Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-06
BOOKED FOR MANY
FEBRUARY EVENTS
Martin and Keller, Middle
Distance Cracks, to Seek
A. A. u. LaureIS.
BY the Associated Press.


N JEW YORK, January GA
M little international flavor
4 Y ing has been tossed into
the indoor track season to
make it that much more palatable
to the customers.
Two of Frances leading middle dis
lance aces, Ssraphin Martin and Paul
Keller. have accepted invitations to
run here and, under present plans, will
compete in half a dozen Eastern meets
including the National A. A. u. cham
pionships at Madison Square Garden
February Is. Jules Ladoumegue, crack
1,500-meter runner, also was invited,
but declined to join the party in view
Of his forthcoming marriage.
Under a new regulation of the Inter
nation Amateur Athletic Federation,
Martin and Keller will be permitted to
compete over a period limited to 81
days. With this time limit in mind,
the A. A. U. has arranged program by
which the French stars would arrive
here February 5 and one or the other
would run in the Millrose A. A. games
February Z at New York, Seton Hall
games at Newark February 10, Meadow
brook A. G. meet at Philadelphia Feb
ruary H. Boston A. A. games February
IA, New York A. G. meet February Is
and both in the national championships
February 25. They would leave for
home the following day.
To Alternate i'm Meets.
Under the A. A. US plan the in
vaders would alternate at these meets,
one competing in the Millrose games,
for instance, and the other at the Seton
Hall meet. Both, however, would end
their short campaign in the national
championships
Martin bettered the world record for
300 meters with so 3-5 performance
in 1928, but the mark never was ac-
cepted. He captured the French 300
meter title in 1929, but surrendered 1t
to Keller last year
The forthcoming visit of Martin and
Keller will mark the first time, in re-
cent years at least, that the French
nave been represented in track compe-
tition here. Other nations, notably
Norway, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Swift
zerland, Germany, Canada, England
and Holland, all have sent stars here
for the indoor season at one time or
another during the last six years.
Banner Season in 1925.
The year 1925 was the banner season
from an international standpoint, for
1t was then that Paavo Nurmi, the
Phantom Finn, shattered records so fast
over here the experts scarcely could
keep track of them. Ugo Frigerio, the
colorful italian walker, and Gordon
Goodwin of England, another heel-and-
toe expert, were here the same year.
In 1926. Charley Hoff came from his
native Norway to amaze the experts
with his pole-vaulting skill, although
ms achievements later were surpassed
by such homebreds as Sabin Carr, Lee
Barnes, Fred Sturdy and others. HUI
bert Houben, German sprinter, and
Adrian Paulen, Dutch quarter miller,
also competed here during the 1925 in
door season.
Since then the international angle
has not been stressed so strongly. but
there have been the visits of such for
eign stars as Edwin Wide, Swedish
schoolmaster, in 1927 and 1929; DR..
Otto Peltzer of Germany in the 1929
season, NHrmi, Elmo Purie of Finland
and Percy Williams of Canada in 1929
and DR.. Paul Martin Of Switzerland in
1880.