Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-06

| OUNCE my return from Scandinavia WIN
| ~ the American track team I have been
| asked such questions as, what kind OF q
trip did you have going over?" "DId you
| enjoy yOursef?" what kind OF sportRmcn
| are the Swcdes2" "ls Bolin. the man who
beat you. fnst7" Were you In the war
zone2" "Did you see any wnrshps or sub
| narnes?" Weren't you nfrnd2" etc.
viii try through this column to answer
| all these questions and TO give an account
| OF our trip.
We left New York on September 2s and
| II took US eight days to get to kirkwnl,
| where we were held up three days by the
| English for inspection. The weather was
| very smooth with the exception Of n couple
OF days, which was very lucky thing for
u.s. as the Oscar II is small boat and in
clined to toss II the sea does much rolling.
We all escaped from the dreaded EcasiCk-
ness up TO that point
At KirlSwaN the ship was given n
thorough searching By the English officers.
After leaving Klrkwall we went straight
across the North Sea, and this Is the only
place which is to he feared on the whole
journey. To begin with Il In usually very
rough and II you arc the least bit suscepu-
BILE to seasckness 1t is here that you must
take all tho precautions which are sup
posed TO ward II off. We did this and
got across safe to man.
Dodged the Submarines
The next danger which arose WAS tho
fact that this was the territory In which
the Germans are blowing up pl the Nor
wegian ships and were doing very well at
that time They do not trouble the big
liners Intentionally. but there is the danger
OF them making more OF the mistakes which
already have been made In this way, so
every precaution was taken, First the
boat had It's name painted In very large
letters on the sides, and ltr very strong
lights were played on the name so any
scouting submarine could not very well
mistake the steamer or what country to
which II belonged II they took the trouble
to look
Then to play things sare ana probably to
give the passengers lots OF courage they
swung tho lifeboats clear OF the decks
ready to lower should the occasion arise
A very pleasant chap thought he was doing
me n favor by telling me quietly that We
really should be taking the evening scri-
ously and that we were crossing very
dangerous seas which helped a lot toward
making the remainder OF the trip pleasant
one.
No Chance to Train
When II comes 10 tho question of training
on the way across there is little that can
be said for the reason that there was little
that could be done The distance around
the deck was Just about 100 yards. and
this meant that little could be accomplished
I'm the way OF running, except very slow
jogging. for we had 10 stop at every turn.
The sprnteTs could get about forty yards
straight away for their work, but II was
risky for them with the motion of the boat.
as they were liable to pull tendon or
strain muscle.
We did this work, however, such as II
was. twice a day at first, until the boards
made our legs sore then cut Il down 20
once each day, with work with a medicine
ball We all expected TO get at least four
days 10 train on shore before We landed,
and maybe a week. but we were Informed
on our arrival Ia ChristlRnia that we were
10 run on the following Saturday IN stock
hOlm which was one day after our arrival
In that city,
Il was the same old story as In 1919
After We had landed, every one OF us
needed work. and lots OF IL, after being
eooped up on boat for thirteen days. The
meets went pretty much all our way, how
ever In spite OF this, and the way things
turned out was the only one who got beat
consistently, but, on the other hand, 1 was
the only one, with the exception OF loomis
Ia the high jump, who really was racinH
swedes Tits others had only 20 meet one
another In the sprints and hurdles. Loomis
had a very good man In the high jump and
lost once in Chrlstlania, taking second 10
him twice. once In Stockholm and again at
Malmo.
Sprints Were Easy
In the sprlnts we usually got one, two,
three. four They have no good sprinters
over there at all and that Is not taking
anything away from our men, for they al
ways won the races easily There Is one
exception 70 this last statement, however,
They have one good man In Norway In
Rustad. OF whom u will speak In other ar
ucles when / write OF their athletes, but
he was only good IN the aixty-meter race
and never would be able 10 run Ia this
country, for he would be disqualified for
false starting In the hurdles Il vas 4 two
man anair for Simpson and Murray with
the lone swede. Hulthin. far In the rear,
To answer the question as TO whether