Bisbee daily review., 1920-08-15
PICKED ATHLETES IF WORLD IN
 GREAT PARADE OPEN GREATEST
 IF OLY LYMP|C MEETSAT ANTWERP

precedence to march just behind the participants from the mother coun- try, Great Britain. This brought Brazil first in line behind the off ciai committee.
 Each group was preceded by its flags, and generally speaking. each group of nationals was uniformly dressed mot in athletic togs. but in suits Of uniform cut and color Sure. however we! in army or navy uni iOrms. As they swung by the roya, box, where King Albert, Prince Leo rold and 2 Iup of government of flcials were standing, they saluted he king. Sorle of the athletes paid similar courtesy 10 the ambassadors or ministers of their nations. who had boxes all around the arena.
 Whether it was represented by 356 athletes. as was France, or only comparative handful, as was Japan, each nation participating seemed to have it's special clique Of partisans in the stands. Where possible, the spectators of one nationality had ists who, for weeks, have been pour ing into Belgium. seemed 10 be there.
 The American athletes. about 300 strong, were cheered frequently not only by their compatriots in the stands, but by the throngs who rec ognized that the group marching be- hind the stars and stripes were among the strong contenders for vic tory in the Seventh Olympiad
 It seemed that there were thou sands of Americans in the stands. Every soldier from the Army of Oc- cupation on the Rhine who could possibly leave was there in khaki. Jackies from the cruiser Frederick. sailors from the American merchant and passenger liners in the harbor and hundreds upon hundreds of tour ists swelled the delegation from across the Atlantic until, in some parts of the stadium. at least, it seemed to be a regular American crowd. The Belgians, of course. and also the French and English, appear ed to be out in force.
 A glance at the list of nations par ticipating in this Olympic meet gives an idea of the cosmopolitan charac. ter of the athletes and crowd: Aus tralia, Belgium, Brazil. Canada. Chi ma, Chilli. Denmark. Egypt, Spain | United States, Finland. France, Great Britain, Greece, Holland, British In dia, Italy. Japan, Luxembourg, Mex ico, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal Poland. South Africa, Rumania, Swe den, Switzerland. Czecho-Slovakia and Jugo-Slavia.
 Of these. Brazil, China. Egypt Spain, British India, Mexico and Pc land did not participate at Stock holm in 1912.
 Today's ceremony, from the inter national viewpoint, signified not on ly the formal opening of the Olympic games. but the completion of a tasI by Belgium. which, undertaken at |: difficult time in her history, seemed almost impossible of consummatins
 When the International Olympi committee, meeting at Lausanne, il 1919, decided to award the Seventl Olympic games to Belgium. the ma tion, after four years of occupation by the enemy and in crippled indu trial condition. set out to construc a huge stadium and make other ar engagements for the games in abou one years time. Other nations scenes of previous Olympic games had had much more time and nor favorable conditions.
 Nevertheless, the stadium was con pleted in record time, having bee turned over by the contractor to tn Belgium Olympic committee on Ma 23. last.
 The stadium is something mor than three miles from the centra business district of Antwerp and reached by street railway and steal railway lines. It has been built ( stone, concrete, steel and woot | Nltu hH dlCucu CT trance. Its total capacity for specti | tors is estimated at 30,000 It, liI
 the tracks it encloses. is oval i shape. On two sides there are roo ed 'grandstands," where are locate the boxes and reserved seats. At tn two ends of the oval. however. theI are no roofs but only series c steps-like those of the old Gree
 open-air theatres accommodatir thousands of spectators standing.
 The tracks are the ordinary cind, paths, while the inside arena, whel
 will be held the field events. is c
 well-kept turf.
 , The running track. oval, of cours is fraction under 39O meters to 2 lap. There is a straishtaway, alor
 one side. sufficiently long for tf
 100-meter dash but the 200-met,
 race must be run on the oval. Tn