New-York tribune., 1919-11-29
.Custavus Kirby
Chosen tOHead
Olympic Com.
Col. Osterrieih, of Belgium,
Rejoices at Selection of
Antwerp for the Games

steps toward the organization OF an
efficient team Of athletes for the sew
cnth Olympic games, at Antwerp. Bel
gium, were taken at preliminary
meeting Of the American Olympic Com
mittee which was held at the New York
Athletic Club last night. Delegates
from the various sports were pres
cnt, and it was the consensus of opin-
ion that the American team would be
the strongest ever sent across.
Gustavus Towne Kirby, of the Inter
collegiate A. A. A. A, was elected pres
ident of the committee, TO succeed
Colonel Robert NJ Thompson, who was
forced to resign. Upon the acceptance
of his resignation by a resolution Of
fered by DR.. Reginald H. Sayrc Colonel
Thompson requested tnat he be granted
the privilege Of subscribing the first
sum to the fund.
President Woodrow Wilson was
chosen honorary president of the COM
mittee, while Colonel Thompson and
eSPrcsident William H. Taft were
named honorary vice presidents. Fred
ceed Justice Barlow S. Weeks as secre-
tary, while Julian w. Curtis retained
his post as treasurer.
No definite steps we're taken in the
matter Of the amount of the funds
that would be necessary to defray the
expenses of the team or the number of
athletes to be taken abroad, as this was
left to the discretion of the executive
committee for adoption at it's first
meeting.
Colonel Osterrieth, chief Of the Bel
gran military mission, director general
of the exhibitions, president of the
committee of fetes and receptions and
member of the executive committee of
the Seventh Olympiad said, in part:
IN the first place, | wish to thank
you with my whole heart for having
invited me to this meeting tonight,
where | meet the representatives of
all your sports and the best sports in
the world. We are looking forward to
having large and important repre-
sentation of Americans at the Olympic
Games in Antwerp in 1920.
Belgium has always taken a great
interest in the Olympic games Be
tore the war, in the early part of 1914,
Belgium asked to have the honor Of
having the Olympic Games on her own
soil for the seventh Olympiad But,
when the international committee met.
and when our Belgian invitation was
presented, by Baron Pierre &c Cou-
bertin, the Germans. Austrians and
Russian delegates, in spite of their
solemn promise to vote for Belgium.
> l.
In fact, the Germans were, even then,
looking forward to the next war, which
they were preparing. and wished to
give the honor of the next Olympiad
to their principal ally.
The Germans were quite mistaken,
not only as to the Olympad which
was intended for 1916. but also as to
the result of the war. They did not
conquer the world, nor did they CON
quer little Belgium After all their
preparations for forty years the Ger
mans are down and out They never
were real sports And it is Belgium
which has been chosen to have the
honor of holding the Olympic Games
next year"
The executive committee comprises
the following:
Babb, Matthew P. Halpin. Everett c.
Brown, Captain j. B. Maccabe and
William H. Page. who held positions or
the old committee, and these new men
H. Breckenridge, Samuel j. Dallas. DR..
Graemme M. Hammond Romeyn Berry.
Fred r. Fortmeyer, Richard F. KELSEY,
Colonel R: Manning, George T. kdee,
Reginald H. Sayre. Colonel R. Libby.
Major E. V. Grave and Commander
H. Lanning.
Those present were Lieutenant
Colonel Leon Osterrieth, chief of the
Belgian Military Mission; Colonel
Robert NJ. Thompson, chairman Ameri-
can Olympic committees; ]. E. White
~, Belgian Counsel at Baltimore;
Major H. NJ. Rayner and Major E. V.
Graves, United States government.
DR.. Graeme NJ. Hammond, w. Scott
OConnor, and Captain G. II. Breed,
American Fencers League of America;
Dr. R. II. Sayres, United States
Revolver Association; H. P. Burke.
Philadelphia, and F. R. Fortmeyer ir.,
National Association of Amateur Oars
men; J. J. Peel Chicago, and DR.. G. R.
Manning, United States Football AS
sociation; F. w. Ruben, S. ]. Dallas.
II. II. Baxter, NJ. P Halpin, ]. P. Mac
cabe, and Julian S. Curtiss, Amateur
Athletic Union of the United States:
Gustavus T. Kirby and R. c. Fenner.
Intercollegiate A. A. A. A.; w. D.
Howe, Western Intercollegiate A. A
A. A.; Paul B. Williams and Julian s.
Myrick, United States National Lawn
Tennis Association; Z. p. Matthewson,
Montana, and j. Clark ir.. Boston
American Trapshooting ASSOCIATION:
w. H. Page. Professor w NJ. Sloane.
A. V. Armour and Justice Barlow S.
Weeks, international Olympic commit