Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-08-15
j. 8. ATHLETES
NUMBERING 229
READY FOR FRAY
Representatives of 27 Ma
tions March in Review Be-
fore King Albert of BEL
gIum; Stadium Opened.
,sr MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LsAsso ~,ss

antwerp. aug IL 10y lne .ASSo-
ciated Press. s.)--Olympic athletes,
sportsmen and. officials of twenty
seven nations, numbering 1872,
marched in review before King AL
bert of Belgium today in the cere-
mony opening the olympic sta
dlum, where all was ready for com
petitions beginning tomorrow.
The Americans, as the result of
the reinstatement of Dan Ahearn,
dismissed on charges of insubordi-
nation, went into the parade in
/ fine spirit and full of hope for vic
tory. their delegation of 299 being
the largest except the BelgiaGs,
| whose ranks numbered 30l.
With a perfect day. the beflagged d
field was thronged with competi-
tors, ranging in color from the pa lie
blonde men and women of the
i north land, through all shades of
brown of the japanese, turbaned
Hindus and fezzed Egyptians, to
the almost jet black of some Amer
leans. In age they ranged from
Aileen Riggin. the l2-year- I'D
American diver, who kept step
bravely with the long strided big
Americans, to a bearded Belgian
archer, the last in Inc.
Official Boxes Crowded.
The official boxes were crowded.
The Belgian royal family was in
the royal box.
When King Albert, at the invi-
! tation of Count Baillet-Latour,
head of the Belgian olympic com
11ittnn trnalstn,nI
open, after Cardinal MERCER had
pronounced the benediCtion, seven
cannon shots doomed and carrier
pigeons fluttered over the field An
airplane gave the only twentieth
century touch to a colorful pageant
such as might have attended a
tournament in knighthood days.
"The delegation from the United
States, with Pat Mcdonald carrying
the American flag and Harry j.
Hebner bearing the standard, was
I well applauded. After the flags
and officials marched the navy men
in uniform, then the seven coaches,
the sixteen girl swimmers wearing
white skirts and blue jackets. and
the athletes. An army contingent
was at the end of the American
group.
Chile's delegation OF two ath-
letes and two officials and those of
New Zealand and, Portugal, with
four each, We're the smallest.
Sweden's $50 athletes were loudly
cheered. There were eighty -four
women in the parade. forty-two
presenting Sweden. Most of them
are swimmers, but some are gym
nasts. The group of flaXen- haired
Danes in their light blue gymna-
SUM boomers. was picturesque.
Delegations Dip Flags.
Many delegations dipped their
flags as they passed the royal box,
others cheered and some used
characteristic national gestures,
such as the twenty white-sweatered,
gymnasium -trunkedr Rrazilians, who
put their right hands to their
hearts and left hands in the air
while passing. The Americans eX-
ecuted "eyes right"
Mac Dermott Canadian flag
bearer, started without flag on
the pole which he carried, but after
the parade, when the athletes filed
out of the stadium, he had obtained
tiny ensign somewhere, which
was pinned to the pole and carried
out at the head Of the domlnlons $
thirty participants.
Tomorrow's events. starting at 1
a. M, included the javelln throw
finals, preliminaries in the 3OO-mc-
ters event. the 400 meters hurdles
and-the 500 meters run.