New-York tribune., 1920-09-12
u. s. Athletes
Return Angry
AT Committee
Failure to Provide Sufficient
Food, Enough Bed Cloth
ing and Proper Sleep
ing Quarters Is Charged
Trip to Games a Hardship
Olympic Victories Gained
Through Good Treatment
by Army and Navy Men

Forty-nine victorious American ath-
leees, fresh from their conquests in
the Olympic games at Antwerp, ar
rived here yesterday on the transport
Sherman, trained to the minute as
kickers.
Despite their victories in the sta
dium, they had had q hard time
abroad, they said, and they left moth
ing to the imagination in describing
what they called the mismanagement
of the American Olympic Committee
which had taken them abroad and
piloted their destinies in Belgium.
They won events in spite of rather
than because of the management Of
the committees they charged.
Kept at Sea Two Weeks
The primary complaint which was
backed up by all was unsatisfactory
means of, transportation in sending
them overseas. The American Olym-
pic Committee sent them over on the
army transport Princess Matoika,
which kept them cooped up on the At
lantic for almost two weeks, with
little or no opportunity to train.
The army and navy came in for
boundless praise, it being the conten-
tion of the returning athletes that
these two branches of the United
States service, by their general in
ltiative, common sense and Willingness
to help out at all times, alone saved
the American contestants from igno-
minious defeat.
Gustave Kirby, president of >the
American Olympic Committee, and
Justice Barlow S. Weeks, of the
Supreme Court, the committees sec
retary, were said to be the storm CEN
ter of the Olympian's tribulations
abroad.
In describing meeting of the Amer
lean team when it was addressed by
Messrs. Weeks and Kirby in the hope
of adjusting the difficulties, the men
said that Justice Weeks was booed
when he tried to speak. When he final
ly made himself heard he is quoted by
the men as having said:
"What would you do if we were to
leave you here cold?" This question
they said was received by loud hur-
rahs. Then the secretary asked the
men if they could propose solution
to the controversy and the answer was.
"Give US new committee and you
old fogies get out" When Kirby sought
to address them the men said they
"howled him down."
Dispute Over Athlete
The controversy which brought about
the meeting centered upon Dan Ahern,
of Chicago, the hop skip and jump
champion, who had been suspended from
participation in the games because he
left Belgian school house where the
men wer quartcred and registered at
q hotel. The meeting ended with the
reinstatement of Ahern.
Lieutenant Matt McGrath, of the
Police Department. who contested in
the weightthrowing contests, said he
would never enter an Olympic meet
again. "If it had had not been for the
army and navy he said, 1--WE would
have suffered a terrific defeat. They
proper clothing and decent food. The
quarters going over. on the Princess
Matoika were unfit for trained men,
and the two weeks on the ocean were
senough to ruin any athlete. Any train
er will tell you that week at sea is
long enough and that man should
train at least two weeks before enter
Ing the contest.
One Sa1dine for Each Man
A Belgian schoolhouse at ID Odeon
Street, Antwerp, was another factor
that added to the discomfort of the ath-
letes. Many of them were Catholics
and refused to eat the meat that was
served to them at the schoolhouse the
Friday after their arrival. When they
asked for fish the Belgian hotel keeper
who had the contract for feeding them
found box of sardines and served one
tiny sardine to each of the abstaining
athletes.
The men protested also at being held
aboard the Princess Matoika for a day
and half after the vessel arrived in
Antwerp, and they described their
quarters ashore as unsanitary and their
food as being unfit for dogs"
Commander Mayo, Of the cruiser
Frederick, and General Sage, in COM
mand of the army embarkation at Ant
werp, were praised for their eSorts to
make the athletes comfortable. When
reports Of the dissatisfaction reached
these officers they provided competent
cooks, good food and plenty of blankets,
and thereafter the contestants Jared