The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-08-14
OLYMPIC STADIUM
0PENs-PERR|NE THERE
IMPRESSIVE SCENE AT GREATEST
OF ALL INTERNATIONAL
ATHLETIC EVENTS

| ANTWERP Olympic stadium
was opened today. 1t was a formal
ceremony, staged with setting Of
flags, banners and fluttering penn
ants against a background of white
stone, cement and wood. with royalty,
officialdom, diplomacy, fame and fas-
hion participating in the program or
represented in the boxes But the
thousands of spectators packed about
the huge oval centered their interest
! in the actual contestantS-athle
from 80 natiOns-Who paraded the
arena and tomorrow will begin their
tests of strength and skill.
The spectators were as cOsmOpOli-
tan as the mass Of contestants and In
the ranks Of the athletes were citizens
of all the countries whose flags, fly
ing from official, diplomatic or con-
sular boxes, made the scene cOlOrfult
hodgepodge like warship decked out,
with all her pennants. A 81
Two flags, the German and Auss
trian, which fleg over the stadium ina
the Sixth Olympian at stockholm,
were missing and these countries, bar
red from participating in the meet, as
were all enemies of the Entente pow
ers in the war, had no representation
either in the arena or in the diplo-
matte boxes The Russian flag, also
was missing In their places, how
ever, were the athletes and flags of
nations newborn Of the war. Poland
and Czechoslovakia, the latter replac- |
ing Bohemia, whose athletes, though |
then listed separately, had to march |
just behind the Austrians at Stock I
Il o1 10 foI /
the Serbians of 1912.
The formal ceremonies of opening /
the stadium included addresses by the
King of Belgium, who officially pre-
sented the stadium to Baron Pierre
de COubertin, president of the Inter
national Olympic committee and by a
of other officials of the Bel
gian or Antwerp city government and
Belgian Olympic committees There
was also tremendously impressive
singing by Belgian choral society.
The cheering was continuous as the
athletes, filing in form the open space
just back of the stadium where they
had formed, nation by nation, swung
into the arena headed by the members
Of the International Olympic commit
tee. They marched In alphabetical
order, though the Belgians, alphabet
,ally first in the list, took last place,
as hosts. The athletes
If the various British dominiOns yield !
I'd their alphabetical precedence to
march just behind the participants ,
rom the mother country, Great Brit
lin. This brought Brazil first in line !
,ehind the official committee
Each group was preceded by its
lags. and generally speaking each
,roup of nationals was uniformly r
ressed-not in athletic togs, but in t
uits of uniform cut and color. Some, +
lowever, were in army or navy uni 7
orms. AS they swung by the royal 2
OK, King Albert, Prince Leopold and r
group of government officials we're n
tanding, they saluted the king. Some T
t the athletes paid similar courtesy 7
D the ambassadors or ministers OF T
heir nations, who had boxes all a
round the arena.
Whether it was represented by $50 8
thletes, as was France, or only a G.
comparative handful, as was Japan, p
ach nation participating seemed to il
ave it's special clique of partisans in
le stands. Where possible, the spec
ltors of one nationality had grouped
,gether All of the tourists who, for
eeks, have been pouring into Bel b
ium seemed to be there. A
The American athletes, about 300 II
rOng. were cheered frequently notl s;
lly by their compatriOts in the is
ands, but by the throngs who rec a.
ynized that the group marching be- b.
nd the stars and stripes were among ia
e strong contenders for victory in cl
e Seventh Olympiad. ia
1t seemed that there were thousands H
Americans in the stards. Everyf Y
ldier from the Army of Occupation M
the Rhine who could possibly Sc al
re leave was there in khaki. Jackies
ON the cruiser Frederick, sailors
ON the American merchant and pas
nger liners in the harbor and hund re
ds upon hundreds of tourists swell ST
the delegation from across the At pi
ntic until, in some parts Of the is