of a century. pugilism
will be tabooed. In recent years the
California promoters of this class of
sport have given excellent inducements
to the leading fighters of the world and
as a result the best men in every class
have at one time or another appeared
there and several championship titles
have been lost and won.
Several notable heavyweight contests
have taken place in San Francisco
! since the memorable 81 round draw be-
tween James J. Corbett and Peter Jack