New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-01-06
Aro,,es War Will Leave
Wounds That Will Take
Years to Heal
Bv Edward r. Bushnell

polowers Of track and field athletics
=. rocland are apparently not too busy
r;v, some thought to the future of
o,vmnjc games. One noted author
IT, Sir Theodore Cook, is quoted ex-
.'nxye.v IN one Of the London news
wars 70 the effect that there will
-.hshlv not be another set of Olympic
..mcs for a great many years, GER
..;,,v not within the present genera
ton.
This theory is based upon the suppo-
,;,;on that it Will require at least this
..,ch time to heal the wounds caused
Nc the war between Germany and
zealand. Mr.. Cooks contention is that
the Olympic games, if held. must be
.ornletely INTERNATIONAL; that other
,r;s. thev could not be properly called
Olympic games. -,
n.al very strongly to Americans. for
r. simple reason that most persons in
.h;s country believe that when peace
.n,nes it will have wrought such radical
srd revolutionary changes in all the
ruropean governments that there will
10 more good feelings among the peo-
slos themselves than most persons can
now appreciate
More Hopeful View
II seems to be the best thought Of
American statesmen that the time is
"a. far distant when Germany will be
something approaching a republic, that
.Sa neople wul throw off the rule Of
the Kaiser. Assuming that something
ike this does occur, the common peo-
Mo of all tne governments now at war
viii undoubtedly discover that they
bsve many things in common and that
.here is no reason to cherish the AMI
mosities fer which Prussanism is en-
t;rely to blame. particularly If this
prussianism is completely crushed.
If these conditions result there is no
rsason why the Olympic games should
mot be resumed in due time. Further,,
more there IS every likelihood that al!
Tho athletic nations of the earth Will
once more compete on even Terms
Where the first set Of games VIII De
hsld is capable Of no definite state
ann+ I, will be remembered that the
1915 Olympiad was scheduled tor Ser
In The war. Of course, made 1T I'M
nossible for Germany to stage the
Games. and none of Germanys enc
mies who comprised almost the entire
n;viIlzed world, would have competed
under German auspices anyhow. even
= .hev were not then engaged IN war.
Tha last time the International
O,vmnic Council met, which was the
SUMMER of the outbreak Of the war. II
VOC voted to give the 1920 games to
pudanest. Unless the war should END
oucLlv it is not likely that any OF the
so,ntr;es involved viii be ready &c
INK Of an 0 ympic meet, even in 1920
Under the circums tances, assuming tha'
the war ends within the next two years
the chances are that no serious efor'
will be made to revive the games be
fore 1924. Just now tie scntlmen'
throughout the athletic world IS tha'
either France or Belgium should have
the honor Of staging the hrst set OF
games after the war.
The city of Lyons, France, beFaf
making extensive preparations seVefa
wears ago for q great set Of athletic
games. and reports from Europe are t.
the etTect that the German prisoner
in France are working on a monste
stadium in that city. If France IS t
have the games, Lyons would be a
appropriate place.
For sentimental reasons some au
thorities have advocated holding tn
games in Antwerp. 1t is doubtful how
ever, if the Bclgians will have ha
enough experience in the managehner
of such sports to stage them proper.
Belgium has never done much to pro
mote athletics, ard to manage properl
a set Of international games like tn