The Columbia evening Missourian., 1922-07-10
LEGION WILL
HOLD IT'S OWN
OLYMPIC TILTS
National Conventions to Be
Scene of Games Which
|. Will Clorify Anna.
teur Athletics.
NEW ORLEANS is NEXT
Each State to Send at Least
Ten Men - Boxing and
Water Contests Featured
in 1923.
NEW ORLEANS IS NEXT

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, July 10Th
Olympic games of America will be hell
each year in connection with the annua
national convention Of the American lie
gion, according TO plans being drawn NJ
here by the newly appointed athletic
commission Of the service mems organ
ization.
The legion commission is made up o
j. r. Murphy, former University ol
Iowa football star. chairman; Grantlant
Rice, sporting editor, New York Trib
une; Sam II. McMeekin. sporting cdi
Tor, Louisville Courier.Journal; Franl
Flanner. Chicago, former Washington
and Jefferson star. and Willard F. Koh
Ter, the legion's director Of athletics in
Kansas. Al c. Lindberg. Chicago. for
mer ten-second man Of the University
Of Illinois track team. varsity football
end, semi-pro baseball pitcher, boxer
and athletic coach, has beer named
secretary Of the commission.
The first American Olympian contest
will be held during the legions national
convention in New Orleans, October l6
10 Il. Each stale in the union will
enter at least ten athletes while Iii.
nois has promised to send 80 and New
York will send that many If not more.
The big feature Of the New Orleans
games will be the wafer events, which
will include plain and fancy diving,
speed and endurance events and a new
departure Of canoe racing. The pro.
Journeys, boxing. wrestling and track
gram also will include golf and tennis
and field events.
Every contest provided for in the
Inter-allied Olympic will be held during
the initial American Olympic accord
ing to Secretary Lindberg's announce
ment as well as many not included in
the former program. In addition. there
will be track, field. water. golf and ten.
mis- events for women of the legion and
its auxiliary.
A premier attraction O. the New Or
leans games, Lindberg says, will be a
decision bout between Bob Martin,
chsmp' od d"the "A. e. F..
and Captain Roper, heavyweight cham
pion. of the army that didn't get across.
These men have never met in the ring.
Ex-soldiers who got to France are solid
behind the A. E. F. champ. while Ro-
per's hackers declare he is better man
than Martin even if he didn't get a
chance to work on the enemy.
A bou, is also planned between John
ny Buff and Pal Moore to determine
the bantam championships. Other
lighters who served in the armed forces
IF the United States during the world
war and who will appear at New Or
cans are: Harry Anderson, Iowa ban
lam, Mike ODowd, Happy Liilleion,
Sergeant Smith and Harry Creb.
The motive underlying the formation
If the national athletic commission Of
he legion, according to Secretary Lind |
,erg, is the glorification of amateur
athletics in the United States. Ii is the |
aim to raise the standard /
Df amateur athletics as distinguished
from professional athletics, to revive
interest in ''sandlei" competition and
o cause the youth Of America gener-
lily to take part in sports and COM
petitions rather fhan to watch profes-
'ionals from the sidelines.
American athletes walked off with
llmost every event in the inter-allicd
games held at Pershing stadium in
Paris in July, 1919, and We have col
ected most Of them into the legion"
Lindberg declares. ~There is
10 reason why VIC cannot have an
american Olympic each year, with
hese inter-allied prize winners to set
he pace. believe we can develop
athletes in every state,
nd then develop host Of International
ecord breakers to the annual national
il