Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-08-14

ANTWERP, Aug. 1.-THE Olym-
pic Stadium was opened today. II
was a formal ceremony, staged with
a setting of flags, banners and
iuttering pennants against a back
ground of white stone, cement and
wood, with royalty, officialdom,
diplomacy, fame and fashion par
ticipating in the program or rep
/ resented in the boxes. But the
about the huge oval eentered their
interest in the actual contestants
athletes from 80 nations-who
paraded the arena and tomorrow
will begin their tests of strength
and skill.
The spectators were as cosmopol-
itan as the mass of contestants and
in the ranks of the athletes were
citizens Of, all the countries. whose
flags. flying from official. diplomat
&c or consular boxes, made the scene
a colorful hodgepodge like a war
ship decked u with all her PEN
ants.
Two flags. the German and Aus
trfan, which few over the stadium
in the Sixth Olympiad at Stock
holm. were missing and these
countries. barred from participant
ing in the meet, as were all enc
mics of the Entente powers in the
war, had no representation either
IN the arena or in the diplomatic
boxes. The Russian flag, also was
missing. In their places. however,
were the athletes and flags of ma
tons newborn Of the war, Poland
and Czechoslovakia, the latter re-
placing Bohemia, whose athletes,
though then listed separately, had
- - 49, =
1t Stockholm. The Jugo-Slavs to-
day replaced the Serbians of 1912.
The formal ceremonies of opening
the stadium included addresses by
the King of the Belgians, who Of
ficially presented the stadium to
Baron Pierre de Coubertin, presi-
dent of the International Olympic
committee and by a number OF
other officials of the Belgian or Ant
werp city government and Belgian
Olympic committees. There was al
so tremendously impressive singing
by a Belgian choral society.
The cheering was continuous as
the athletes filing in from the open
space just back of the stadium
where they had formed. nation by
by the members of the International
Olympic committee. They marched
in alphabetical order. though the
Belgians alphabetically first in the
list, took last place, courteously, as
hosts. The athletes of the various
British dominions yielded [ heir al
phabetical precedence to march just
behind the participants from the
mother country. Great Britain.
This brought Brazil first in line, be-
hind the official committee.
Each group was preceded by its
flags. and generally speaking a
group of nationals was uniformly
dressed-not in athletic toys, but in
Some, however, were In army or
navy uniforms. AS they swung by
the royal box, where King Albert,
Prince Leopold and a group of gov
eminent officials were standing, they
saluted the king. Some of the ath-
letes paid similar courtesy to the
ambassadors or ministers or their
nations. who had boxes all around
the arena.
Whether it was represented by $50
athletes, as was France. or only a
comparative handful. as was Japan.
each nation participating seemed to
have its special clique of partisans
in the stands. Where possible, the
grouped together. All of the tour
lists who, for weeks. have been pour
ing into Belgium seemed to be there.
strong. we-e cheered frequently.
not only by their compatriots in
the stands, but by the throngs who
recognized that the group march
ing behind the stars and stripes
were among the strong contenders
for victory in the Seventh Olym-
piad.
1t seemed that there were thous-
ands of Americans in the stands.
Every soldier from the Army OF