The New York herald., 1922-04-23
AMERICANS REVIVE !.
SPORTS IN ITALY
Boxing and Field Games Are
Specially Gaining in
Favor.
DO NOT INVADE SCHOOLS
Are an Important Part of
Training in All Military
Camps.

| Special Correspondence Of THE NEW YoEK
HExALD.
| ROME. April 12.-America is bringing
back sports to Italy. the land of the
gladiator. Rome was once the world
sporting center and the originator of
games that all The civilized countries
adopted. But the present day Italy has
forgotten most of the games she once
invented.
Boxing disappeared with the gladia-
tors Football, which the Italians claim
they originated in the fourteenth CEN
tury, was reintroduced to the descend
ants OF Caesars armies only forty years
ago. Field athletics, the branch OF
sports in which Rome had been particu-
larry inventive. had degenerated into
few trivial calisthenics endured by
soldiers in the army who could not
escape the exercise. Basketball was un-
known. In short, the Italians had prac-
tically forgotten the word sports. Pas-
times for the gentry were a polite and
conversational version of fox hunting
and the still more polite art of fencing.
Pastimes for the plebeians were bicycle
races and tugs-of-war.
When Italy entered the war num-
dred workers from the Y. NJ. c. A. began
to teach the soldiers games. Football,
basketball, soccer and field exercises
gained a foothold. Boxing especially be-
came popular. Previously any third
rate American or British boxer couio
walk in an Italian town and floor the
local champions. But contact with the
Americans, with the British troops, and
with young italians returning from
America to fight in the war stimulated
a great interest in boxing. The last
four years has put Italy on the pugii-
istic map.
Big Arena damned.
Last night the largest arena in Rome
was cramined to the rafters with en-
thusiasts watching a bout between the
Italian and the Swiss (German) heavy
weight champions. The Italian won on
a small margin. The Swiss was a
nervous, quick boxer and a very light
hitter The Italian was ponderous and
slow, untroubled by nerves and with a
skin thick enough to take punishment
There were several bouts between
Italians and Frenchmen. Invariably
the Italians were the slower, steadier
fighters Without pretending to gener-
Italian youngsters who have taken up
boxing show no more nerves than be-
ginners in an American bout.
I talked with "Ping" Burns. the dean
of boxing in Italy. He has lived many
years in Italy. speaks Italian. but hits
Irish. When he opened gymnasium
here fifteen years ago. he told me. the
Italians had no idea how to use their
fists. Any third rate British MILDLY
could flatten out the best italian boxer
then. Now, however..the Italians hold
their own. and az oftehsas not carry
off the honors. He confirmed my i'm
preston of the Italians as fighters. In
stead of showing the legendary Latin
nervousness. want of tenacity and OF
sporting sense. the italian boxers who
are now. making names for themselves
have the general qualities Of American
and British boxers. with more speed
and less hard hitting. .a 4e
Unlike some American halls where
smoke is SO thick that 1t almost
strangles the fighters. there was very
little smoking at the Italian ringside.
Italian boxing fans take the sport SER
iousy and keep quiet during the rounds.
They are intensely nationalistic in sup