The Daily Alaska empire., 1928-07-13
By ALAN J. GOULD CAP. Sports Editor)

NEW YORK, July I3.-Another athletic argosy set forth July Il with flags waving and spirits high aboard the s. S. President Roosa- welt. in many respects the most formidable boatload of talent America has ever sent out in quest of Olympic honors.
 It is also probably the best or ganized athletic expedition ever to leave Yankee shores, guided, as 1t is, by a soldier returning to Europe on a peaceful mission Major General Douglas MacArthur and accompanied by such able figures in American athletics as Murray Hubert, president of the Amateur Athletic Union; Gustavus T. Kirby, former head of the Olympic committee; Frederick w. Rubien, secretary.treasurer of the outfit; and q staff of coaches head ed by Lawson Robertson, chief of the track and field forces.
 This years Oiynr;c campaign is under new leadership, for General Macarthur has|taken over the pres idency of the Olympic Committee in succession to the veteran Col. Robert M. Thompson, while MT. Hubert, head of the A. A. U. fore es, has taken the place of the late William c. Prout. The latter died while in the midst of organiz- ing the Olympic work.
 The chartered voyage of the President Roosevelt has contrast as well as similarity with former Olympic argosies. Like the trip to Stockholm in 1912. the ship will also serve as living quarters for the main body of athletes while they are in Amsterdam for the in ternational competition.
 Unlike the voyage of 1906 to Athens, which took a stormy three weeks, the Roosevelt will dock at Amsterdam. it is expected, in nine days, to give the athletes time to shake off their sea legs. Tie big competition starts July 29
 The athletes, cream of the crop in dozen branches of sport and gathered from all over the coun- try, have been provided with every, facility for comfort and activity while sailing across. They are travelling first class; in fact they have been given the preference oyer all other members of the party, officials and others, in the allotment of accomodations. For merly the athletes have had to take what they could get.
 Our policy this time has been to favor the athletes in every re- spect,' Gen. MacArthur declared in pronouncing the committees policy. "They are the ones who have the big jobs to do and we felt that they should have first consideration"
 So it is a stylish as well as a hopeful outfit that sallies forth toi meet the worlds athletic best in everything from track, rowing.l swimming, boxing and wrestling to weight-lifting, fencing, yachting, shooting and gymnastics.
 The biggest problem, perhaps, is to keep the track and field men in as good condition as possible on the way over so that they will not lose all the edge of their form in the final tryouts. It is here that Lawson Robertson and his corps of aides have their biggest job in hand but they expect to keep their charges active enough so that it will not take many days off the ship, to get them back in form.
 The swimmers will have their improvised tank, the boxers and the wrestlers their ring and mats, the fencers their strips and the gymnasts their ropes on which to exercise, but there isn't much hope for tte runners who want 2 two