The Washington times., 1932-07-22
WALSH.
CASES MOST
PROMINENT
BY FRANK G.. MENKE


International News Service Sports Editor
LOS ANGELES, Calf, July %.
Axes are being whetted these
days by the International ANA
teur Athletic Federation for the
purpose of beheading athletes
who aspire to mingle in the
tenth Olympiad and now seem
to be tainted with dash or two
of commercialism, alleged or
otherwise.
AS preliminary to the SEN
! fencing and the executions, the
American Olympic committee is
holding a session today, perhaps
for the purposes of exploring the
why's and wherefors of amateur
status. Its finds, no doubt, Will
be reported to the l. A. A. F,
which is the supreme court Of
amateur athletics throughout the
civilized world.
Paavo Nurmi, the fitting Finn,
is one of those humans whose
amateur turpitude. or otherwise,
will be weighed by the l. A. A.
F. when it swings into executive
session Thursday. In advance
of this session. the Films are in
forming all who care to harken
that Paavo is suffering from a
shriveled pedal, or athletes foot,
/ or maybe it is housemaid'S knee.
A Fearful Crime"
Some time ago Paavo was &C
cused of that fearful crime of
an enlarged expense account or
maybe it was two or three ex-
penSe accounts. 1t seems Paavo
chucked in bill for hotel and
incidentalS that a rival nation
figured was quite too large to be
normal and protest was lodged
with the I. A. A. F. Finland put
on its specs and found nothing
at all wrong with Paavo and so
informed the I. A. A. F. which
should have settled the status quo.
Apparently, it did nothing Of
the sort, because the l. A. A. F.
never has signified acceptance of
Finland's findings and the ques-
ton whether Nurmi will romp in
the OlympicS for dear old Finland
or merely disport himself on the
sidelines as cheer leader is some
thing the I. A. A. F. will decide
Thursday. The gambling gentry
are offering 2 to l that Paavo
will be elected to act vocally for
Finland and not muScularly.
Highest Bidder Wins
Then there is the strange case
of Miss Stella Walsh which will
be given executive consideration,
This girl, greatest runner of her
sex in the world, is on the griddle
just now, charged with using her
prowess and her fame to joust
loyal sons of Poland and the
loyal ones of the U. S. A. into a
bidding match for her athletic
coaching services when the Olym-
pics are done.
Stella. daughter of Poland.
is not naturaliZed American
citizen. 1t appears that the dear
girl asked for papers which would
make her 100 per cent Yankee.
At about the same time somebody
who was very Polish told Stella
that II she refused to become an
American and ran for Poland in
the games. she would be rewarded
with an elegant job as tutor of
Polish lassies eager to run as
swift as Stella.
Stella later was accused Of
pointing out this offer to the
Americans and asking what will
you do for me if 1 become an
Americana" And when an offer
was made of a more elegant job
with more elegant cash, it is
stated that Stella went back to
the Polander and asked, well,
how about this, hey?" and con-
tinued to get the boys to hoist
the figure until such time as
Poland outbid the U. S. A., after
which Stella announced she would
use her legs to bring greater glory
to Poland.