Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-06-18
INTERNATIONAL
MEETS MAY BE-
HELD This FALL
Series of Successful Track
Contests Back of lines leads
to Greater Activities.

10 Ireater ACTIVITIES.
New York, June 1S.-The success
of several minor track and field meets
no far from the battle lines in
France n Italy has led to tentative
plans for a real international set of
games to be held during the autumn.
At present the scheme has only been
outlined in a general a but the in
terest evinced indicates hat such a
series of vents can be made I'M
usually attractive in view of the ath-
letic talent available.
The games. if staged. will probably
be held in or near Paris and will in
clude entries from the English,
French. Italian, Canadian and United
States army, navy and air forces.
Much will depend, of course, upon
conditions prevailing at that time,
but it can be stated without fear of
contradiction that if the opportunity
is favorable there will be a remark
able turnout of athletic talent.
The United States forces abroad
club athletes of prominence in their
particular athletic specia!ties and the
same is true of Canada and England.
France and Italy number among their
soldiers many men who have, after
several years of service, developed re-
markable physical power and endur-
ance and from these there could be
selected performers whose ability on
track and field would undoubtedly
prove a surprise to other competitors.
J Under certain conditions such a
meet, if it eventuates. might prove a
wartime substitute for the Olympic
games which were scheduled to b
held in Berlin during the summer Of
1916. The val naturally side
tracked all possibility of these games
and there has not been a meeting of
the International Olympic games
committee for many months. At the
last conference there were tentative
requests for the privilege of holding
the games in 1920 from Cuba, Bel
GUM and Scandinavian countries.
Baseball is nj longer the novelty to
Englishmen that it was a few years
ago, but it was only recently that the
natives a an opportunity to witness
the American national game staged
amid the proper surroundings. Major
league clubs have toured England in
the past and played the game with
all the skill for which the players are
noted but the final touch was always
lacking for there were few if any
real American baseball fans to sup
ply the natural background for the
sport.
With thousands of United States
soldiers and sailors now CHARTERED in
England, this deficiency has been
remedied and the Englishman has
seen the fan as we'll as the player.
The result, as may be imagined, was
somewhat of a shock to the staid
Britisher and the newspaper reports
elaborated upon this feature. In de-
scribing the opening of the Anglo
American league, composed of three
United States army, one navy club
and our Canadian teams. Lloyd's
Weekly News published the follow
ing:
1--WE saw a little Of Americas riot
Gus enthusiasm for baseball at the
Arsenal football ground yesterday
when, after about three hours of play
the United States army team beat the
navy by runs to six. From the
moment when Admiral Sims, com.
mander-in-chief of the American
eral Biddle, the American G. O. G
in England, started the game with 8
friendly throw, there was scarcely q
break in a nerve disturbing hubub
To the philosophical E~nglishman who
takes his sport calmly, it was all very
bewildering, and he must have beer
thankful that there were not more
than about 1000 people present. Ir
this sense baseball is an acquired
taste. and perhaps when we become
more accustomed to it we shall re
gard this enthusiasm az an essen
tial quality.
yesterday it seemed as If thes.
1000 people made more noise thar
we hear from 100000 people on Cul
Final day at the Crystal Palace. TIL.
crowd were part Of the game. Ever!
sailor in his picturesque white ha
and every soldier in khaki regarded
1t as his right to shout his instruction
to the men on the field. The player
themselves kept up q running com
\ ment, and there was also the lou
voice Of the umpire proclaimtni
.'balls'' and strikes"
THE play was good, and the flnisl
!, close and exciting, albeit we had t
wait for half an hour before q rul
|. was scored. Then the army wen
ahead with three in their third in
nings and n in their fourth Blu
at the end Of the eighth innings tn
score was level at five all. When tn
navy obtained the lead. In what woul
ordinarily have been the inai inning
1t appeared as IL they were. going 4
snatch win, but after keen play tn
army squared at six all.
There lie never q draw at baseball
extra innings I being played until b
winning run II obtained by either sid
So the match wal continued, and q
the eleventh attempt the army won.