Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-13

BY the Associated Press.
- YEW YORK, January 10
N With the Olympic games
of 1892 only a year and a
half away, America finds
herself in a better position today
to defend her athletic prestige
than ever before. On the whole,
our track ana field athletes, swim
mers, wreStlerS, boxers, gymnasts
and weight lifters who are point
ing toward the Olympics are OF
a higher caliber than in past pre-
Olympic years.
The splendid performances of such
comparative newcomers in track and
field as Paul Jessup, Walter Marty,
Bert Belson, Lee Seminar, Tommy
Warne. James Demers, Harold Man
ming. Joseph McCluskey, Charlie Engle,
Vic Williams, Russell Chapman ana
George Bullwinkle and such sterling
new performers in swimming and div
ing as Helene Madison, Catherine
ATnes. Bernice Phelan, Maiola Kalo, Al
Schwartz and Bud Shields, none OF
whom was on the last Olympic team,
indicate that they will all be outstano-
ing candidates for the 1882 team.
Practically the same condition prevails
In the other sports.
Games at Home Help.
In addition to having a finer string
Of candidates for the next Olympic
games at Los Angeles, the American
athletes will have an advantage they
have not enjoyed in % years-and 1t
Is q real advantage. That Is, to be ape
to engage in Olympic competition Win,
out the handicap of change OF food ana
water. change of climate and travelling
from 5000 to 5000 miles en- route TO
the games. Our opponents will better
realize the great handicap imposed
upon our team in going abroad
ouadrennially for these games after
they experience it in 1882.
When We look back over the year
1880 and bemoan the fact that there
has been a noticeable falling of of in
terest in track and field athletics III
some sections of the United States
where the sport hourished few years
ago, it is refreshing to note the con-
tinuous improvement being shown IN
the performances of the high and prep
school athletes, and it is particularly
pleasing at this time in view OF the
approaching Olympics.
The Improvement has not been
spotty. Rather it has been general,
auplying to nearly every event on the
track and field program. This progress
has been marked during the past IL
months.
Many SchOOIboy Stars.
think it can be said without fear
of contradiction that team composed
r. r,f c1l7n
country could outscore the national
teams Of a majority of the foreign
countries which send teams to the
Olympic games.
Many of these youngsters who stood
out prominently in schoolboy eompe-
tition the past year will be fighting for
places on the team when the Olympic
tryouts roll around in the early Sum
n1er of next year. Such schoolboy Won
ders as Elwyn Dees, the giant shot
putter of the Lorraine (Kans) High
School who last Spring tossed the
12-pound shot SO feet 3 inches, almost
a foot beyond the then accepted world
record; George Spitz OF Flushing
IN. " High School, a consistent foot
3 inch high jumper. who had marx
of feet Az inches last year; Ralph
Metcalf OF Tilden Technical High
School of Chicago, a Splinter. who ran
Q Ito seconds for the hundred In the
national A. A. u. championships last
August and has a record of 81 4-lO
seconds for 22O yards; Ivan Puqua OF
Brazil (Ind.) High School, with AZ
second quarter mile to his credit; Ed
Wonsowicz Of Frobel Ind.) High
School, who vaulted Is feet inches
last Spring, are few Of the crop OF
schoolboys who should continue to show
Improvement during the next ID
months. If they do, they are pretty
certain to win berths on the 1882 Amer
lean Olympic squad.
The plan of encouraging county &C
ttvities in each Of the district associa-
tons Of the Amateur Athletic Union,
which has been stressed in recent years
by the national officers Of the A. A. u,
jFfth the idea of furnishing athletic &C
2ivities for the working boy who does
not have the advantage of a high school
or college athletic training, is beginning
to take hold pretty generally all over
the country and is expected to reach
It's height during the present year. AS
it develops, it is expected that 1t will
prove another splendid source for
Olympic material.