New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-08
Russia Alone Is Willing to
Spend Government Money
on the Athletes.
FRENCH MINISTER'S
LACK ENTHUSIASM
Subsidy Defeated in the German
Reichstag, and England Re-.
mains Apathetic.

these days. ana nothing Dut sioOHh - "
be seen anywhere on this side Of the At
lantic.
Following the recent unprOpitous eH-
amples set b. the British and the Ger
mans. the French and the Greeks are
hooking at all appeals for Olympic FUNDS.
Even the Poles are grieving because the
German Eeichstag won't vote them a
banlSroll to play with.
And since the death Of Lord Strath~
coma there have sprung up rumors that nc
privately subscribed most Of the funds
10 insure Canada's representation hereto
fore. and that Canadian athletes MAJ
have difficulty In finding another sucl!
generous patron
The one ray Of hope to be found In the
! pervading gloom is that il is better Tor tha
nations 10 be peeved now than In 1915.
b. then they all will have got over IT. ana
each one will come forward with its
usual quota OF splendid athletes and the
funds necessary 10 pay their expenses at
Berlin II is safe to take that much tor
granted.
I'm France the question OF a government
grant i'm aid Of olympic preparations rs
languishing because Cabinet ministers are
suspected OF passing the buck to one an
other. deputation from the Comite Ma
tional des Sports has waited upon MT.
DolInercue. president % the Council OF
the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, to eX-
press it's great disappointment at the de-
cision OF his department not to make the
grant Of $50. 900 toward the representation
Of France at the olympic games OF 1910
Mr.. Doumergue replied with exquisite
diplomacy that he is i'm hearty sympathy
with the Comits National and the work
1t has undertaken. He expressed himself
as fully convinced of the importance OF
the issue. and he gave the deputation TO
understand that his heart was wrung by
his inability to include any subsidy in
the estimate for foreign affairs. Such a
grant doubtless would be Forthcoming, he
suggested. from the Minister of the In
terror. and would have his hearty sup
port
Under the stimulating influence OF this
suggestion, the deputaton hurried TO
bring the matter to the attention or MI
Rene Renoult, Minister Of the Interior,
who soon showed that as diplomat he Is
not far behind his colleague.
Mr. Renoult almost embraced the depu-
tation in his great JOY at receiving 1t
and hastily passed 1t on to another Cabi-
net colleague Such a grant should, he
opined, be OF the utmost Importance 10
the War Department the training OF the
army being an essential Of the scheme.
Therefore,, with great heartiness, he ad-
yised the Comite National to lay the
urgency OF the matter before the always
enterprising Minister for War who at
once would grasp the point that Il France
is 10 be worthily- too, ne
honed-represented at Berlin in 1916 the
comit6 mist have the sum asked for
With many cries of "Vive la France"
and ''Vive la Republique!' the deputatlon
retired in an atmosphere OF enthusiasm
But the always enterprising Minister
for War seems 10 lack the saving grace
of humor, and some apprehension seems
to have arisen that he will srimly resent
any attempt to pillage his war CHEST on
behalf of such a holiday affair as the
Olympic games. Schemes for an aerial
army transport are more in his line, and
he has visions of cavalry that rides the
clouds.
Russia is taking quite different view
Its Council Of Ministers or Cabinet, mas
approved the formation OF a special BOARD
for sports. the functions OF when VIII
include ''the devising of scientific methons
of physical culture i'm conformity with
the special conditions Of the country ana
peope" That is a pretty tall order, con-
sidcring the immensely OF the Russian
Empire. However, the movement Is TO ve
| oigrifed with new Cabinet minister AT
its head and ministry of sport Whch
will not have 10 20 around begging ior
funds from other government depart
ments.
Among German athletes the rejection IN
the Reichstag OF an imperial subsidy Tor
the olympic games ITO be held IN the Ter
man capitaD is not regarded as ihai'
| Another vote is almost certain to ne
taken. The majority that voted down the
Subsidy Was composed OF an aSglomerd-
,ion of warning clements in German poll
tics: consequently it is not regarded as an
imprernable majority. Its three principal
enthusiastically opposed to one another
but combining 10 0ONH the suDsluy al .
the Social Democrats. the Poles and the
Roman Catholic Centre. Their respective
reasons Tor voting against an imperial
subsidy for the olympic games have moth
ing in common.
The Poles consider that Poland should
be represented as ayation; therefore they
are opposed TO any government grant to
the games for a purely German objective.
What the outcome will be in France and
England in regard TO financing the Sc
lection OF candidates and sending teams
10 compete at Perrin cannot be predicted
SO confidently. in England the most ell
terprising section OF supporters OF British
athletics is respondent. in consequence of
the hopeless failure of the appeal made 10
the nation by the Duke OF Westminster.
Field Marshal Earl Roberts, the late
Lord Strathcona and others in hign
places for a publicly subscribed fund OF
10000
/ laIll ihalN TRAN H01llnnnuC