The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-04

lcduSlS 1AiIIiISuIdtSly Ill Ter Cuey
passed their firm" resolution,
as well as the whole past his
tory of that organization, indicate
that the whole business was Just a
stage show put on TO satisfy the
wealthy Jewish supporters and the
many A. A. U. athletes who were de-
rnanding action.
On the day following the passing
Of the resolution threatening boycott
Of the 1896 Olyn1pics, both Avery
Brundage, A. A. U. President, and
Frederick Ruben, Secretary Treas
urer, hastened to give assurances that
they contemplated taking no such
action. Said Mr.. Ruben: II don't
think that we will have to go to the
full extreme of our resolution and
boycott the 1885 Games"
AS long ago as last March, the La
Dor Sports Union sent to the heads OF
the A. A. U. and to many Of its
clubs resolution urging protest
against the smashing of the German
Jewish and labor sport movements
by the Hitlerites, and calling for a
boycott OF the Berlin Olympics.
While few of the smaller clubs re-
sponded, not a word was heard from
the high moguls themselves. The
following month, however, after
pressure from prominent Jews, Brun-
dage, in answering a letter from the
managing editor Of the Jewish
Times of Baltimore, uttered num-
Der Of high-sounding phrases con-
corning the fundamental Olympic
protocol of no discrimination be-
cause Of class, color or creed" and
threatened that the American Olym-
pic Committee would demand the re-
moval Of the 1886 Games from Ber-
lin if Germany persisted in its dis
elimination against Jews.
m June, just before the meeting OF
1 the International Olympic Commit
tee, which was to take up the mat
ter of final approval of place for the
next Olympics, Major General Sher-
rill, one of the American delegates,
made similar clustering threats in
response to kilograms from the
American-Jewish Congress, and to
petition from twenty prominent
American athletes. The International
olympic Committee then went into
secret session and emerged from the
1886 Games firmly pledged to the
Nazs because Germany had "given
assurarcc5" at Jews would be per-
mitted to compete for the Ge; ,--l
Olympic team "as a principle" This
meaningless wind was hailed as a
victory for the democratic principle
in sport" by the A. A. U. and the
American Olympic Committee. The
destruction of Jewish sport organ
izationS, the exclusion of Jews from
the Nazi-controlled national sport
bodies, the fact that Hitler admit
tedly intends to use the Games to
spread Nazi propaganda and to in
crease his prestige internationally,
were Of no import in the face of the
Nazi assurances" Certainly we
have no basis for believing that the
latest blasts from the A A. U. are
not as much empty noise as those
in the spring.
IN fact, the idea OF the A. A. q.
! fighting against discrimination in
sports is ludicrous. Avery Brundage
boasts naively that some years ago,
when the National A. A. U. cham
pionships were scheduled to be held
in New Orleans, and it was discovered
that Negroes would not be permitted
to compete, the games were shifted
to some other city. Who would not
permit Negroes to compete? The
Southern Association Of the A. A. U.
itself. And today, several years
after this event, letter from the
Secretary of the Southern Associa-
ton to a Labor Sports Union mem
Der, facsimile of which appeared