Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-08
THE GLORY OF GREECE
WAS IN ITS STADIUMs
Amphitheatres of the Ancient World
Larger Than Our Modern Structures.
The Stadium an Institution in the
West-No City Modern Without One
Bv WILLIAM RAIDER


footed runner and the vast amphitheatre in
which the races took place Since then the
word and It's athletic atmosphere have
crossed mountains and seas to Europe and
the United States, The baseball park Of the
big cities gives some hint Of that outdoor
life on a large scale which is remembered
by the broken walls Of ancient Fairgrounds.
called the circus, theatre, coliseum OF sta
dium.
The return to the outdoor gymnasium Of
the ancents marks a distinct epoch in the
history OF modern athletics. The indoor
gymnasium has its place, but the rooflesa
stadium promises to reproduce in the near
future some Of the spectacular features which
marked the physical performances Of Rome
and Athens, The hippodrome Of our large
cities is an approach to the fashionable
lounge and rendezvous Of gallantry which
distinguished the peoples playground OF old.
The American circus housed in a plain canvas
tent is a practical reproduction of the Roman
circus, while contest in baseball or college
football suggests the more serious, If less
bloody, combats within the walls Of the
Coliseum Ben Hur and his horses are com
ing to their own. The runner revels in the
sweet air of the open world. The Spanish
toreador wants room. The man at the bat
likes to knock the ball over the fence.
Space is involved in our very democracy
Ideas are big and broad and ample. Fresh
air is n part of our culture, inbreathed by
the lungs Of modernism. The roof over our
heads is a boundary line which insults the
sense of freedom. The modern man looks
toward the stars out of this sense of the
large and unlimited as we'll as from the ex-
amples OF our fathers we have begun to build
huge Fairgrounds for the millions and
entered upon what may be called the era Of
the stadium
The Circus Maximus
The Circus Maximus had q seating capacity
of $50 900, the Bowl in New Haven will seat
10000 We are still behind the anGients at
the box office. The beautiful Greek Theatre
in Berkeley Cal, has a seating capacity OF
10000 and an ordinary conversational tone
may be distinctly heard anywhere in that
perfect structure 1t is an exact reproduce
tion of the Greek Theatre in Athens, Epi-
dauros, and is used for oratory, music and
drama. The Bohemian Club, OF San Fran
cisco, famous for its "jinks" and celebrated
the world over for its literary and musical
gifts meets annually in a grove of redwoods
which form aGhatural amphitheatre, affording
pSCulldT ldCllltlSS lOE uIdillhNlC anu liuSASNA
expression. In this temple they meet and in
a mystical, Druidic fashion make their offer.
ings of fellowship in atmosphere of sylvan
splendor. These links would lose something
of their freedom and spontaneous goodwin
If held within four walls.
The stadium indicates return to nature
where Twelfth Night may be as much at
home as q horse race.
Stadiuns in Europe
Berlin has built stadium where the Olym-
pic games of 1916 may or may not be held
Berlins interest in another and greater con-
test may make the Olympic meet impossible
It has 1929 seats and 220S boxes; while not
architecturally impressive 1t is entirely ade-
quate for the use intended. 1t took six
years to build this playground and a quarter
million marks to pay for it,
Mention might be made OF other European
Fairgrounds notably that OF Stockholm but
the high school at Tacoma, Wash, deserves
special mention, since II is the only high
school in theNworld that has a real stadium
OF it's own 1t viii seat $4,000 and is work
OF art. Not only is It a social and physical
asset OF the Tacoma school. but It contributes
to the higher life OF the State OF Washington
and the Northwest. In fact, the city that
has no stadium in these days may be set
down as Just little behind the times. The
ruins Of Pompen and Rome ana other cities
which look across the years through the
broken glasses OF the Past rebuke such cities
for negecting an opportunity to give the
masses place to play
Pageants at Expeditions
The expositons, for the most part have
given an impetus TO the stadium, as for ex-
ample, ST. Louis and San Francisco. san
Francisco has sunk enormous bowl In her
Golden Gate Park. 1t is oval in shape, slopes
back like the lips Of great deep dish, ana
is capable Of accommodating thousands. Here
win be held many of the athletic contests
during the exhibition. The athletes OF the
world will meet In San Francisco during the
exposition and the program OF big events
issued by the department OF athletics promise
contests OF worldwide interest
Colonel ooethals gives permission for the
men who helped build the canal to have
a part in the great event that is to cele-
brate the canals completion The list Of
events ranges from basketball championships
TO international polo contests. Here viii
be held some OF the more spectacular events
OF the exposition, such as pageants, reviews
and paFades
This, then. Is the purpose Of the stadium;
TO loealze the spectacular interests Of the
city and anord place for the people 20 see
things from a circus 10 a military review
It's value to any city need not be argued.
philadelphia has unusual demands for a
stadium It is a city Of paseants and
parades and reviews ana outdoor amuss-
ments. Il should have a public playground
in the Park where the people could gather
IN comfort and enjoy the spectacular SIDE
Of life such a stadium Is a social demand
IN every great city IN the world. II "a de-
mandea IN the interest q morality. aealth.