Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-01-16
American Skater to Meet Foreign
 Champs Abroad

New York, Jan. 1f.-The first ot record number of foreign sport in vasions for 1920 will begin here to- day with the arrival of Bobby Me Lean, preparatory to sailing for Christiana where next month he will skate against Oscar Mathieson for tn cworld's professional cham pionship. Mclean, the American champion who defeated Mathieson l5 ou tof Is races in this country in 19l 6and 1918, makes the trip to Norway in order to give the Euro pean champion sportsmans chance to regain his skating laurels upon d larger track than those used when the American was victor.
 Mclean, who sails on Friday, comes direct from Lake Placid, N, r., where he has been training for ten days, skating from l5 to 20 miles a day, to improve his speed and endurance Tomorrow night he will be the guest of a number of sportsmen who will tender him a farewell and best-of-luck dinner. The American champion will arrive in Christiana about January 25 and will have close to two weeks m which to add the finishing training touches before facing Mathieson or February 7 and 8.
 The races will consist of either seven or nine events at distances ranging from 200 to 10000 metres and the winner of the ajority ol these contests will be the undisput ed worlds champion of professiona ice skaters. The racing will contln ue over a period of from two tt three days and will be held on tho quarter mile track of the Christla na Ice Skating club at what l' Known as Frange sRink. The rlnt is an open air stadium which wal seat close to 30,000 spectators an1 as the admission fee will be equiv alent to about one dollor, the gat' receipts are likely to establish { record for such contest. The club which is an amateur organization o high social standing, refused to par ticipate in the arrangements tol the races although perfectly wllllnf i to donate the use of the rink for tn occasion without remuneration.
 The arrangements were left en tirely in the hands of Mathieson ant the latter soon discovered that h' could not train properly and alst promote the affair. As a result h
 reouestcd that an American promot CT and publicity man be sent owe to take charge of arrangements. Tn tlatter sailed several weeks ago wit thousands of foreig nposters, print ed in this country, and in all proba bility by this time Norway is get ting an idea of American publicit, methods and appears much like
 country town here on the eve of tn annual visit of the circus.
 Mclean has the advantage 0
 youth for he is 25 years old whil
 Mathieson is 32. The latter, how
 ever, has the longer stroke whe
 skating at top speed for hls stria
 measures 40 feet to McLean's 3'
 The Norwegian has always elaine lSthat the small tracks in this coui1
 try hampcred his long stroke an
 that he could do much faster wor
 on the larger courses ot hls ow city. His claim is borne out t
 some extent by the records whic
 show that Mathieson holds tn world records for the following di;
 tances: 500 metres, 43 2-5 s; 1,oo
 I'm. 31 4-5 s; 1,50O, ? m. IT s; 5,0o' 8 m. 36 3-1o s; 10000, IT m. 22 3.5 Following the races at Christian
 Mclean will give a series of exht bitions in Sweden, Denmari
 Switzerland and England and WI challenge all corners in those cou1
 tries i fhe is successful in defeat
 ing Mathieson.